29.10.11

Muzyka góralska

  
Kapela Góralska 
TORKA
Szyroko daleko...
2005

Tracks:

01. Zagrajcie gajdziczki
02. Hanka czorne oczka
03. Jak jo Pode na muzyke
04. Za dźwierzami
05. A w tym naszym zomku
06. Elektryczka
07. Górskie klimaty
08. Szyroko daleko...
09. Za Jabłonkowem
10. Stoi lipka
11. Uż sie mi ławeczka
12. Kukułeczka
13. Furmanek
14. A mom se jo w masztali
15. Zwoleńska dolina
16. O Macieju
17. Węgierska nuta
18. Torka
19. A dzie idziesz Helenko
20. Ulubiony

Personnel:

Kazo "Nędza" Urbaś: prym, okaryna, dzwonki, śpiew
Józef Kawulok: gajdy, śpiew
Piotr Kukuczka: sekund altowy, śpiew
Ryszard Gąska: sekund skrzypcowy, śpiew
Lubomira Tumova (Słowacja): cymbały, śpiew
Małgorzata Gerat: śpiew
Marzena Zając: śpiew

słowa: Kazo Urbaś
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Kazo "Nędza" Urbaś założyciel i lider kapeli TORKA, rozpoczął swoją muzyczną działalność już w latach 60. Początki każdego muzyka są cięzkie, lecz "Kazo" przedarł się przez nie bardzo szybko. Każda osoba która zobaczyła, a co ważniejsze usłyszała, tego wybitnego muzyka zamierała w zachwycie. Każdy jego występ to powrót do przeszłości gdzie uliczni grajkowie rozpowiadali okoliczne wieści. Sukces takiego trubadura zależał od zdolności przekazywania. "Kazo" posiada tą zdolnośc i jeszcze ją rozszerza, zaraża nią ludzi, podczas gdy jego muzyka płynie zostaje ona przekazywana przez słuchających dalej. Jest to jeden z powodów dla którego kapela Torka nie mogła się opędzić od propozycji wyjazdów za granicę co w owych czasach nie było rzeczą najłatwiejszą. Udało im się jednak pokonać te wszystkie przeciwności, gdyż jego sława szybko się rozchodziła, co umożliwiło mu zagoszczenie w jeszcze większej ilości ludzkich dusz. Przez cały czas swej egzystencji TORKA podtrzymywała tradycje swego regionu i zajmowała się jej propagowaniem także podczas serii koncertów charytatywnych na których ze łzą w oku można było zauważyć radość dzieci, bawiących się do każdej melodi.


one more were you might be able to get the cd.
GÓRALSKI

Essay by Maja Trochimczyk

HISTORY

The góralski is one of the two basic dances of the Skalne Podhale region (Rocky Foothills of the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland). The góralski and zbójnicki do not occur in the neighboring mountains of Pieniny and Beskidy, and the districts of Orawa and Spisz. The góralski is a general name of the solo dance of one couple who perform a series of dances (3-8). In each segment of the dance, the male dancer sings a selected tune (nuta) in a freely structured rhythm. The ensemble of musicians picks up this tune and performs it for the couple to dance to.
       
The góralski varies in content and style from one village to another and from one dancer to another. Although the góralski is a couple dance, the partners touch only during the final turning together figure, called "zwyrtanie" (according to Ada Dziewanowska, Polish Folk Songs and Dances, p. 267). The man plays the leading role and performs the most intricate steps. The woman has only two or three different patterns to perform and mostly responds to the actions of the man.

There were few transcriptions of górale music in the first half of the 19th century and none earlier; an explosive growth in the outsiders' interest began in the late 19th century. At that time, Dr. Tytus Chałubiński organized many excursions into the Tatras accompanied by groups of górale musicians. Despite the presence of górale themes in 19th-century Polish opera (Karol Kurpiński's Zabobon, czyli krakowiacy i górale; Stanisław Moniuszko's Halka), a serious interest in the stylistic traits of the Podhale folklore was expressed only in the 20th century, starting with Karol Szymanowski (his Mazurkas, ballet Harnasie), and continuing with Artur Malawski (symphonic poem Tatry), Henryk Górecki (two string quartets), and Wojciech Kilar (Krzesany for symphony orchestra).
MUSIC

Podhale is the only area of Poland where the folk culture is still alive as it is present in the daily activities of the górale. They wear their costumes, speak the local dialect, and sing and play the traditional melodies. The music of this region strongly differs from Polish folk music of its northern regions, especially because of its predominantly duple meters (triple meter is the most popular on the Mazovian plains). However, Timothy Cooley discovered that the 19th century collectors, especially Oskar Kolberg, found numerous triple-meter melodies in the Tatras; the change of the repertoire may be attributed to the influence of outsiders, the tourism promoters and ethnographers, who emphasized the differences between the music of the górale and that originating from the rest of the country (Cooley 1998, 2000).

Several types of melodies are used for the dance: nuta ozwodna, krzesana, drobna, and zielona. The man sings one couplet in a high and tense falsetto voice and a quasi-improvisatory manner. The band (called kapela or muzyka), led by a violinist, responds with repeats of the ornamented melody (performed by lead violinist). The strongly accented rhythmic foundation is provided by the accompanying violins and the basy (see the entry on zbójnicki for a description of the band and the instruments).
read the whole thing (and more) here.
  

28.10.11

Tatra brigands

  
Kapela Harnasie
Hej tam spod Tater
2002   
   
Tracks:

01. Kupiym se korole Nie pódym jo z tela
02. Malorz   
03. Niedaleko Lewocy   
04. W Bernie   
05. Hej ta spod Tater
06. Szalała   
07. Hej Janicku siwy włos    
08. Corne ocy
09. Mioł nos łociec    
10. Idzie dysc
11. Hej horolecka    
12. Mamo moja
13. Jo za wodom    
14. Orawa    
15. Tocy się mi tocy
16. U kowala    
17. Syćkok ci godała   
18. Góralu czy ci nie żal
  
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Harnaś - Tatra and Carpathian brigand. Famous Harnasie  were: Juraj Janosik, Ondraszek, Tomas Uhorčík... (see Robin Hood)

Sabała the legendary Góral bard and musican, used to say:

To hang on the gibbet is an honourary thing!
They don't just hang anybody, but real men!
Could not find much info about the music.
and that's all that wiki tells us:
   
While folk music has largely died out in Poland, especially in urban areas, the tourist destination of Podhale has retained its traditions. The regional capital, Zakopane, has been a center for art since the late 19th century, when people like composer Karol Szymanowski, who discovered Goral* folk music there, made the area chic among Europe's intellectuals. Though a part of Poland, Podhale's musical life is more closely related to that found in the Carpathian mountains of Ukraine, Slovakia, Moravia in Czech Republic and Transsylvania. The people in the Tatra mountains of Poland and Slovakia are descendants of Vlach shepherds who settled there from 14th to 17th century.

