The World Music CD Listener’s Guide: Hossein Alizadeh and the Art of Persian Classical Music
by Daniel Finn
I started a vinyl marketplace to discover and share music with others. I found a CD Listener's World Music Guide at a thrift store, and I thought it would be fun to go through it to discover world music one artist at a time.
Follow along as I work through it. I’ve also built a playlist for anyone who wants to listen to these artists. Obviously only good music makes the cut.
We’re up to artist three.
Hossein Alizadeh began his career in Iran during the late 1960s and 1970s, studying Persian classical music through traditional conservatory training while also learning within the broader master apprentice tradition of the radif system. He became one of the central figures in modern Persian classical music through both composition and performance.
His sound is rooted in Persian classical music and the radif system, a centuries old framework of melodic modes and improvisation. Much of the music centres around instruments like the tar, setar, kamancheh, and tombak. The focus stays on mood, space, phrasing, and gradual movement rather than big dramatic shifts.
After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, his work became closely tied to a broader cultural preservation movement within Persian music. He later gained international attention through collaborations, film scores, and projects like "NeyNava," which blends Persian classical structure with orchestral composition.
His catalogue sits at the centre of modern Persian classical music, and the more I listened, the more I started noticing how much atmosphere he creates with small movements and subtle phrasing.
Give it a chance. Have a listen.