His son, Robert Hossein, 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 ancient Persia led him to convert to Zoroastrianism. His newfound religion immensely influenced his musical works such as "Persian Miniature", "I love my Country", and "Symphony Persepolis".[5][6] He married Anna Mincovschi, a Jewish comedy actress from Soroca (Bessarabia),[7] who had immigrated to Paris with her parents after the October Revolution.[8][9] He spent the rest of his life in France. He also studied privately under Paul Antoine Vidal in Conservatoire de Paris.
In 1935 Hossein wrote his first ballet, Towards the Light. He also composed numerous pieces for the piano, including some études. Aminollah's love for his native Persia/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.
Various works by Hossein have been performed and recorded on LP discs by Orchestre du National de l'Opera de Paris (conducted by Jean-Claude Hartemann), Orchestre National de l'Opera de Monte-Carlo (conducted by Pierre Dervaus) and Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Ali Rahbari) in the collection "Symphonic Poems from Persia", supported by the Ministry of Culture and Art in Tehran in late 1970s.
References
^Khademi, Iraj (2004). "HOSSEIN, ANDRÉ". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume XII/5: Homosexuality III–Human migration II. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 522. ISBN978-0-933273-79-5. HOSSEIN, ANDRÉ AMINOLLAH, French composer of Persian origins (b. 1905 in Samarkand; d. 1983 in Paris; Figure 1). His father was a rich merchant, and his mother initiated him in-to music.
^"Robert Hossein | Eurasia Academy". eurasia-academy.org. Archived from the original on 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2019-06-17. Well-known French actor, director and writer Robert Hossein, is of Azerbaijani descent.
^According to the program Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde, presented by Patrick Sébastien on 22 September 2007
^(in Russian)A Pessimist Full of Optimism: An interview with Robert Hossein. Pyotr Rozvarin. Vremya novostei, #47. 19 March 2002. Retrieved 22 December 2007
