Go tell It from the mountain

 

Anchiskhati Choir
Sacred Music From The Middle Ages
Georgian Polyphonic Singing

1998

Tracks: 

 01. Shobaman shenman (Eastern Georgian monastery school).
02. Dideba maghalta shina (Eastern Georgian monastery school).
03. Kovlisa dabadebulisa (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
04. Jvarsa shensa (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
05. Sashod mtiebisa (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
06. Ghmerti uphali (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
07. Tsina saukuneta (Eastern Georgian monastery school).
08. Kvertkhi ieses dzirisagan (Shemokmedi monastery school, Guria).
09. Meupheo zecatao (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
10. Adide sulo chemo (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
11. Saidumlo utsxo (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
12. Ats ganuteve (Eastern Georgian monastery school).
13. Katolike eklesiisa (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
14. Ghmerto, mokheden (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
15. Akurtkhevs suli chemi (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
16. Ikharebdit martalni (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
17. Razhams Iordanes (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
18. Ver shemdzlebel vart (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
19. Tkveta ganmatavisuphlebelo (Shemokmedi monastery school, Guria).
20. Natelo mkhiarulo (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
21. Sakvirveleba (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
22. Ghirs ars (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
23. Netar ars katsi (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
24. Mkholod-shobili (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
25. Dghes saghmrtoman madlman (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
26. Kurtkheul khar shen (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
27. Shoba sheni (Shemokmedi monastery school, Guria).
28. Ukhrtsnelsa khatsa shensa (Gelati monastery school, Imereti).
29. Alilo (Imeretian Christmas song).
30. Alilo (Imeretian Christmas song).  

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

·.ღ•:*´♥`*:•ღ.·

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

 This landmark recording is the first of its kind: a document of the ancient sacred songs of the Republic of Georgia. The haunting polyphony of this ancient music is still sung all over Georgia, from the smallest village to the ancient Anchiskhati Church in Tbilisi.

  
The Anchiskhati Church Choir

 A shared love of Georgian folk song brought a group of Conservatoire students together in 1987. Their aim was to study Georgian traditional song, both well-known and lesser known examples. Malkhaz Erkvanidze, Davit Zatiashvili, Guram Gagoshidze, Rezo Kiknadze, Davit Shughliashvili are the first five members of the choir; some time later, three other members joined the group. Zaal Tsereteli (mathematician and programmer by education), Temur Imnadze and Alexandre Khakhishvili – Conservatoire students.

  A very important priority for the young singers was to select their repertoire from recordings of old folk singers, where they could find a number of examples, not performed by any contemporary folk groups. A large place in the repertoire of the choir was occupied by songs of renowned folk singer Benia Mikadze (from the village of Kulashi, Samtredia District) and his choir "Sanavardo", as Malkhaz Erkvanidze, "Anchiskhati’s" young leader and Benia Mikadze shared the same village roots.

  Alongside learning songs, an interest in learning old, forgotten traditional polyphonic church hymns soon emerged. This became possible thanks to several collections of transcriptions of Georgian chants published at the end of the 19th century and preserved at the Georgian Folk Music Department of Tbilisi State Conservatoire. From these very collections, the group of students (yet to give themselves a name,) started to learn Easter chants. Very soon they were given the opportunity to chant in services at the church. The choir went to Betania Monastery on April 10, 1988 to chant the Easter liturgy. Despite their début, there was an amazing atmosphere at the church. Everybody was enchanted by the tunes glorifying God, so strange to their ears, but so close to their hearts, memory traces of which had been left by the ancestors. That Easter day can be marked as the return of Georgian traditional church chanting to Georgian liturgy.

  A week later Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia, invited the young choir to his place of residence. The first chant that was chanted for their esteemed host was Kriste Aghsdga from the Shemokmedi School of chant. At this point in time, Pentecost was approaching. For this holiday the blessing and opening of Anchiskhati - the oldest church in Tbilisi was planned. At this very meeting it was decided that the young choir be appointed as the Anchiskhati church choir. From that day on, the choir acquired the name "Anchiskhati Church Choir".

  The revival and renaissance of Georgian church chant, neglected over several generations due to Soviet atheistic censorship, started with the study of thousands of chant transcriptions at the initiative of the young Anchiskhati Church Choir; this initiative was supported both by the Head of the Georgian Church and by the clergy of the newly opened Anchiskhati church, which greatly contributed to the success of this initiative.

  Very soon the choir and what is more important the old, half remembered, Georgian chant gained love and popularity among the parishioners. This in turn led to the appearance of many followers of the choir on the one hand and new members seeking to join the choir on the other hand. Among these were young people of various professions who greatly admired chanting, such as Vasil Tsetskhladze (musician), Mamuka Kiknadze (architect), Grigol Bulia (a student of theological Seminary). Georgian traditional chant began to spread its tendrils all over Georgia. This process was also greatly supported by visits of the choir to different parts of the country. By that time Anchiskhati church choir had already published its first record entitled "Aghdgomasa Shensa" (1991) which included Easter chants from various schools.

