In the 19th century European composers began celebrating their own national diversity, tapping into their native folk music for inspiration and musical themes. This trend continues in our own time with composers from the Pacific Rim and Middle East.

Take this music, written for the modern flute and cello, two traditional European instruments, but influenced by the folk music and native instruments of Persia. The performers are asked at times to play and sing simultaneously. For the flute, this results in overtones and a timbre similar to the Persian bamboo flute. And the cellist, by sharply plucking some strings, or striking them with the wooden part of his bow, also imitates Persian percussion instruments. 

The composer of this Folk Song Suite, based on real and imagined Persian themes, is Reza Vali. He was born in Ghazvin, Iran, on today’s date in 1952, and began his musical studies at the Conservatory of Music in Tehran. In 1972, Reza Vali traveled to Austria to study at the Vienna Academy of Music, then came to the United States, earning his doctorate in music theory and composition from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985, and subsequently joined the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University.

Reza Vali (b. 1952): Folk Songs Set No. 9 (Alberto Almarza, flute; Alvaro Bitran, cello) New Albion 077