Local ensembles use string instruments like violins and a cello to play a distinctive scale called the Lydian mode. The distinctive singing style used in this scale is called lidyzowanie. The lead violin (prym) are accompanied by several second violins (sekund) and a three-stringed cello (bazy). Duple-time dances like the krzesany, zbójnicki (Brigand's Dances) and ozwodna are popular. The ozwodna has a five bar melodic structure which is quite unusual. The krzesany is an extremely swift dance, while the zbójnicki is well-known and is perceived as being most "typical" of Podhale and Northern Slovakia. Folk songs typically focus on heroes like Janosik.

*Goral (mountaineer)
  
    
 
   
  
   
The music of the Górale folk tradition is usually performed by a small string ensemble, resembling the make-up of a string quartet: a lead violin performing ornamental melodies, two accompanying violins, and a three-stringed basy, providing the harmonic basis for the chords. The basy is smaller than the double-bass, roughly the size of a cello. The second violin and the basy play rhythmic quarter-notes in duple meter with strong accents, providing the rhythmic framework for the music. In the nuta zbójnicka (the zbójnicki tune), the rhythm is upbeat and lilting; in Timothy Cooley's words "the accompanying violins bow downward on each beat with the basy and add an up-bow in-between each beat (1&2&1&2&1&2), effectively playing twice as fast as the basy." (from Fire in the Mountains CD, Yazoo 7013; 1997, p. 8-9). Another common instrument used in the area was a simple carved string instrument resembling a basic fiddle, called "złóbcoki." ...
read some more here
 

21.10.11

Üdvözöljük a Técsői Banda!

  
Técsői Banda
Ruszin Népzene
Rusin Folk Music from the upper Tisza region

2002

Tracks:

01. A vofelybot diszitese... (1'52")
02. A fiuk kiprobaljak... (4'00")
03. Mars (4'06")
04. Roman dallamok... (2'59")
05. Menet a lakodalmas... (1'17")
06. Kalácstánc a lakodalmas... (2'13")
07. Kárpáti kolomejkák (2'49")
08. Bucsu a legenysegtol (2'12")
09. Kolomejka... (10'13")
10. Menyasszonytanc (3'25")
11. Vendegbucsu (2'52")
12. Asztalozo (0'39")
13. Asztalozo... (1'34")
14. Szkarani (román ugrós) (1'56")
15. Roman ciganytanc (1'27")
16. Ciganycsardas (2'20")
17. 'Baj van, baj van...' (2'33")
18. Havasi kurt utanzasa hegedun (2'13")
19. Huculka (2'01")
20. Regi olah tanc (1'19")
21. Nyila (1'31")
22. Koljatka - koszonto (2'18")
23. Roman tancok (4'22")
24. Hucul tanc (7'43")

Duration (70'52")

Técsői Banda:

Joszip Csernavec Georgijovics „Jóska” (1945) – bajan
Mihailo Csernavec Jurijovics „Misu” (1947) – little cimbalom
Jurij Csernavec Olexandrovics „Júra” (1951) – drum, plonka, Jew’s harp, voice
Ivan Popovics Mikolajovics „Iván” (1958) – violin
Petro Babics Sztyepanovics (1952) – violin, voice

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"The Técső Band – playing the traditional Ukrainian-Rusin music of the Máramarosians – is one of the best-known bands of the crown town, which lies on the upper part of the river Tisza. The accordionist Jóska Csernavec and his brothers are the descendants of a reputed gypsy dynasty, but the band’s violinists are not family members. Somehow playing violin was not inherited within the family. All of them learnt the musical style from their ancestors. Their diverse repertoire – because of the strong interethnic influence – features local Romanian, Gypsy, Jewish, Russian and Hungarian songs. I made my first recordings with them at the beginning of the 70’s. At that time, the legendary father Jura Csernavec “Manyo” played the violin.

Unfortunately, his virtuoso performance survived only on a single cassette in bad quality. The band often performs on weddings, on funerals, on Christmas and on the fest of “Misána” (sheep clipping). Their instrument kit includes violin, neckwear cimbalom, bajan (that is an accordion with buttons) and drum equipped with cymbal. The drummer uses a plastic sheet called plonka. He operates this by pressing it between his lower denture and his gum, playing tunes or sometimes playing only to enhance the rhythm of the dance.

Present recordings were made on two occasions with two different primates. On the first part of the album, we can hear wedding music on the second part dance music. During the editorial work, my ambition was to have the band record the most interesting pieces in our studio. I was hoping that many others would love the music of the “unknown land” as much as I love them."

says recording editor Ferenc Kiss.

 
Coming from the village of Tyachiv  (Técső in Hungarian) in the far western Ukraine, the Técső Band is one of the last full time professional traditional ensembles which makes its living playing for village weddings and events in the Hutsul region of the Carpathian mountains. This is an area with a very mixed ethnic composition, and to be successful a band needs to master the specific repertoires of a multitude of ethnic groups.  Accordionist Yoshka Cherniavets are the son, and drummer Yuryy arethe cousinof the late Manyo Cherniavets, a renowned fiddler and band leader who was the Gypsy musician called to play for Jewish weddings in the region. Along with tsymbaly player Misha Cherniavets, the Técső Band continued the tradition of playing a rich multiethnic repertoire encompassing Hutsul Ukrainian, Romanian, Jewish Klezmer, Gypsy, Slovak, Russian, and
Hungarian music in a single performance. Fiddler Ivan Popovych took over as lead fiddler with the death of Manyo. Sadly, tsymbaly player Misha died in 2006. His replacement,the virtuosic Vassilyy Hudak, is the music teacher at the localschool. Since 2010, tsymbaly player of the band is the young Mikhaylo Magula, has a superb understanding and feeling for the musical style of this mountainous region.
 
 
Técsői Banda: The Last Kolomejka

I've know the guys from the Técsői Band for almost a decade, ever since Kiss Feri from Etnofone Records started bringing this amazing Hutsul band to Hungary for festivals. One of the last functioning traditional bands in the region - in the sense that playing their traditional repetoire in their community as a full time job - the Técsői Banda hail from the western Ukraine, just across the border from Hungary in the multi-ethnic village of Tjaciv, known in Hungarian as Técső (there is a large Hungarian speaking minority, and most of the band can speak Hungarian alongside Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Russian, and Romani.) Truly a band of brothers (with one in-law, Ivan) the Técsői band are the sons of Manyo Csernovec, a Gypsy fiddler and and leader who was reknowned in the western Ukraine as the preferred musician for local Jewish and Hungarian events, alongside Hutsul music. A couple of years ago some Hungarian film makers started working with them on a documentary, and this week the end result saw its premier at the Urania Film Museum in Budapest: The Last Kolomeyke. The filmakers followed the band around in Budapest as well as in their home village of Tjaciv, focusing on the friendships that grew between Imre Keszthelyi - their local host and manager - Sue Foy (our own amcsi friend and dance ethnographer of central European dance styles) and me - I recorded a few cuts with Técső for our forthcoming new CD, and the studio session is included in the film. As is usual with these projects, the documenting went on and on and on... but then in 2006 the tsymbaly player, Misha Csernovec, suddenly passed away.

