Impromptu at Its Peak; Hossein Alizadeh's Tour in America and Europe

The tall columns of the old and magnificent Odeon Hall in Vienna hosted one of the great figures of Iranian music this time, thanks to the HanArt Institute; Hossein Alizadeh, who was experiencing his twenty-second performance in this tour on the night of October 29th in Vienna: a two-month tour that started in America and will end in London. After a previous unsuccessful experience - which took place around the same time last year, featuring vocalist Alireza Ghorbani - this time Alizadeh performs without a singer, letting his small and compact group engage in improvisation. He shares with his audience a world where traditional Iranian music in the form of dastgah blends with the unique world of the musician/composer who has established his own distinct universe over nearly five decades of continuous work. His companions this time are Hossein Behroozinia (oud), Behnam Samani (tombak), and Saba Alizadeh (his son as the kamancheh player). In the first part, Alizadeh played the setar, and in the second part, the tar. In both sections, Alizadeh played freely and effortlessly, and it was evident from his expression that the fatigue of two months of travel had no negative impact on his performance, with remarkable coordination among the musicians indicating an inner connection. This connection seems essential and inevitable for improvisational playing. Alizadeh clearly enjoyed his performance, transmitting this joy to his audience. Those familiar with Iranian music and its systems easily accompanied him, although unfamiliar ears - considering the significant presence of non-Iranian audiences - also seemed to engage, as their standing ovations indicated enjoyment of this different music. Alizadeh's fresh performance naturally evokes memories of Qawwali; a music that can take the pulse of the hall with its rhythm and accompany the audience in discovering pure moments. The first part appeared technically simpler, and Alizadeh did not aim for innovation or creating a different piece; it was more based on a feeling that shapes and solidifies in the moment. However, the second part accompanied the audience through more complex layers. There is no doubt about the enjoyment of the first part, but the second part reflects the world of an artist who has expanded and advanced Iranian music in recent decades; with boldness and astonishing power that subtly challenges, expands, and personalizes the predetermined systems and rules. For this reason, specific 'mischiefs' of his begin to emerge and take shape in the middle of the second part: he brings traditional improvisational music in the form of dastgah even closer to rock music, with melodies reminiscent of Western rock heard in the middle of the performance, accompanied by sounds resembling a guitar from the tar. Silence - something Alizadeh is a master at utilizing - becomes a point of stability and breathability at the peak of the music, which can be very surprising and, of course, beautiful. On the other hand, unfamiliar improvisational music gradually blends with Alizadeh's world, and we hear his recurring favorite motifs, so much so that they become prominent and clearly recall his well-known works. Alizadeh is pioneering in both his personality and music, free from fear; whether standing directly against power and defending the rights of composers and musicians, or in his music - from a historical work like 'Ninava' that opens paths for Iranian music to a masterpiece like 'Raz-e No' that opens a different perspective for Iranian music. Wherever he has taken risks and relied on his unparalleled capabilities, he has attracted and engaged his audience.