  Anchiskhati Church Choir started a new stage of its activity after it was joined by a group of friends: Gocha Giorgadze (iconographer), Davit Megrelidze (architect), Levan Veshapidze (ethnomusicologist), Gocha Balavadze (artist), Nikoloz Beriashvili (geographer). This initiative of Malkhaz Erkvanidze - the choir leader was driven by the wish to perfectly present Georgian folk song repertoire and its diversity. This expanded choir of 12 singers, was then able to revive and learn a number of Georgian folk music examples, such as "Naduri" a variant of the village Dutskhuni , "Khasanbegura" a variant of the Khukhunaishvilis, together with a number of city songs, such as "Gvimgheria", "Gazapkhuli", etc.

  When learning a folk song the choir focuses first and foremost, on the manner of the traditional performance and on the authenticity of scale and intonation of the original song. . This very factor distinguishes Anchiskhati Church Choir from the performance styles of other choirs. It should be mentioned that from this standpoint the choir already had a good example in the form of ensemble "Mtiebi" directed by Edisher Garaqanidze, the first to introduce and instill authentic village manner of performance on stage. This undoubtedly was a big stimulus for the choir. At the same time it can be said, that Anchiskhati played an influential role in the creation of new ensembles and, helped forge their performance manner.

  In 1993 the choir went on its first concert tour outside Georgia - in Greece. This was a truly memorable tour for "Anchiskhati". They held several concerts and took part in New Year’s liturgy at the Cathedral Church in Athens. From this beginning, regular concerts tours to various countries took place: Germany, Austria, France, Poland, Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Armenia, Latvia, Sweden and Lichtenstein. The choir’s performance always inspired audiences. Thanks to "Anchiskhati" and other Georgian folk groups many foreigners were given the opportunity both to sense and appreciate the beauty and depth of Georgian songs and chants.

  "Anchiskhati’s" first CD was published by a Canadian Company ”Deep Down Productions”. Anchiskhati‘s solo CD collection now exceeds a dozen.

  Separate mention should be made of collections of transcriptions, published by Anchiskhati singers and edited by Malkhaz Erkvanidze, who published a 5 volume collection including hundreds of chants. Now these collections form a basic instruction manual for beginners and professional chanters and chanting choirs. A collection of chants of the Shemokmedi School, published by Davit Shughliashvili is another manual for chanting, which occupies a distinguished place. Dozens of Gurian folk songs have been transcribed by Levan Veshapidze, thus creating an excellent source book for both Georgians and foreigners who love songs of this part of Western Georgia.

source 

 Georgian choral polyphony is unique within world music. It consists of three main styles - chanting, singing and humming. In church chanting, three separate melodies are brought together within a modal harmonic structure, a tradition that was current in the seventh century AD, three hundred years before polyphony developed in other parts of Europe. The seven-member ensemble, Dzveli Kiloeb (Old Modes), has been developed within the Anchiskhati Choir to research and perform this ancient music.

The roots of church chanting lay in the secular music that pre-dates Christianity and survives today in the folk music of the Georgian regions. The songs and dance music relate to the circumstances of village life - the weddings, funerals, lullabies, harvest and hunting songs - and contain vocal techniques, such as Krimanchuli (a kind of yodelling), unique to Georgia. The Anchiskhati Choir researched and now perform the songs; and are expert players of the rare Georgian folk instruments. 

*º* 

 

Come, good Shepherd, feed thy sheep

Super Folk

Sardegna
Antiche Corali di Orgosolo - Orosei

Ovodda - Fonni - Nuoro
City Record - 2009

Tracks:

01 - Passu torrau  - Coro Di Orgosolo  - 4:11
02 - Muttos de amor  - Coro Di Orgosolo  - 2:59
03 - Voche otte antica  - Coro Di Orosei  - 3:11
04 - Selezione tipica  - Coro di Ovodda  - 2:29
05 - S'orgole sa  - Coro Di Orgosolo  - 2:53
06 - Fonni fizza de su gennargentu  - Coro Di Fonni  - 3:03
07 - Gosos di chidana santa  - Coro Di Orosei  - 3:43
08 - Ninna nanna  - Coro Di Orgosolo  - 2:55
09 - Bobore ficomurisca  - Coro Di Nuoro  - 1:41
10 - Sa cozzula  - Coro Di Nuoro  - 3:15

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

.ღ•:*´♥`*:•ღ. 

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

The Tenore Song
An expression of the Sardinian pastoral culture

The A Tenore song has developed within the pastoral culture of Sardinia. It represents a very specific form of guttural polyphonic singing performed by a group of four men using four different voices called bassu, contra, boche and mesu boche. One of its characteristics is the deep and guttural timbre of the bassu and contra voice. It is performed standing in a close circle, where the solo singer sings a piece of prose or a poem while the other voices form an accompanying chorus. To be able to hear simultaneously their own and the other singers’ voices and reach entire harmony, the singers hold one of their ears closed.