 
 

19.10.11

Opera in Ukraine

  
Ukrainian Opera Singing
Masterpieces of Ukrainian Music
2006
  
Tracks:

01. Quietly over the river (AP Batiuk, S. Cherkasenko) - Elena Slobodyanik, Alexander Taranets
02. Four oxen pass I (b., excl. Anatolskyi-Kos) - Evgeniya Miroshnichenko
03. Oksana and Andrew Duet from the opera "Zaporozhets beyond the Danube" (S.Gulak-Artemovsky) - Zoya Hayday, Ivan Kozlovsky
04. Black Eyebrows (D. Bonkovskyy, arr. Nadenenka F. - K. Dumytrashko) - Valery Bujmister
05. Duet Odarka and Kars from the opera "Zaporozhets beyond the Danube" (S.Gulak-Artemovsky) - Maria Litvinenko-Volgemut, John Patorzhinskogo
06. Jihav Cossack beyond the Danube (Born, LV Beethoven arr) - Valery Bujmister
07. Why do I black eyebrows (born, arr J. Borkowski - T. Shevchenko) - Diana Petrynenko
08. You - my love (G. Zhukovsky - A. Novitsky) - Nikolay Kondratyuk, Vladimir Timokhina
09. Odarka Song from the opera "Zaporozhets beyond the Danube" (S.Gulak-Artemovsky) - Maria Litvinenko-Volgemut
10. Floating boat (Mykola Lysenko - SL. B..) - Mikhail Rakov, Alexander Taranets
11. Nightingale (music and lyrics. M. ML) - Bela Rudenko
12. Zore vechorova (S. Kozak - A. Malyshko) - Alexander Taranets, Vladimir Zarkov
13. Sun nyzen'ko (music and lyrics. Lysenko) - Konstantin Joiner
14. Oh, I will limit Mountains (Kos-Anatolskyi) - Irina Zyabchenko
 
translation by google pls help with the mistakes...
  
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The first collection, as you can see, is focused to opera singing. The choice of exactly this theme as the first one may seem rather strange – but only at the first look. For the thing in question here is masterpieces, thus we have to admit: first truly world-wide glory to Ukrainian singing was brought exactly by opera singers, wasn't it? Do not forget that their repertoire was never limited to classic arias only – all of them performed Ukrainian folk songs as well, and caused no less fascination with them. Or even more...
 
  
  
   
  
 

16.10.11

Troista Muzyka of Prykarpattia and Bukovyna

  
Trojisti muzyky Prykarpattja ta Bukovyny
Ukrainian ethnic music
2004

Tracks:

IVANO-FRANKIVSK REGION (Prykarpattja)

1 Wedding-dance song Play
2 Verkhovyna melodies played on cymbalo
3 Melodies from the pastures
4 Old and contemporary Guzul melodies
5 Folk improvisation of Dovbush
6 Arkan, oprishki's dance Play

CHERNOVITSY REGION (Bukovyny)

7 Verkhovina, our land Play
8 Wedding melodies
9 Before autumn comes Play
10 Oh, we met at Yaremcha
11 A am dark-haired
12 Bukovinian melodies
13 Moldavian melodies
14 Bukovinian polka
15 Doina, Gora, Sirba "Vesela"

Total time : 41:00 


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The Guzuls have created a very poetic legend about their trio-ensemble music. Three musicians - a violinist, cimbalomist and sopilka-player - fell in love with one maiden. In order to choose her bride-groom the maiden suggested that they take part in a contest and the player whose music-making the people would judge to be the best she would marry.

Each musician in turn played his favourite melody, but as the three musicians equally well none of them could win the contest. Then the maiden asked them to play the same song but again nobody scored a victory... There was only one thing left to do - to play a tune together. But their joint performance yielded such enchanting music that the people decided that it would be a sin to part them and so they continued to play together.

In this way this music came to be called "troista muzyka" (trio-ensemble music). The emergence of music of this kind, that laid the foundation for the further development of folk instrumental music, was a great achievement in the cultural life of the people. 
 
   
It is one thing when you listen to music like that only because it is interesting for you to know what kind of music it is. But it is quite a different thing when you listen to it because you are captured by the virtuosity and singularity of performance - only then it becomes really interesting for you. Only then it becomes interesting for you why you haven’t got interested in it earlier. Such is the case with this particular disc. The recordings presented at it capture you both with the skill and beauty of performance. It is meticulous – this is exactly the word, which may describe it. As for one of the performers presented here – Vasyl “Mohur” Hrymalyuk, people say that he plays violin better than the devil himself. Still, other musicians make a pleasant impression, too. If you listen to this recording sitting, then a moment comes when you notice that you have already started jumping on you seat keeping time with music. Seemingly, haven’t we heard troyisi muzyky before? It turns out to be – we haven’t. At least, I myself haven’t heard anybody like them before. Or, may be, I haven’t listened properly.

Anton Jozhik Lejba (Hedgehog)
 
  
  
Folk musicians, folk instrumental ensemble consisting of violin, basolia (bass), tambourine (in the central regions), or violin, dulcimer, tambourine (in the western regions).

First mentioned in the Ukraine in the late 17th - and early 18th century.

Troista music played an important role in the life of the Ukrainian village: at folk festivals, weddings, fairs and more. Performed mostly songs and dance tunes.
 
 ~ ☆ ~

14.10.11

Music of the Boykos, Lemkos and Hutsuls

  
Karpathia
Ukrainian ethnic music
2003
    
Tracks:

1 Introduction ( instrumental,bag pipe)

BOYKO REGION

2 We brought in the harvest early (harvest song)
3 There are fine herbs on the table (wedding song)
4 Oh, it snowed in the mountains (rhyming song)
5 Oh, in the middle of the village lived a poor widow (winter song)
6 Oh, long, long ago (winter song)
7 When i was young (rhyming song - "kolomyika")
8 Instrumental "kolomyika"
9 Instrumental "Kozak"
10 Instrumental "Polka"
11 Instrumental "kolomyika"
12 Instrumental "kolomyika"

LEMKO REGION

13 I'll give a calf (folk song)
14 Oh, play musicians play (folk song)
15 I'm from 1923... (story)
16 At our neighbor's house (wedding song)
17 Behind our hut (wedding song)
18 We're coming down the mountain (wedding song)
19 In the old days it wasn't like it is now (story) 20 Green kindling (folk song)
21 I'm a young man ( folk song)
22 We didn't come (wedding song)
23 Where the sun rose (folk song)
24 From Krakow they took me as a soldier (soldier's song)
25 I sowed green seeds (folk song)

HUTSUL REGION

26 Fiddle instrumental with rhyming song
27 Jaw harp
28 Where are we going to spend the night (folk song)
29 Floyera and story about the performance (funerary lament)
30 Double flute and story about the performance
31 The biggest honor... (story)
32 On Sunday morning

Total time : 73:54

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KARPATHIA is a CD of Ukrainian traditional music of the Boykos, Lemkos and Hutsuls, who live in the Carpathian Mountains of Western Ukraine (Ivano-Frankivsk region). Instead of presenting the popular or typical genres for each group, this CD features the new and unexpected in this music which was born in the mountains and created by people who live a little closer to heaven.
 
recorded by Yaryna Turianska.
  
