The process will begin with the restoration of a chang, an ancient Iranian instrument, the orchestra conductor Peyman Soltani told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday.

"At present a chang, which is a precursor of the modern harp, is being restored by a young apprentice under the supervision of Master Ebrahim Qanbari, an outstanding maker of musical instruments," he added.

Several pieces of music are being composed specially for the instrument and they will be performed in the orchestra's forthcoming programs.

"The restored chang will be used in our future performances as a symbol of the movement towards the restoration of these instruments and their reinstatement as a continuing part of our culture," Soltani mentioned.

Studies of the documents derived from archaeological findings in the regions of Babylonia and Assyria and neighboring areas indicate that the chang, in its various forms, had been used from about the eighth century BC. It was a popular instrument during the Sassanid era.

There are frequent references to the chang in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, and the court musician of the Sassanid King Khosrow Parviz (reigned 590-628) Nakisa was an expert on this instrument.

Iran's historical musical instruments can be found depicted in old miniature paintings and bas-reliefs and they have also been discussed in ancient texts and divans

... Payvand News - 9/2/07 ... --