Aminollah Hossein
Encyclopedia
André Hossein, born Aminoullah Husseinoff ' onMouseout='HidePop("71869")' href="/topics/Samarkand">Samarkand
– 9 August 1983, Paris
) was a celebrated Iranian
composer
of Neo-Romantic music and a tar
soloist residing in France
.
His mother was a Persian
woman from Samarkand (present-day Uzbekistan
) and his father was a merchant, originally from Azerbaijan
. Aminollah Hossein lived for a few years in Persia (Iran) before he left the country for his academic studies.
, has written that André Hossein studied in Moscow
, Russia
and later in Germany
where he attended a music academy in Stuttgart
and the Berlin
Conservatory from 1934 to 1937. His fascination with pre-Islamic Persia led him to convert to Zoroastrianism
. His newfound religion immensely influenced his musical work in symphonies such as "Persian Miniature", "I love my Country" , and "Symphony Persepolis". He married Anna Minevskaya, a Jewish
comedy actress from Kiev
, who had immigrated to Paris
, France
, with her parents after the October Revolution
. He spent the rest of his life in France. He also studied privately under Paul Antoine Vidal in Conservatoire de Paris
.
An Iranian-Canadian music historian and student of the elder Hossein, Farya Pirbizari, has written that Mr. Hossein actually arrived in Moscow as a very young child, leaving for Berlin after the First World War to complete his secondary education and attending the Conservatoire de Paris
in the 1920s under Artur Schnabel
.
, including some étude
s. Aminollah's love for his native Iran is evident in many of his works, especially The Symphony of Persepolis
(also known as The Rubble of the Forgotten Empire), which he finished in 1947. Aminollah Hossein also made a symphony on Khayyám
poems in 1951.
Other works by him include three piano concertos, Persian Miniature, Scheherezade (Shahrzad), and Arya Symphony. He also composed some film scores, including films directed by his son Robert Hossein
, the Paris-born actor and director.
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
– 9 August 1983, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was a celebrated Iranian
Iranian
Iranian is of, from, or related to the nation of Iran .* Iranian or Persian people who are persons from the nation of Iran/Persia, or of Iranian descent...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of Neo-Romantic music and a tar
Tar (lute)
The tār is a long-necked, waisted Iranian instrument. It has been adopted by other cultures and Azerbaijan. The word tar itself means "string" in Persian, though it might have the same meaning in languages influenced by Persian or any other branches of Iranian languages like Kurdish...
soloist residing in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
His mother was a Persian
Persian
Persian means of, from, or related to Persia , or the Persian-speaking world. See:* Persian people, the majority ethnic group of Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan* Persian language, an Iranian language of the Indo-European family...
woman from Samarkand (present-day Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
) and his father was a merchant, originally from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. Aminollah Hossein lived for a few years in Persia (Iran) before he left the country for his academic studies.
Life and education
His son, Robert HosseinRobert Hossein
Robert Hossein is a French film actor of Azeri origin, director and writer. He directed the 1982 adaption of Les Misérables, and appeared in Vice and Virtue, Le Casse, Les Uns et les Autres and Venus Beauty Institute...
, has written that André Hossein studied in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and later in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where he attended a music academy in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Conservatory from 1934 to 1937. His fascination with pre-Islamic Persia led him to convert to Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
. His newfound religion immensely influenced his musical work in symphonies such as "Persian Miniature", "I love my Country" , and "Symphony Persepolis". He married Anna Minevskaya, a Jewish
History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union
The vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest populations of Jews in the diaspora. Within these territories the Jewish community flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of...
comedy actress from Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, who had immigrated to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, with her parents after the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. He spent the rest of his life in France. He also studied privately under Paul Antoine Vidal in Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
.
An Iranian-Canadian music historian and student of the elder Hossein, Farya Pirbizari, has written that Mr. Hossein actually arrived in Moscow as a very young child, leaving for Berlin after the First World War to complete his secondary education and attending the Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
in the 1920s under Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabel was an Austrian classical pianist, who also composed and taught. Schnabel was known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician, avoiding pure technical bravura...
.
Works
In 1935 he wrote his first ballet, Towards the Light. He also composed numerous pieces for the pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, including some étude
Étude
An étude , is an instrumental musical composition, most commonly of considerable difficulty, usually designed to provide practice material for perfecting a particular technical skill. The tradition of writing études emerged in the early 19th century with the rapidly growing popularity of the piano...
s. Aminollah's love for his native Iran is evident in many of his works, especially The Symphony of Persepolis
Persepolis
Perspolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire . Persepolis is situated northeast of the modern city of Shiraz in the Fars Province of modern Iran. In contemporary Persian, the site is known as Takht-e Jamshid...
(also known as The Rubble of the Forgotten Empire), which he finished in 1947. Aminollah Hossein also made a symphony on Khayyám
Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
poems in 1951.
Other works by him include three piano concertos, Persian Miniature, Scheherezade (Shahrzad), and Arya Symphony. He also composed some film scores, including films directed by his son Robert Hossein
Robert Hossein
Robert Hossein is a French film actor of Azeri origin, director and writer. He directed the 1982 adaption of Les Misérables, and appeared in Vice and Virtue, Le Casse, Les Uns et les Autres and Venus Beauty Institute...
, the Paris-born actor and director.
External links
- Pooyan Azadeh performed Aminollah Hosseins Piano Concerto Nr. 2 - Germany, European premiere of the performance of that piece, YouTube
- André Hossein article at Encyclopædia Iranica Aminollah Hossein's memorial 100th anniversary of Aminollah Hossein
- Pianist Tara Kamangar plays Aminollah Hossein, U.S. premiere of the piece, YouTube