   
This CD is a valuable piece of Maramorisian folklore. The instrumental pieces included here compile some of the best recordings of north-carpathian music. I am a listener of traditional romanian music, of Taraf des Haidouks, and others. This musics seems to me as romanian as the Taraf de Haidouks. The melodic lines are so Romanian, more Romanian than the Romanian traditional music from regions like Moldavia and Transylvania. I would say that in the hole estern-european regions, two areas are the most Romanian, Valachia and Hutsulshkina. I think that from these two areas the Romanian people spread throughout its ethnic teritorry of today. I heared of different documents, like the place in Nestor's Chronic, where it is said that before the hungarian conquest, the Romanians occupied the contry of the Ruthenians, of the conties of the "bolohoveni'' or ''brodnici'' that were romanian feudal states in Gallitia, and of the numerous villages runed by ''iux vallahicum'', that were romanian still in the 16th century. I herded that Maramures was in 80% of its population romanian till the 16th century, when Ruthenians were colonised on the feudal estates of the romanian Cnezi, lords. Maiby this music is a testimony to the Romanian influence in what is today Transcarpatia and Ivano-Frankivsk, of those volosky shepherd people who gave the names of all the mountains in the region, and from whom Dragos and Bogdan settled the Moldavians in what is today the eastern region of Romania and the Republic of Moldavia.
  
***
  
Karpathia is the ultimate ethnic adventure. The selections, all played on authentic folk instruments (pipes, tsymbaly, trembita) and sung by natives who do justice to the repertoire, transport me to the rough, beautiful mountains. I dance along to the happy and sly kolomyjka tunes, feel nostalgia listening to the wedding songs, the Christmas and New Year's greetings. The past lives through these recordings. I am also impressed by the research and thoroughness in the notes. Some of the words are purely regional and translations are needed. Certain local customs are also explained. There is a good description of the three groups, the Lemki, the Bojki and Hutsuly. I do think that it was a good idea to arrange the selections according to the region. I recommend for those who enjoy Karpathia to purchase the Kosmach Musicians CD. One reason for my loving this type of music, I should add, is that my father is from the Carpathian region and I always heard these types of tunes during my earliest years.
  
source
  
  
  
 "Ukrainian Ethnic Music" series came out of many ethnographical expeditions to different region of Ukraine. Compact discs have stylish design. In the colourful booklets you will find information about the places where recordings were made, stories about performers, lyrics of the songs etc. Information is given in Ukrainian and English.
  
If you ever get hold of one or more of these CD's grab them all... :) 
  

 

13.10.11

Hutsul Music

  
Ethnic Ukraine
Hutsul Melodies
2005

Tracks:

01. Myshyns'ka dribon'ka
02. Bukovina Folk Melodies (Bukovyns'ki narodni melodiji)
03. Garland Of Ukrainian Folk Melodies (Vinochok ukrajins'kyh narodnyh melodij)
04. Myshyns'ki Wedding Tunes (Myshyns'ki vesil'ni melodiji)
05. Tylynkovi nahravannja
06. Scherzo Polka (Zhartivlyva pol'ka)
07. Arkan
08. The Chaban's Dream (Son chabana)
09. The Hutsul Girl (Huculka)
10. Verhovyno, svitku ty nash
11. Oy, the Dulcimer Said (Oj, kazala cymbalochka)
12. The Lemkivs'k Theme Dream (Fantazija na lemkivs'ku temu)
13. Halyc'ka pol'ka
14. Bereznjanka
15. V’jazanka
16. Verhovynno
17. V’jazanka zakarpats'kyh tancjuval'nyh kolomyjok
18. Verkhovyna Melodies (Verhovyns'ki melodiji)

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 This compilation contains the archive records from National Radio Company of Ukraine catalogue. The traditional songs go along with the new ones. Amongst performers are – folk instruments orchestra, songs and dance ensemble, “Pysanka” duet. There are also the solo acts by bandura, dulcimer and sopilka players.
 
***
  
It somehow resembles a photo album or even a colour book. Not because some kind of imperfection or amateurishness is present here, on the contrary - masterly performance itself deserves due appreciation. I mean quite a different thing - in colour books usual things as a rule acquire such unexpected and bright colours that you have nothing to do but to be amazed. The same with these melodies – they can’t leave you indifferent simply because they are strikingly beautiful, gentle, bright and incendiary. There is so much sun in them, as well as clear air, height and tints of green that you even forget that mountains may be and sometimes are not only friendly but also menacing. And when you remember that, you have the feeling of respect towards those people who have enough vital enthusiasm to create such music, to reproduce such cheerful and light energy in melodies. In order to understand and to feel all these words you should live in mountains at least for a short period of time. Still, if you do not have such possibility, then you should listen to this music.
  
  

Hutsul music

  
Music has been an everyday Hutsul life friend for ages. It became a friend when Hutsul was born, and when he or she was dying. Hutsul are strongly connected to the music of their ancestors, who saved the rhythms from generation to generation. Walking along the villages in the mountains, there may be heard the voices and songs along the glades. The signals and melodies used by shepherds can be heard played on different pipes. There are no parties, weddings or Christmas without the music and Hutsul songs. Nowadays, it can be seen that traditional Hutsul songs and dances have been disappearing. Also the musical instruments have been replaced. There are not so many dudka, telenka, floyera, horns, while trydencitka and brebenytsia completely disappeared. The repertoire has been changed and it is mostly dedicated to popular, modern songs as an effect of civilization transformations. But there is a traditional current in music, too.
 