Most practitioners live in the region of Barbagia and other northern and central parts of Sardinia. Their art of singing is very much embedded in the daily life of local communities. Often it is performed spontaneously in su zilleri (local bars), but also at more formal occasions, such as weddings, sheepshearings, religious festivities and the Barbaricino carnival.

The Gosos, an ancient form of A Tenore song which is still practised in some villages today, is already mentioned in the Gosos de sa Figumorisca, dating from the early seventeenth century.

The A Tenore song encompasses a vast repertoire that varies from region to region. The most common melodies are the serenade boche ‘e notte (‘the voice of the night’) and dance songs such as the mutos, gosos and ballos. The lyrics are either ancient or contemporary poems on present-day issues, such as emigration, unemployment and politics. In this sense, the songs can be regarded as both traditional and contemporary cultural expressions.

Like many oral traditions, the A Tenore song is especially vulnerable to changes in the socio-economic structure, such as the decline of the pastoral culture and the increase of tourism in Sardinia. The diversity of forms and repertoire is slowly decreasing. There is a tendency to perform on stage in front of (tourist) audiences, which affects the originally very intimate way this music was performed. Furthermore, many young people emigrate from the rural areas, making the transmission of the A Tenore songs within the villages increasingly difficult. 

Unesco

some more to read...

 

    

     

Coro Di Orgosolo

source of pic 01

 

source of pics 02 + 03

Map of Central Sardinia

 

 source of pic 04 - 06 - google

♥

La voce umana

Tenores

Suoni Di Un’Isola - Vol. 1

2003
   
Tracks:

Tenores Mialinu Pira (Bitti)
01. Oche 'e notte - 3:57
02. Ballu seriu - 4:33

Tenore Milìa (Dorgali)
03. Muttos - 3:59
04. Ballu torrau, Ballu 'e tres passos - 3:30

Cuncordu Vramentu (Fonni)
05. Boghe 'e notte - 3:57
06. Ballu Torrau, Ballu sartiu - 4:28

Tenore Barbagia (Ollolai)
07. Lestra - 4:02
08. Ballittu, Boghe 'e notte - 4:14

Su contrattu de Seneghe (Seneghe)
09. Gosos - 4:38
10. Ballu 'e cantidu - 4:04

Tenore Sélema de Torpè (Torpè)
11. Muttos - 3:35
12. Ballu brincadu - 6:07

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

.ღ•:*´♥`*:•ღ. 

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

 Tenores is the first volume of the series “Suoni di un’isola”("Sounds of an Island”)  edited by Marco Lutzu and published by Live Studio. The purpose of this project is to  "portray" the present musical lanscape of Sardinia as regards traditional genres through a series of cd-roms devoted to the different repertoires. Notwithstanding the many available recordings and books on Sardinian music, an organic initiative directed to the multimedia documentation of this incredibly rich world, accompanied by accurate scholarly information, has not so far been available.

The first volume deals with one of the most important genres of Sardinian polyvocal male singing: the a tenore singing, reserved mostly for secular occasions. The editor points out that this genre has already been documented in 1787, when the abbot Matteo Madau from Ozieri published Le armonie de' sardi. It was described in the following terms: "In the area of Logudoro they sing their verses with concord of many voices, called Polyodia by the Greeks, that is an artful union of voices […] divided into four parts: soprano, alto, tenore, basso, opposed to each other with exact measure of time […]. This song seems to be introduced by the Greek Dorian colonies, whose way of singing […] was low, pathetic, vigorous, majestic and noble, and able to arouse and gather the hearts […]" (Madau 1787).

In modern terms, a tenore singing is described as a polyvocal genre distributed across the central-north of Sardinia, performed by a group of four male singers, each of them entrusted with rendering one of the four parts. The tenore belongs to the wide family of “canto ad accordo”, where a melodic line performed by a soloist is accompanied by chords realized by the other singers. Sa oghe, the leader of the group, both sings the text and leads the singing, choosing the tone, tempo, speed, length, and tonal shifting (which deeply characterizes this kind of polyvocality). The other parts are usually called su bassu, sa contra and sa mesu oghe. They are endowed with a specific range and perform a rhythmical and harmonic counterpoint, singing nonsense syllables that change from area to area (bim-bò, bim-bam-bò, etc.).   

The volume Tenores presents six a tenore groups from six different villages, which are representative of the main geographical areas where the genre can be found today: from the western coast of Sardinia (Seneghe) to the eastern coast (Dorgali and Torpè), and even the most internal villages like Bitti, Ollolai and Fonni.

In this way the different styles of singing found in the region are carefully documented. Compare for instance the style of a group from Bitti (Tenores Mialinu Pira) performing Oche ‘e notte with the more relaxed and extended way of singing the same form realized by a group from Fonni (Cuncordu Vramentu).

