His radif is considered to be the main source of contemporary Persian classical music as taught in conservatories and universities in Iran. 

Synopsis of his life 
Mirzá Abdollah received his first musical instruction from his older brother Mirzá Hasan. He, in turn, taught tar to his younger brother, Mirzá Hossein Gholi, until he became old enough to study with Gholam Hossein. Despite Gholam Hossein’s unwillingness to teach, the two younger brothers were eager to learn to the point that they would secretly sit outside the door when their cousin was playing in order to learn the melodies. Their mother finally persuaded Gholam Hossein to teach them. They subsequently were to become the successors of Ali Akbar Farahani and Gholam Hossein. 

Mirza Abdollah learned music only with great effort and difficulty because of the secretive manner of the musicians of his time, and their jealousy of their skills. As a result, he resolved that whatever music he heard he would learn well, that he would memorize the dastgahs completely and without error, and that whatever he learned he would teach freely to his own students so that Persian music would be passed on to future generations. He eventually became a musician at the court of Nasiru’d-Din Shah and remained such until his death in 1918. 

Notable students 
Seyyed Hossein Khalifih 
Dr. Mihdi Sulhi 
Mihdi Gholi Hidayat 
Esmail Ghahremani 
Ali Naqi Vaziri 
Abolhasan Saba 
Haji Aqa Muhammad Irani Mujarrad 

Notability as a musician 
Mirza Abdollah’s contribution to Persian music is so important that Haji Aqa Muhammad Irani Mujarrad referred to him as the book of Persian music. Music was Mirzá Abdollah’s life profession, and he became an important musician in the court of Nasiru’d-Din Shah. He organized the classical radif, some say with the help of Seyyed Ahmad. Tsuge states that: “The radif which we practice today in Iran (or rather Tehran) is generally known as the one of the Mirzá Abdollah school.” 

His open and generous nature, and his willingness to teach, transformed the image of music from a secret and jealously guarded tradition to an art available to all who desired to participate in its performance, expansion and development.

Origin of his title 
Ahmad Ibadi, one of Mirzá Abdollah's sons, related a story of how his father was given the title Mirzá. One day in one of the buildings of the palace of the shah, some courtiers were eating lunch. After lunch they played ás, a card game. Mirzá Abdollah sat and played the setar for himself. Nasiru’d-Din Shah could not sleep and came into the garden. He went over to that building and heard the setar, put his foot on the door sill, and listened intently. Mirzá Abdollah did not see the shah as he played. The gamers noticed, and all got up flustered. Then Nasiru’d-Din Shah signaled them to sit down and said, “Mirzá Abdollah, do you have a handkerchief in your pocket?” “Yes.” “Put it down in front of you.” Then the Shah ordered gold and silver coins to be put in the handkerchief.


میرزا عبدالله فراهانی فرزند آقاعلی‌اکبر خان فراهانی، نوازنده تار ، از استادان موسیقی ایران ، کسی که ردیف موسیقی ایرانی را به نظم درآورد. احمد عبادی نوازنده بزرگ سه‌تار فرزند او است. 

زندگی‌نامه 
میرزا عبدالله دومین فرزند آقای علی اکبر فراهانی اولین آموزشهای خود را نزد برادر بزرگترش میرزا حسن گذراند و پس از آن نزد پسر عمو و ناپدریش آقا غلامحسین آموزشهای خود رو تکمیل کرد و به برادر کوچکتر خود آقا حسینقلی هم آموخت. بزرگانی چون سید حسین خلیفه ، مهدیقلی هدایت، مهدی خان صلحی، فرصت شیرازی، اسماعیل قهرمانی، سید مهدی دبیری، حاج آقا مجرد ایرانی، ابوالحسن صبا و فرزندش احمد عبادی همگی از محضر این استاد بهره بردند. وی با تجدید نظر در دستگاه‌های دوازده گانه موسیقی ملی ایران و ادغام بعضی از آنها با هم ، هفت دستگاه کامل و مجزا پدید آورد که این هفت دستگاه توسط سه تن از شاگردانش به نامهای میرزا نصیر، فرصت شیرازی و مهدیقلی هدایت طی هفت سال نت نویسی شد. میرزا عبدالله در تهران در محله امامزاده یحیی کلاس درسی ترتیب داد که جوانان و متجددین دورش جمع شدند . 

ولی بر اثر تحریکات، مخالفان به خانه اش ریختند و با شکستن وسائل تعلیم بساط درسش را تعطیل کردند. با این حال تا دم مرگ دست از تعلیم نکشید و دربستر بیماری با سه تار قطعاتی به‌عنوان یادگار به شاگردان برجسته خود تعلیم می‌داد. ابتکار ساختن برخی قطعات ضربی از اوست که در قطعات مجلسی توام با آواز پس از اجرای چند گوشه، برای تنوع قطعه ضربی می‌نواخت. مضراب ریز و تک مضرابها در ساز او در تعادل و جملات موسیقی او منظم است و در همراهی با آواز پس از خاتمه یک بیت توسط خواننده او خود گوشه جدیدی را شروع کرده‌است وخواننده را هدایت می‌کند. در حفظ وزن قطعه دقیق بوده و غالبا نوازندگی خود را با قطعه تند رنگ مانندی پایان می‌داد. رنگهای او متنوع است و با آنکه آثار ضبط شده از او مربوط به حدود ۶۵ سالگی بوده ولی پنجه او روان و قطعات را راحت اجرا کرده است. 

البته ایشان در نواختن تار هم استاد بوده ولی شهرت ایشان بیشتر در نواختن سه تار است. از وی چهار فرزند به نامهان مولود ، ملوک، جواد و احمد عبادی به یادگار گذاشت که همه آنها با موسیقی مانوس بودند، وی در سال ۱۲۷۹هجری شمسی(۱۹۱۸م) درتهران و در سن ۷۵ سالگی درگذشت.

Shur: 9. Zirkesh-e Salmak - زیرکش سلمک

Arman Sigarchi 

Iranian oudist & composer based in Cologne and Rasht. Blending Persian tradition with experimental textures, improvisation, and personal history. Founder of Cigarchi Tobacco, a multidisciplinary music & craft project.

I make a living by Medicine, but I can't live without Music!
& I believe I'm a Musician in the parallel world regardless of the hard science I do in this world SO:
"Thank you Music for being there when no-one else was!"
(To Artists: Please do NOT unsolicitedly message your tracks  more than once, Thanks)

Shur: 9. Zirkesh-e Salmak - زیرکش سلمک

Arman Sigarchi | Oudist & Composer