Hutsul Instruments

The best way to know Hutsul music and national instruments of the Carpathians is to visit Roman Kumlyk Hutsul Musical Instruments Museum in Verkhovyna.
Hutsul instruments are very important. According to their traditions, Hutsul emphasize that the instruments have their souls. The music played can be magical and fight with an evil or help to seduce the lover. With the music played on the traditional Hutsul instruments new born baby was welcomed, the wedding was announced, the animals(marzhyna) were moved to the glade, the death was made known.
The conventional Hutsul ensemble consisted of four basic instruments – the violins (skrypka), the drum (buben), cymbals and pipe (sopilka). In the ancient times, the Hutsul ensemble had two violins and bagpipes (dudka). From 18th century reports the 1st violins played the main theme, while 2nd violins or the musician voice complemented it. In early 20th century, Hutsul ensemble played with the violins (skrypka), cymbals and pipe (sopilka). After the World War it was extended by the drum (buben). Nowadays, the ensemble is extended by accordion (bayan). The older ensembles wase called as three players music (troyisti muzyky) since the beginning of 20th century. Hutsul called such ensembles muzyka with pronunciation stress on y, while normally it is stressed on “u”.
Every instrument plays a distinctive role in Hutsul music. The violins and pipes are the solo instruments, playing a main role in the theme, but the most important are violins. The pipe is made of hazel timber. It has six holes, and the voice is a combination of d, fis, a, h, c, d, e. The volume is received by the change of air pressure along the pipe with fingers opening and closing the holes.
Both pipe and violin can either work together or play a main role. The pipe has been used by Hutsul since early 20th century. Now it is the most popular instrument. Nearly, every Hutsul can play the pipe. In the past, it was used by the shepherds and children during work in the glades, and afterwards, in evenings (vechornytsi) during the spinning.
A smaller pipe is called denchivka. It has five holes and it used to be a teaching pipe for children.
The next one is called floyera. This pipe is longer than sopilka and similarly produced from hazel timber, which according to Hutsul gives a dean and pleasant tone of sound, floyera has a low continuous sound. Another simple pipe is called telenka. The sound modulation is dependent on changes of pressure of the air as well as the blow strength. This instrument was used, when one arm held a horse or a bag while the other played the pipe.
The violins (skrypka) always help in singing and ensemble playing. They need a strong technical improvement. In Hutsul land the violins are still very popular even among young people.
Cymbals are used in an ensemble playing as a complementary instrument with accords put in the holes after the drumming and making a rhythmical background. Cymbals have several bands of strings (K 15, 20, or 27) of the same sound. Every band has 4-8 strings. A hazel sticks are applied to play. Hutsul adapted cymbals from the Gypsies.
A drum (buben) is used for rhythm introduction with a small metal plate breaking the regular tone. The small drum was applied just before the World War and it was replaced by large one after the war.
A very popular is using of drymba. It is a popular Balkan instrument (drymblo) made of a scythe blade or a watch spring. It gives a monotonic metallic sound from the part mounted between two curvy plates. The instrument is place near the mouth and with the breath and a finger it starts sounding. In the past, drymba was used by women, nowadays also men use it.
A very seldom instrument called dudka (koza, dudochka, gaydy or dudy). It has been known since 18th century. It was used during the play of funeral or baptize party music (zastolna). It was played on the glades throughout the pasturage.
The instrument was used during the fairs, when the Hutsul musicians presented the dancing music (hutsulyk) or songs (melodiya).
This kind of show was presented even in the 1950-ties. Nowadays, it is presented only during the weddings or the funerals.
The instrument consists of the air bag (mich) made of the goat leather with three pipes made of sycamore – basok, sysak and karabka. Sysak is used for the air input to the bag. With a bag full of air, the player moves basok along the right hand. Parallely, the left arm presses the bag with playing on karabka. Karabka has two channels with two straw adjusters. Basok has a low sound, while karabka gives higher sounds.
A very intensive sound can be played with trembita. It was an instrument, which regulated the day on the glade. It can be used by men. Several trembita can be used in a team play also with horns. It is made of a spruce timber. It is a thin conical pipe widened from the back to the front. It has from 2.5 m to 3 m length. It is wrapped by the birch of bark with the metal top. The sound is modulated by the air pressure. Hutsul trembita is not so heavy and one person can hold it. It was believed that the best instruments can be made from the tree striked by the thunder with the fresh birch of bark wrapped so as to wave sound could be heard from the instrument.
The horns were used to indicate the danger. They were made from the same wood as trembita was. During the pasturage on the glade the voice of horn alarmed in case of wolf or bear attack, while during the Christmas time in the Carpathians it was used by the carol singers.
There are several rules of playing Hutsul music. The most important is to finish the melody. Otherwise, the musician will have to finish it in the other world.
 
Singing

The singing is a part of the Hutsul ritual folk. With several family ceremonies – weddings, baptisms, feasts – the music and the singing are a part of Hutsul life. Also traditional migrations from the valleys to the glades have been done with music and singing. Another traditional activity as spinning has been disappeared, and the women singing with sopilka pipes disappeared too. Nowadays, there are three forms of singing – a solo one with one instrument, – a group singing with one or more instruments, and a solo without the instruments.
A solo with an instrument singing is performed except for the ceremonies, on the glades, but it is diminishing. The songs with a short text or rhymes is called spivanky. It can be performed with the violins, pipes, bagpipes or drymba. Today, there are mostly the violins or drymba. The singer recites the text with certain theme, and the instrumentalist plays the melody with several seconds upper and lower meanders. It is a simple variation heterophony.
The same scheme is applied, when the group singing is performed. It is typical around the Christmas time, when the carol groups sing with a violins playing the theme and mostly a solo due to the group theme singing. The violinists use double hold, while in the past a triple hold was used at the end of a phrase.
A solo and a group singing without the instruments is very rare now. Women, collecting the mushrooms or berries perform a group singing. In the Christmas time, the carols are sung by group singers or family choirs. In the Easter the religious songs are performed by groups jest before the dinner.
Some songs are long with even ninety strophes. The melody is simple scaled, pentatonic, threetonic, with easy melo-rhytmic pattern. They have a second melody step and a quart as a tonic frame.
The songs are not so fast, rather slow with easy rhythm. The lyrics is not directly attached to the particular melody. The meaning of spivanky is mostly dedicated due to the lyrics, which can be singing with various melodies and vice versa, to the particular melody several different rhymes can be sung. Some studies demonstrated, that commonly the second situation happens today. The lyrics are often about the love, fun, weddings, drinking. There are some songs dedicated to the warlords such as Dovbush. The early sounds used in Hutsul land were the calling voices of shepherds (ehokanya). Even nowadays, walking across the mountains, it might be possible to hear some voice signals with syllables la-lo-lay or e-he he. There are as in the past with the same meaning – calling, demonstrating the presence, but also warning or bothering evil. One of the shepherds stressed the need of a call (zaehokanyo) in order to feel safer and scare the wild animals. The origin of the calling voices can be found in the past, where the reality was a space of the fighting forces of good and evil. The only way to get rid of the evil was to emphasize the presence with several noisy and loudly voices.
As far as Hutsul are concerned, they still believe in a mythical world of the phantoms. They can be found in Hutsul legends, stories and songs about Chornohora. They are mostly dedicated to Pip Ivan, not Hoverla. The songs about Hoverla have been composed since 1991, when Ukraine became independent. In the texts, patriotic and liberation are emphasized and Hoverla seems to be a new national symbol.
 
Hutsul Dances

The dances of Hutsul show the nation nature. The basic dance (tanets) is kolomyyka. The oldest are trisunka, vysoka, piutorak, and koleso or kolo. Hutsutka is a very popular and younger dance. Such dances as arkan and resheto are not in use but their melodies are popular and played by Hutsul ensembles and danced on the stage. Such dances as trisunka and piutorok were included into the kind of dance kotomyykovo-kozachkovy like hutsulka with their figures and steps.
In the past the dance was starting with a demand of a peasant, who asked for a especially chosen music. Then, he asked girl and they were a first pair on the floor. After that next pairs were joint the floor. Today, it is a custom, which is applied during the weddings.
There are four figures in Hutsul dances. Their combinations cover all the dances.
They are called tropata (tropatanka), hayduka, holubtsi and perekruchuvannya.
At present, the most popular dance is hutsulka, which is a fast dance around the pair with all four figures applied. There are kozachok and kolomyyka rhythms and a tempo is various in different parts of Hutsul land.

source

wiki

***
 
more music to buy and wonderful pages to read:


Authentic Hutsul Music from the Ukrainian Carpathians.