Twelve audio tracks document also the main repertoires which commonly employ a tenore singing: ballu, that is dance song - perhaps the most typical expression of this style -; boghe 'e notte (night song),  muttos and lestra, secular songs whose form is individually determined by a particular poetic structure; and gosos, a religious type of song.

The volume also includes an interesting survey of the main questions related to a tenore singing dealt with in the section entitled “a tenore singing”. Marco Lutzu talks over its history — from its origin until its role in today’s Sardinian society —, occasions and functions, and musical features — from the function and role of the voices to their timbre, from the repertoire to the language and relationship text-music, and even the singers’ behavior in terms of kinesic and prossemic.

Further sections deal with the geography of a tenore singing, the performers, texts, and musical transcriptions, thus providing wide information on the genre, its structural aspects, the related poetic forms and its distribution across the island.

Finally, the editor takes advantage of the multimedia format in order also to include a series of video-interviews with the six groups of singers, which allow us to observe their behavior while singing, besides providing information from inside.

In conclusion Tenores is certainly a work worthy of consideration, which will be very useful both for scholars and for a wider audience thanks to the quality of the audio and video recordings and the accuracy of the accompanying text. The only criticism concerns the English translation of the text, which would benefit from a revision.

Tullia Magrini

source of the text

get the cd:

 

here

 Tenore di Bitti "Mialinu Pira"

♥

...another excellent example of Sardinian vocal skill...

Polyphonies de Méditerranée
Sardaigne - Italie
Tenores Di Bitti Remunnu E' Locu
Romanzesu

1993

Tracks:

01. Cantu A Ballu Seriu - Su Bandu Universale - 03:41
02. Cantu A Isterritas - Sos Avaros - 06:42
03. Mutos - 04:22
04. Ballu A Passu Torratu - 05:34
05. S'Andira Antica - 05:14
06. S'Andira De Como - 03:58
07. Ballu Lestru - 04:23
08. Su Nenneddu - 02:39
09. Andelus Cantade A Su Vitzu De Maria - 04:33
10. Cantu A Boche Note - S'Incontru Fortunadu - 07:01

Personnel:

Daniele Cossellu: boche e mesa'oche
Tancredi Tucconi: contra
Salvatore Bandinu: bassu
Piero Sanna: boche e mesa'oche

 

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

.ღ•:*´♥`*:•ღ. 

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

 

 Tenores di Bitti are Sardinia's celebrated masters of traditional "tenores" singing, a tradition that dates back over a thousand years. The Tenores do not use written music - this precious cultural/musical tradition is handed down orally from father to son. Their singing is characterised by the sounds of the natural landscape and the singers stand one in front of the other, forming a circle; their singing is a symbol of the strength, of the social cohesion, which is felt inside.

 

Tenores di Bitti are the established masters of this millenarian art. After twenty years of activity with the same line-up, winner of hundreds of prizes, admired by the most important ethnomusicologists, invited by such musicians like Lester Bowie and Ornette Coleman to perform with them, Tenores di Bitti are considered the absolute perfection of "canto a tenore" and in Sardinia they are near to the legend.

wiki

 

Bitti 

 

Bitti

The "Canto a Tenores", typical of the centre of Sardinia, is one of the most precious and enchanting polyphonic arts in the Mediterranean area. This traditional singing form is still well alive in the island. Four voices create the music: Boghe, Contra, Mesa 'oche, Bassu. The lead voice (Boghe) sings the main melody and starts the song, while the other three voices are the rhythmic accompaniment characterised by nonsense syllables. Using their typical guttural timbre and tuning jumps, Tenores have an enormous repertoire: Mutos, Ottave, Battorinas, Terzine, dances and improvised rhymes. Deeply different from any other Italian polyphonic style, specially for the bass voices, surprisingly "Il Canto a Tenore" shows many analogies with the primitive vocal music of Oceania and Africa.

♥

 

La Donna Canta

Donni di l'Esiliu
Corse: Polyphonies féminines

2000

Tracks:

01. Bernardinu - 2:26
02. A puce - 2:35
03. Stabat mater - 3:56
04. Sanctus - 3:27
05. U fiore - 2:17
06. Tota pulcra es Maria - 3:29
07. Eramu in campu di amore traiti - 5:11
08. Agnus dei - 2:49
09. Agnus dei - 4:38
10. A pasturella - 5:11
11. Seri sera - 2:49

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

.ღ•:*´♥`*:•ღ. 

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•☆♫

  

Ce groupe féminin, composé de Anghjula Potentini, Jacky Micaelli, Béatrice Habrard-Malaspina, Elisabeth Bottalico et Izia Bartoli-Dau.

