BY BE'ERI MOALEM ,
September 23, 2012
Sahba Aminikia’s Deltangi-Ha was premiered by the Delphi Trio Sunday afternoon at Old First Church. The new work is a series of what the composer calls “postcards” evoking memories from his life in Iran. It began with a strong hook — intense gestures uttered over a vehement ostinato in the piano, representing the bustling metropolis of Tehran. The flavor of Middle Eastern music was immediately palpable but not overpowering. It set the composer’s voice as strongly influenced by his native country’s idiom yet also undeniably informed by classical training and the world of academic new music — a healthy balance. In a preconcert talk, Aminika, whose string quartet was premiered by Kronos last year, remarked that his aim was to completely avoid the sound of “European sentimental music.” That’s pretty difficult to do with just piano, violin, and cello.