  

  

~♥~



10.10.11

National Honored Chorus of Bandura-Players of Ukraine named after H.I.Mayboroda



The Kiev Bandurist Capella 
  
(Ukrainian: Київська капeла бандуристiв, Kyivs’ka kapela banduristiv) is a male vocal-instrumental ensemble that accompanies its singing with the playing of the multi-stringed Ukrainian folk instrument known as the bandura.

The group was initially known as the Kobzar Choir and was established in August 1918 under the direction of the renown bandurist virtuoso Vasyl Yemetz. Despite an intermitant periods of non-activity, the group continues to actively perform to this day.

Preamble

The idea of organizing a bandura ensemble came to V. Yemetz after seeing a performance by four kobzars in Okhtyrka: Ivan Kuchuhura Kucherenko, Pavlo Hashchenko, Petro Drevchenko and Oleksander Hamaliya on 20 August 1911. In some of the pieces, the kobzars were joined by the lira player Sampson Vesely. This performance seemed to have been the catalyst for the formation of the first Kobzar Choir.

Initially, Yemetz tried to organize a Bandurist Capella in Kharkiv from his students in 1913. His next attempt was with his students in the historic Kuban region in 1913-1914 in Yekaterinodar, but none of these attempts were fully successful. This could have been possibly due to the youth and inexperience of Yemetz himself. In 1914, Yemetz travelled to Moscow where he had the chance to see the bandura ensemble that was organized by Vasyl Shevchenko. He was also aware of the student bandura ensemble organized by Mykhailo Domontovych in Kiev in 1905.

Organization

In April 1917, Yemetz first visited Kiev travelling there as a delegate to the First Ukrainian Congress. After a brief return to Kharkiv, he settled in Kiev. In May 1918, he placed advertisements in the Kievan newspapers Vidrodzhennia, Robitnycha hazeta and Narodna volia asking for interested persons to approach him with the intent of organizing a kobzar ensemble.

A number of bandurists answered these advertisements and they had their initial gathering in June of that year. Altogether 18 people came to the first meeting. Each had varied playing levels, musical knowledge, and technical proficiency. Each played different styles of bandura made by various makers. The Chernihiv-style was chosen over the Kharkiv-style by Yemetz as being easier for every one to initially master. A standard tuning had to be chosen which initially also proved problematic. Some of those initially interested dropped out because they could not read music and thought that playing from music was not traditional.

The group was initially known as the Kobzar Choir (Kobzarsky khor) and later Kobzar Capella (Kapela Kobzariv). Yemetz states that the word bandurist was not used at all at that time.

First performance

After a few months of rehearsing, the ensemble was ready for their concert debut. This also proved problematic because none of the bandurists had the money to pay the rent required for a concert hall in Kiev. This obstacle was overcome by the direct intervention of Hetman Pavlo Skoropadsky. Before their first independent concert, they had a chance of performing as a group at the Hetman's Palace. After hearing them perform, Hetman Skoropadsky was so moved that he made sure that the rental fee was paid for the use of the second largest hall in Kiev after the Opera Hall - the Bergonie Theatre (now known as the Lesya Ukrainka Theatre). The premiere concert of the Kiev Kobzar Choir took place on 3 November 1918.
  
"National Honored Chapel of Bandura-Players of Ukraine named after H.I.Maiboroda"
2007
  
Частина перша
1. Реве та стогне Дніпр широкий 4:27 слова: українська народна пісня
2. Бандуристе, орле сизий 2:54 слова: українська народна пісня
3. Гомін, гомін по діброві; Засвіт встали козаченьки 6:32 слова: українська народна пісня
4. Дивлюсь я на небо 5:03 слова: українська народна пісня
5. Їхав козак за Дунай 2:31 слова: українська народна пісня
6. Чорнії брові, карії очі 4:14 слова: українська народна пісня
7. Ой у лузі червона калина 3:15 слова: українська народна пісня
8. Чуєш, брате мій 3:35 слова: українська народна пісня
9. Чом, чом земле моя 3:44 слова: українська народна пісня
10. Ой, чий то кінь стоїть 5:25 слова: українська народна пісня
11. Ой, не пугай, пугаченьку; Козак од’їжджає; Їхав козак на війноньку 5:43 слова: українська народна пісня
12. Місяць на небі 3:42 слова: українська народна пісня
13. Ой Марічко чичири 2:18 слова: українська народна пісня
14. Ой лопнув обруч 2:05 слова: українська народна пісня
15. Сусідка 2:23 слова: українська народна пісня
16. Ти сказала прийди, прийди 1:27 слова: українська народна пісня

Частина друга
1. Ой на горі та женці жнуть 3:37 слова: українська народна пісня
2. Взяв би я бандуру 5:05 слова: українська народна пісня
3. Гей, літа орел 3:03 слова: українська народна пісня
4.Закувала та сива зозуля 4:01 музика: П. Ніщинський слова: П. Ніщинський
5. Чом дуб не зелений 3:24 слова: українська народна пісня
6. Ой видно село слова: українська народна пісня 2:46
7. Стоїть гора високая 4:59 слова: українська народна пісня
8. Гей ви, стрільці січовії 1:41 слова: українська народна пісня
9. Мав я раз дівчиноньку 2:38 слова: українська народна пісня
10. Ой нащо ви, славні брати-гайдамаки 4:24 музика: К. Стеценко слова: С. Черкасенко
11. Вийшли в поле косарі 2:15 слова: українська народна пісня
12. Чорна рілля ізорана 5:38 слова: українська народна пісня
13. Козачок 3:12 музика: К. Стеценко слова: Т. Шевченко
14. Серенада: У гаю, гаю вітру немає 3:15 музика: К. Стеценко слова: Т. Шевченко
15. Ой при лужку 3:17 слова: українська народна пісня
16. Сумна пісня 3:28 музика: С. Людкевич
17. Розпрягайте, хлопці, коней 3:07 слова: українська народна пісня

Частина третя
1. Пісня про бандуру 3:24 музика: О. Білаш слова: О. Лубська
2. Одна гора високая 3:07 слова: українська народна пісня
3. Як за дальнім небосхилом 2:13 музика: А. Малишко слова: А. Малишко
4. Будь моєю мрією 3:21 музика: О. Білаш слова: О. Лубська
5. Зашуми, Дніпро 4:54 музика: О. Білаш слова: В. Коломиєць
6. Хвилина розпачу 2:19 музика: М. Лисенко
7. Розвійтеся з вітром 3:25 музика: Я. Степовий слова: І. Франко
8. Народичі – село мого народу 4:47 музика: О. Білаш слова: В. Юхимович
9. Ой у лісі на горісі 3:18 слова: українська народна пісня
10. Осіння пісня 4:26 музика: О. Білаш слова: Д. Луценко
11. По садочку ходжу 4:49 слова: українська народна пісня
12. То в колисці, то в коробці 1:59 слова: українська народна пісня
13. Елегія 3:48 музика: Я. Степовий слова: С. Фруга
14. Шовковиця 1:59 музика: О. Білаш слова: М. Томенко
15 Стань зорею мені 3:27 музика: О. Білаш слова: А. Малишко
16. Як рушали козаченьки 5:44 музика: Б. Списаренко слова: Б. Списаренко
17. Шумка 2:36 музика: М. Завадський