***

Donni's approach can be linked to a current that sprang from Giovanna Marini's initiative. There is a similarity of behavior vis à vis the traditional. The reunion with the memory of songs celebrating life, death, love or work has helped a certain form of traditional music to emerge: that of the stage and production, and therefore of a certain measure of theatricality.

source

link

 
♥

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Antchis Chati Chor (Tbilissi)

Tsinandali Chor (Telavi/Kachetien)

Three elderly singers (Gurien)

Georgian Journey

Secular and spiritual vocal music

2003

Tracks:

Georgian journey CD 1

  
KACHETIEN
01 gamkhiaruldi bukharo (bekannt als/popularly known as/connu sous le nom de « Tshakrulo ») 5:28
02 mravaljamier („Was die Feindseligkeit zerstört hat, baut die Liebe wieder auf.“/“That which was destroyed by hostility, love rebuilds.”/« Ce que l'hostilité a détruit, l'amour le reconstruit. ») 5:26
03 shen bitsho anagurelo („Junge aus Anagurien“/“Youth from Anaguria”/«Garcon d'Anagourie ») 4:16
04 shemodzakhili (Liebeslied/love song/chanson d'amour) 4:26
05 urmuli 2:07
06 makruli (Hochzeitslied, wird gesungen, wenn die Braut vom Bräutigam und seinem Gefolge abgeholt wird/ wedding song, sung while the groom and his entourage are fetching the bride/chant de mariage, chanté lorsque le fiancé et son cortège viennent chercher la fiancée) 2:55
07 zamtari (Winterlied/winter song/chanson d'hiver) 3:18
08 alilo (Weihnachtslied/Christmas song/chant de Noël, trad.) 3:28
09 ovorela (altes Lied über die Feldarbeit/ancient field worksong/chanson ancienne sur les travaux des champs) 4:26

KARTLI
10 tshona (Osterlied/Easter song/chant pascal) 3:41

MEGRELIEN
11 masi vardi (Liebeslied/love song/chanson d'amour)2:0912 eukunat kakutebi(Lied über die Faulheit/song about laziness/chanson sur la paresse) 3:00

SWANETIEN
13 lile (Gottesanbetungslied mit überlieferten heidnischen Bräuchen/Christian song of worship with surviving pagan rituals/chant chrétien d'adoration de Dieu, transmis avec des rites païens) 3:07

IMERETIEN
14 shavi shashvi 3:20
15 adila, adila (Lied über einen Verräter/song about a traitor/chanson sur un traître) 2:13
16 krialesso (volkstümlich verändertes Kyrie eleison/adaptedvernacular Kyrie eleison/Kyrie eleison changé sur le mode populaire) 3:24
17 naduri (Lied der Bauern, wird zur Arbeit im Maisfeld gesungen/ peasant song, sung while working in the corn fields/ chanson de paysans, chantée lors du travail dans les champs de maïs) 9:12

GURIEN
18 dila (Lied über den erwachenden Morgen/song to greet the waking day/chanson sur le matin naissant)2:28
19 bagia tshveni kvekana (patriotisches Lied/patriotic song/chant patriotique) 1:49
20 maspindzelsa mkhiarulsa („Dem fröhlichen Gastgeber“/“The happy host”/« À l'hôte joyeux ») 1:12
21 me rustveli (aus „Der Recke im Tigerfell“/from “The Hero in Tiger Skins”/extrait de « Le preux dans une peau de tigre », Epos von/epic poem by/épopée de Shota Rusthaweli) 3:11

ADJARIEN
22 atsharuli popuri (adjarischer Potpourri, zu dem Gandagana getanzt werden kann/Adjarian potpourri; can be danced to the Gandagana/potpourri adjarien, sur lequel Gandagana peut être dansé) 3:42

