If Like Birds and Angels I Could Fly

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this recent album by Hossein Alizadeh & the Hamavayan Ensemble is its showcasing of emerging young talent from Iran, including female vocalist Raha and Alizadeh’s twin sons, Saba and Nima. Alizadeh is one of Iran’s most prolific and well-respected classical musicians. His recorded work outside Iran for the last several years has tended to be with high¬profile musicians, such as legendary vocalist Mohammad Reza Shajarian. Vocalist Raha brings a breath of fresh air to a tradition which has been dominated in recent years by a small number of established and well-known vocalists – mainly male, due to official restrictions on solo female singers in Iran itself.

For my taste, the musical material itself is less interesting than some other recent releases of Iranian classical music, and doesn't really do justice to the wonderful musicians. There's a little too much of Alizadeh's tar and not enough of the other artists. The tracks are mainly slow tasnifs (songs with ensemble accompaniment), for which much of the poetic interest – so important to the listening experience of this music – will be lost on non-Persian speaking audiences. Still, translations of the texts are provided in the liner notes, and these give some idea of the mystical and spiritual ambience of the music. There are a few places, however, where the younger musicians come into their own: there's the beautiful instrumental trio of Alizadeh and his two sons and the magical sound of Pasha Hanjani's ney accompanying Raha. Virtuoso percussionist Pejman Hadadi, however, doesn't get a look in. There is so much more that could have been done with these amazing musicians.