Частина четверта
1. Гімн України 2:12 музика: М. Вербицький слова: П. Чубинський
2. Думи мої, думи мої 6:30 музика: О. Міньківський слова: Т. Шевченко
3. Ой зійшла зоря 5:52 музика: М. Леонтович слова: українська народна пісня
4. Гайдамаки 5:00 музика: О. Білаш слова: Т. Шевченко
5. Молітесь, браття 13:06 музика: К. Стеценко слова: Є. Кротевич
6. Кантата: У неділеньку, у святую 17:14 музика: К. Стеценко слова: Т. Шевченко
7. Боже Великий, єдиний 2:40 музика: М. Лисенко слова: українська народна пісня
8. Многая літа 2:07 слова: українська народна пісня
  

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫
        
        
♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫
  
National Honored Chapel of Bandura-Players of Ukraine named after H.I.Mayboroda is, presumably, one of the most respected music collectives of the country. Not only due to the status, but also due to their age – in fact, its history dates back to 1918, that is practically 90 years ago. I am not sure that a lot of similar independent collectives of such age can be found in the world – and, moreover, those in the bloom of their creative forces. To say nothing already about that a complete analogue is also physically impossible because the Bandura is a peculiarly Ukrainian instrument. Actually, no longer just an instrument, but an embodiment and a symbol, the soul and word of a Ukrainian, wherever he/she might live. Therefore, I think, the new release will bring joy to many people – both Ukrainians all over the world, and those who are interested in the culture of Ukraine. And those who are not indifferent to the artistic epics approach to performance of music pieces. Regardless of the scale. Actually, in such performance even quite an insignificant piece would look solid. Well, and the Chapel does not perform just any piece, its repertoire contains a lot of Ukrainian pearls, both music and poetic ones – you will hear them yourselves. And the genre specificity of the collective is that all the artists sing and simultaneously play the banduras.
 
The release consists of four discs of premium design. And, though each of them is independent and complete, we still recommend those interested to buy all the four collections. Figures of an epic scale require extensive canvas and great attention – but there is nothing to compare with the experience of getting acquainted with them.
 
  


 

9.10.11

Poltava

  
The Wonderworld of Poltava Songs
Authentic Folklore of Ukraine

2002

Tracks:

01. Be Sorry For Me, My Mother (wedding song)
02. Decorating A Wedding Tree (wedding song)
03. Walking Through The Grainfield
04. Why Are You Not In Blossom, Guelder-Rose
05. Oak In The Wind (wedding song)
06. Look At This Bride, My Mother (wedding song)
07. Medley of Ukrainian melodies
08. Oh, Saturday And Sunday (wedding song)
09. Don't Be Sad, Dear Mother (wedding song)
10. Oh, It's A Long Time Since I Have Been At My Mother's
11. Rise, O Bright Moon
12. Burym Dance
13. When I Go To The Meadow
14. That's How It Is, My Mother
15. Wind From The Mountain (spring song)
16. Don't Shine, O Moon
17. Wind From The Mountain (wedding song)
18. The Cuckoo Bird Has Started Singing
19. Oh, Maple Leaf
20. Hay-Making
21. A Fisherman (after the melody by Isaac Dunayevsky from motion picture "Seekers Of  Happiness")
22. You Are Giving Me In Marriage, My Mother (wedding song)
23. Oh, You Are Rich, Hryhorychku (wedding song)
24. Don't Blame Me, Mother (wedding song)
25. Petrivochka
26. Doves Are Flying And Singing
27. Polka
28. Oh Whose Is That Grass In The Meadow (recruit song)
29. Why Don't You Go Out For A Walk, Halochka (carol)
30. Oh, My Mother, My Little Star (recruit song)
31. There Is A High Burial Mound In The Meadow
 
♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫
        
        
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As it is known, Poltavshyna is glorified not only by Sorochyntsi and the purest Ukrainian language. This region till now hardly not the richest on folklore songs. The proposed disc is called to show these riches, it is made brightly. Songs are sung by different collectives, but are equally qualitative. By the way, it is necessary to pay attention to work of collective "Drevo" (28, 29, 31). You already could hear its abilities, listening to Olexander Nesterov's album "Contaminated sounds". People which play authentic material whenever possible closer to the original, but pass it through a prism of music education. In this case songs get new paints.
  
   
  
wiki

 
  
  

8.10.11

Ukrainian Voices

  
Voix Ukrainiennes
Kalena

1995

Tracks:

Chants Populaires:

1. Notre malanka (trad.)
2. la jeune fille (trad.)
3. toi mon chou, toi mon planton (trad.)
4. le cosaque a quitté l’ukraine (trad.)
5. ce matin le soleil ne s’est pas levé (trad.)
6. o toi rossignol, chante (trad.)
7. dans le champ, la charrue trace un sillon (trad.)
8. là où nous nous sommes promenés (trad.)
9. dans la rue, on y joue de la musique (trad.)
10. Le chemin qui mène à tarass (ossadtchij)
11. O toi mon lin (trad.)

Chants Religieux:

12. Viva (d. bortnianskij)
13. Bonsoir ô toi maître (trad.)
14. A bethleem il y a un évènement (trad.)
15. Dans la ville de kiev (trad.)
16. O sainte vierge (d. bortnianskij)
17. Dans ton royaume (m. leontovitch)
18. Sainte vierge réjouis-toi (j. yatsynevitch)
19. Pardonne-nous seigneur (m. léontovitch)
  
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♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫
 
The second record by the Ukrainian group Kalena. Folk-songs and liturgical chants that were banned in the USSR for some seventy years.
 
   
KALENA is one of the best choral ensembles from Ukraine, accompanied by traditional instruments and some professional dancers.

These 85 fabulous artists were discovered in 1990 at the University of Poltava (400 km east of Kiev) by Catherine Azad, a professor of music and of Russian origin. She also met Gregory Levchenko, professor of music and singing, sentenced to eight years hard labor for conducting Ukrainian folk songs in public. During the 70 years of communism, most popular songs were banned and have transmitted secretly. Today, Gregory Levchenko is undoubtedly the living memory of folk and religious music of his country at the crossroads of streams of music in Europe.
 