Georgian journey CD 2

GURIEN
01 me rustveli (s. CD 1/21) 2:50
02 ai odelia (Liebeslied/love song/chanson d'amour) 1:59
03 brevalo („Was die Feindseligkeit zerstört hat, baut die Liebe wieder auf.“/“That which was destroyed by hostility, love rebuilds.”/« Ce que l'hostilité a détruit, l'amour le reconstruit. ») 1:43
04 supris khelkhvavi (Lied auf den Gastgeber, am Ende eines Festmahls zu singen/song for the host, sung at the end of a feast/ chanson pour l'hôte, chantée à la fin d'un banquet) 3:03
05 tshven mshvidoba („Friede sei mit uns!“– Lied auf die Gäste und den Gastgeber/“ Peace be with us.”; song for the guests and their hosts / « La paix soit avec nous. » – chanson pour les invités et les hôtes) 2:53
06 lataria (Liebeslied/love song/chanson d'amour) 3:56
07 bagia tshveni kvekana (s. CD 1/19)
08 Glocken des Motsameta-Klosters/Bells of the Motsameta monastery/Cloches du cloître Motsameta 1:34
09 – 22 Geistliche Gesänge im Schemo kmedi Kloster / Sacred songs from theSchemokmedi monastery / Chants sacrésdu cloître Schemokmedi9 adidebs suli tshemi upalsa („Meine Seele erhebet den Herrn.”/“My soul dothmagnify the Lord.”/« Mon âme s'élève vers le Seigneur. ») 3:58
10 agdgomisa dge ars Gelati-Kloster: Irmos zur 1. Ode des Festkanonszu Ostern/irmos from the 1st ode of the Easter feast canon/irmos sur la 1ère ode du Canon pascal 1:59
11 satsinastsarmetkvelo Liturgischer Gesang aus der Bibel/liturgical songs from the Bible/chant liturgique de la Bible: Genesis, 1. Buch Mose1,1–13/Buch Hiob 38,1– 23 und 42, 1– 55:59
12 az ganuteve aus dem Abendgottesdienst/from the eveningmass/extrait des vêpres, Kartli/Kachetien 2:40
13 dideba tshvens shekrebas („Ein Lob auf unsere Versammlung!“/”A toast to our assembly!”/ « Une louange soit sur notre assemblée. »)aus Gurien 2:19
14 eklesiasa shina (Psalm 68, 27: „Lobet Gott in den Versammlungen.“/ “Praise God in the assemblies.“/« Louez Dieu dans les assemblées. ») 3:09
15 gvtismshobelo aus dem Abendgottesdienst/from the eveningmass/extrait des vêpres, Ostgeorgien 2:11
16 krmata gvtismsakhurta Gelati-Kloster: Irmos zur 7. Ode des Kanons/from the 7th canon ode/sur la 7ème ode du Canon 2:50
17 mobrdzanebita tkvenita („Durch euer Erscheinen sind unsere Herzen voller Freude.“/“Through thine advent are our hearts full of joy.“/ « Votre apparition emplit notre cœur d'allégresse. ») aus Gurien 3:09
18 shen khar venakhi („Du bist die Weinrebe.“/“You are the grapevine.“/ « Tu es la vigne. ») Gelati-Kloster: Hymnus der Mutter Gottes/hymn to the Mother of God/hymne à la Mère de Dieu 2:43
19 sikvarulma mogikvana Schemokmedi-Kloster: Irmos zur Auferweckungdes Lazarus/irmos for the awakening of the Lazarus/ irmos sur la résurrection de Lazare 3:21
20 sulo tshemo Gelati-Kloster: Große Fastenzeit vor Ostern, Kontakion aus dem Großen Buß-Kanon des Andreas von Kreta/ for the time of fasting before Easter, a kontakion from the great canon of penance by Andreas of Crete/ grande période de jeûne avant Pâques, kontakion du grand Canon d’André de Crète 1:43
21 tkveta ganmantavisuplebeli Schemokmedi-Kloster: Troparion des heiligen Georg/ troparion for Saint George/troparion de Saint Georges 1:37
22 upalo romelman Glocken des Motsameta-Klosters/bells of theMotsameta monastery/cloches du cloître Motsameta Schemokmedi-Kloster: aus den Stundengebeten Troparion der Dritten Stunde/from the hourly prayers, a troparion for the third hour/extrait des heures, troparion de la tierce 2:38
23 Abschied von Georgien /Farewell to Georgia / Adieu à la Géorgie 15:33

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 The traditional music of Georgia is the only music in the world to be under UNESCO protection. The music of Georgia is at its origins polyphonic. That none of the neighbouring countries have produced anything similar, eliminates the possibility that Georgians were directly influenced by other musical cultures. The Antchis Chati Choir has set itself the goal of reconstructing the Georgian repertoire in its original form. Its members maintain contacts with Georgian music experts all over the country. They often travel to villages, to record the song variations that are still sung today. In summer 2003 Raumklang (Sebastian Pank) travelled to Georgia and met there beside the Antchis Chati Choir the Tsinandali Choir and three older singers from Guria. This recording was produced with an emergency generator in an old monastery, an abandoned cinema, and a former cultural centre. With this CD one can travel through Georgia in a musical way. From the powerful songs of Kachetia, Kartli and Megrelia - songs of love, about the host, wedding songs, an ancient field work song and others - to the sacred music from the Schemokmedi monastery.

Sebastian Pank lives near Leipzig. He made a journey trugh Georgia and published on his label "Raumklang" a fabolous Double-CD (146:28) about georgian music that he researched and recorded in different territories of Georgia about a few of years. "Georgian journey. Secular and spiritual vocal music" ist a great work!

source

¡buy it here!

Yes, this is the way records should be made ;-)

 *♥*

 

Svaneti

Ensemble Riho

Géorgie

Polyphonies Vocales de Svanétie

1999

Tracks:

01 - Murza I Bekzil
02 - Lile
03 - Lazhgvazh
04 - Didebata
05 - Vitsbil - Matsbil
06 - Riho
07 - Gergili
08 - Sozar - Tsioq
09 - Jguragish
10 - Lemchili
11 - Kviria
12 - Lashgari
13 - Dala Kojas Khelgwazhale
14 - Shairi Misha Khergianze
15 - Kojre Makhvshi
16 - Gaul - Gavkhe
17 - Mirangula
18 - Tamar Dedpal

 

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Located in the remote mountains of northwestern Georgia, the province of Svaneti has retained more of its local language and ancient cultural traditions than anywhere else in the country. Compared with other musical forms in Georgia, Svan singing has been the least affected by hybridization and cross-cultural musical evolution, and is characterized by unusual scales and vocal timbre. The Svan language is the oldest and most-endangered of the four main languages in the Kartvelian language family, with only 30,000 native speakers. 15,000 speak the dialect of Upper Bal, from the Upper Svaneti region. This region is home to Ensemble Riho, directed by Islam Pilpani,  and includes many older musicians whose memories of local music, language, and stories may disappear with their passing.

  

Svaneti is located North-West of Georgia, on the highest slopes of the Caucasian range. It is said that the Svan people already existed when Jason, looking for the Golden Fleece, reached the shores of Colchis. Because of their isolation, the Svans, whose early history is revealed in the writings of Xenophon, cultivate an ancient vocal repertoire, sung yet with raw sonorities, but in a very elaborate polyphonic style. Pre-Christian ritual songs, historical/epic songs, praises and folk religious hymns are performed by the Riho Ensemble, composed of the best singers from Mestia surroundings.

 Svan songs retain some of the oldest and most startlingly non-Western tuning, and feature a very powerful performance style. While folk song texts from all parts of Georgia address themes of work, family, love, friendship, hardship, and warfare, among other topics, songs from Svaneti also preserve some of Svaneti’s pre-Christian religious traditions.

a link

The villages of the Svaneti province are located in north-western Georgia, in the valleys that lie between the mountains of the Caucasus. The Svans represent about 1% of the Georgian population. Their language differs from the Georgian language, and their religion is a syncretism of Orthodox Christian faith and pre-Christian beliefs. The polyphony of the Svans appears as one of the major styles of the Georgian vocal art. It consists of two soloist voices and the bass of the choir.

In their funeral rituals, the Svans combine three vocal expressions which are rarely found nowadays in other parts of the world: women's individual laments punctuated by collective wails like in Ancient Greece, men's individual laments, and polyphonic chants by male choirs. While the individual laments are aimed at the deceased and the souls of departed people, the men's polyphonic chants use no words but a series of syllables which follow a set pattern. With chords partly dissonant to a Western European ear, and without any cries other than musically stylized ones, these collective chants of great intensity manage to convey the helplessness and inexpressible grief of Man faced with death.

 another link

The Riho Ensemble is a well-known regional choir of Upper Svaneti, directed by Islam Pilpani. This rehearsal, filmed in 1991, is especially interesting since it shows how the chords are composed of the three melodic lines, and how the songs are learned and rehearsed, at least by a semi-professional choir.

wiki

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Le Choeur des journalistes

 

Les Voix De Georgie

The Voices of Geogia

1992

Tracks:

01. Ghmerto Ghmerto (Chant Sacré)     1:33
02. Chemodzakhili     1:44
03. Meurme     1:12
04. Mraval Javmier     3:29
05. Tchum Maghnarchi     3:04
06. Mkhedruli     1:51
07. Odoia     3:37
08. Supruli     3:09
09. Nana     3:07
10. Naduri     2:10
11. Perkhuli     3:10
12. Gakhsovs Turpav     2:10
13. Tchitche Tura     4:23
14. Ali Pacha     2:12
15. Chen Guigalob (Chant Sacré)     3:18
16. Tskhenosnuri     4:01
17. Alilo     4:25
18. Romance     3:56

Vocals:

David Abessadze, David Goguiachvili, Demiko Antidze, Godui Dolidze, Guivi Tchitchinadze, Guram Tamasachvili, Robert Gogolachvili, Teimour Tchkuasseli, Zaur Bolkvadze, Zourab Loladze

  

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 Enregistrement produit par "La Maison De La Georgie" (Paris)

  

 L'ensemble "Les Voix de Géorgie", l'un des plus célèbres de Géorgie, a été créé en 1986 sous le nom du "Choeur des journalistes", car la plupart de ses membres travaillent à la télévision de Géorgie. Les Géorgiens pratiquent, depuis de nombreux siècles, une polyphonie caractérisée par ses contrepoints savants et ses harmonies.

   
facebook
  

  
Traditional music is well preserved specially in the mountainous areas. Polyphonic singing of Georgia has been included in the World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001...

something to read 

 
♥

  

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song...