  
About vol. 1 Ukrainian Voices:
 
If you want a taste of the "black soil" of genuine Ukrainian folk music, this is the CD to get. If you want to hear this music in highly artistic performances, this is also IT. In the accompanying leaflet, Catherine Azad, the researcher and producer of the recording, writes: "The first time I heard a group of women singing in the Ukrainian countryside was a real shock for me". Having even heard some Ukrainian folk songs sung in live performances by classically trained singers, I can put myself in her shoes hearing this CD, even though the sound quality may not be great due to the circumstances under which the recordings had to be made, and even though intonation may not be perfect in all cases, especially when the songs are sung by peasants. However, such small deficiencies only add to the impression that here is "the real thing", that one witnesses the rebirth of one of the most important aspects of Ukrainian culture: Its national musical heritage. 
~ ertner rasmussen
    
   
   
  
  
Kalena \k(a)-le-na\ as a girl's name is a variant of Kalina (Slavic), and the meaning of Kalena is "flower".
  
~♥~
 

5.10.11

ΛΥΡΑ

  
The Greek Folk Instruments Vol. 01 
Lyra
1995

Tracks:

a) Constantinople lyra

Asia Minor Dance Suite   
1. Taximi Hijaz    2:35   
2. Zeibekikos    3:03
3. Syrtos Azizie    3:33
4. Karsilamas    1:41

5. Taximi Kiourdili Hijazkiar    1:59
6. Zeibekikos "Whenever you see two cypress trees"    2:59

Socrates Sinopoulos, Constantinople Lyra
Pericles Papapetropoulos, Tambour
Amin Ala Gabu, Bentir   

Socrates Sinopoulos was born in Athens in 1974

b) Cretan Lyra   

7. Syrta Rodinou    5:36   
A medley of traditional melodies named in honour of Andreas Rodinos (1912-1934) after the manner in which he himself performed (and in 1934 recorded) them. They form a significant part of the Cretan musical tradition.

8. Rethemiotiki sousta    3:12
9. Stafidianos melody (manes)    3:03
10. "Kondylies" from Mylopotamos and a fast "pentozali" (Cretan dance)    5:16
11. "Kastrinos" dance (Maleviziotikos)    5:02

Zaharias Spyridakis, Cretan lyre (with supplementary string, #3-6 &without #7),
Karolos Kouklakis, Laouto (lute)
Pericles Papapetropoulos, Boulgari (#3,4,6,7)
Vangelis Karipis, Bentir (#3) & Toumbaki (#5)
Tambour (#3: 3,

Zaharias Spyridakis was born in Athens in 1971 and in 1984 began studying with Kostas Mountakis.
   
c) Pontic Lyra

12. Kotsari. From the district of Kars    2:58
13. Lament (Charon)    2:46
14. Omal (4/4) From the region of Garasar    2:56
15. Tik (5/8) From the Matsoka area of the Pontus. Solo dance    2:57
16. Dipat (9/8) From the district of Trebizond. A woman's dance    2:55
("kodespiniakos").   
17. Tas (6/8) From the district of Kars.    2:43
18. Pyrrihios-Sera (3/8). From the Matsouka area in the district of Trebizond. 2:40

George Amarantidis was born in 1944 in Kapnohori, Kozani. His father was also a lyra player and singer. He grew up and was taught his art in an environment where the Pontic musical tradition was authentic and alive. At the age of 15 he began playing the lyra at weddings, festivals and other celebrations. After arriving in Athens around 1973-74, he met Dora Stratou with whom he worked for nine years, as well as with Domna Samiou. He has always tried to remain faithful to the Pontic tradition, avoiding innovations. Therefore his recordings only include old traditional songs. The lyra he plays in this collection is 300 years old, made of plum wood and of course, originates in the Pontus.
Daouli played by Yiorgos Yevyelis.

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫
        
        
♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫
 
   
The Cretan lyra is the most popular melody instrument on the island of Crete (Kriti). It is a bowed instrument similar to the violin (violi), and it usually has three strings which are tuned in fifths. The lyra players play the lyra in an upright position. They sometimes rest it on the kneee, or, if they are standing, they will put one foot up on a chair and rest the lyra on the thigh. They have an unusual way of fingering the strings. Instead of pressing the strings with the finger tips (like violinists or guitarists do), they press against the sides of the strings with the tops of their finger nails. Sometimes the lyra players play unaccompanied, and it was not uncommon for the bow to have small bells attached to lend a rhythmic accompaniment to the melodies as the lyratzis played his lyra. The most common instrument used to accompany the lyra is the Cretan laouto, which is typically larger than the mainland laouto and tuned lower. The Cretan laouto players often play melodies with the lyra rather then just chords and rhythm. Sometimes two laoutos accompany the lyra, with one playing melody and the other playing rhythm and chords.
  
 
The LYRA of the Greeks of Pontos (Black Sea region of Asia Minor) is also known as the Kementse. It is played like a violin (violi) with a primitive style bow, but the musicians hold the lyra in an upright position. Sometimes they rest the instrument on their knee when they are sitting, and sometimes it is held out in front of them. They sometimes even dance in front of the dancers while holding the lyra in that way. The lyra usually has three strings. There are several tunings. Common tunings include: a-a-d, e-a-d, and many others. Since the instrument was often played alone, the tuning was often done according to the preference of the musician and his voice's range. Sometimes percussion instruments like a defi or daouli might be played to accompany the lyra. The musicians usually play two or all three strings at the same time, utilizing the open string(s) as a sort of drone to the melody. Sometimes they play the melody on two strings at once, giving a primitive harmony in fourths. They tend to play with many trills and embellishments, and with the unusual harmonies, the Pontian music has a very unique sound.
 
 
  
Constantinople lyra ("politiki" i.e. "of the city" or "polis")
The type of lyra encountered in Constrantinople (Istanbul) is pear-shaped with three strings. What distinguishes it from the other types of lyra found in Crete, the Dodecanese, Thrace and Bulgaria is its small size, nasal sound and the playing technique.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, its repertoire included popular songs and instrumental pieces performed by famous Greek and Turkish lyra-players in the taverns of Constantinople, accompanied solely by the Constantinople lute. At the beginning of this century, thanks to the Greek master Vasilakis, the lyra was introduced into art music ensembles of the "city", replacing the "rebab" and the violin. As a consequence, the technique changed, chiefly due to Vasilakis' pupil Tanbouri Cemil Bey, who introduced new techniques in fingering as well as in the use of the bow, influenced by the tambour, his first instrument. Unfortunately his predecessors, including Vasilakis himself, left no recordings. Nonetheless sufficient evidence of the old technique is to be found on recordings of more recent musicians (during the 20th century) who had not been greatly influenced by Cemil Bey. The most prominent of these are Paraschos, Alekos Bazianos and Lambros Leondaridis.
 
 
  
Orpheus obtained the Lyre from Apollo when he was a child and lessons how to play it. Historical it is an instrument that was known at least around 3000 BC in Ur. The lyre was known in Crete at least before 1400 as the Agia Triada Sarcophagus fresco shows a musician who plucks at a seven-stringed lyre with a plectrum (and also an Aulos player is shown). According to a story Orpheus Lyre was thrown in a river and after a journey reached Apollo's temple in Lesbos. Apollo asked Zeus the Lyre to become a constellation, the Lyra constellation, with the known star Vega that once was the polar star. (It is called by the Britons also King Athur's Harp Star).