 

Georgia

The Resounding Polyphony of the Caucasus
1983/1987

Tracks:

01. Mravaljamieri (Artana Village)    2:06
02. Shemodzakhili (Artana Village)    3:46
03. Kalospiruli (Artana Village)    2:43
04. Nana (Kakhetia) (Artana Village)    3:03
05. Alilo (Artana Village)    2:58
06. Shemodzakhili (Artana Village)    3:24
07. Shen Bicho Anagurelo (Artana Village)    3:21
08. Gaprindi Shavo Mertskhalo (Artana Village)    2:54

09. Mravaljamieri (Kakhetia) (Tbilisi Conservatory)    4:12
10. Hassanbegura (Tbilisi Conservatory)    3:11
11. May Peace Be With Us (Tbilisi Conservatory)    2:42
12. Shavi Shashvi (Tbilisi Conservatory)    2:10
13. Shavi Shashvi (Imeretia) (Tbilisi Conservatory)    3:17
14. Song Of Friendship (Tbilisi Conservatory)    2:08
15. Vakhtangura (Tbilisi Conservatory)    3:35

16. Batonebo (Chokhatauri)    3:31
17. Nanina (Chokhatauri)    1:53

18. Tsmindao Gmerto (Telavi)    2:50
19. Aliluya (Telavi)    3:19
20. Nana (Telavi)    4:24
21. Tsintskaro (Telavi)    3:31
22. Shen Khar Venakhi (Telavi)    2:46
23. Suliko (Telavi)    3:38
24. Mravaljamieri (Telavi)    1:51

Artana village and the Tbilisi Music Academy (recorded 26, 28 November 1987)

Field recordings of Georgian folk songs from Chokhatauri and Telavi (recorded 27 June and 2 July 1983)

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 Polyphonic folk singing from various regions in Georgia. Collected in 1983 and 1987, the recordings feature different song genres and variants, locales, and performers ranging from young conservatory students to long-established village ensembles. The majority of the examples are traditional men's three-part singing, including drinking songs, Christian folk hymns, lullabies, and historical songs. The last seven tracks are especially memorable performances by a women's choir in an open-aired church setting. (!)
 

 Recorded by Minoru Morita.

"The rumbling drones of the bass singers and the high keening ululations of the leaders will take your breath away." - j.poet, The Beat

Folk songs:

"This recording is drawn from the 80-volume CD collection, Music of the earth: Fieldworkers' sound collections, originally released in 1992 in Japan under the supervision of Tomoaki Fujii by Victor Company of Japan (JVC) in collaboration with the National Museum of Ethnology (Japan) and Smithsonian/Folkways Records (USA)"--Notes, p. 16. 

 

Review by Adam Greenberg:

Part of a relatively well put together series, Music of the Earth, Multicultural Media put out one volume dealing with the Russian state of Georgia, with its resplendent polyphonies that fill every song. In all truth, much of the music sounds like a cross between Western Christian hymns and Muslim prayers. Georgians use three-part singing in almost every work (and occasionally four parts). By the listings of the songs on the well-done liner notes, there are roughly four types of song utilized in Georgia: drinking songs, working songs, lullabies, and Westernized Christian hymns. Roughly half of the songs on the album are drinking songs, though they still utilize the somber polyphony that all of the works have. There is definitely a state of melancholy in the music, mostly due to the tempo and the three-part singing combined. The performances are well executed in all cases, though they can get a bit dreary for any listener. While some may have an ear for this type of music, others will most likely become tired of it. Only those that know what they're getting into should dig up these recordings, for their own safety.

Table Songs:

The Georgian myth of national creation goes something like this: when God was creating the earth and distributing land among its peoples, the Georgians were too busy drinking and feasting to turn up on time. When they finally arrived there was nothing left. 'But Lord', they protested, 'we were only late because we were toasting You!' Touched by this sentiment, God gave them the land He had been keeping for himself...

Ever since, feasting has been central to Georgian society and still provides the principal occasion for making music. People gather for a lavish picnic at the slightest excuse, led by a tamada or 'toastmaster' in dedicating toasts to God, long life and the ancestors, among other things. Each toast is accompanied by an appropriate song, as well as snippets of wisdom from the tamada.

     

Telavi 9th April Street

Caucasus seen from Telavi

wiki

more of Telavi

please

close your eyes and listen to the birds, the breeze, the women, 

you'll be taken to a very special place...

forget all that flic/flac hifi/wifi

thanks to my friends...

mi

♥

Eating, Drinking, Singing...

  

Rustavi Folk Choir
Mirangula

Georgian Folk Songs

1998

Tracks:

01. Chakrulo (Drinking Song from Kakhetia) 5.16
02. Jvarsa Shensa (Hymn from Kartli-Kakhetia) 1.51
03. Naduri (Labour song from Imeretia) 4.34
04. Tsintskaro (Lyric song from eastern Georgia) 4.32
05. Chven Mshvidoba (Drinking song fom Guria) 2.21
06. Daigvianes (Lyric minor song from Kakhetia) 6.27
07. Mravalzhamieri (Drinking song from Racha) 3.05
08. Tskhenosnuri (Hiking song from Imeretia) 2.16
09. Chela (Ballad song from Megrelia) 3.02
10. Zari (Mourning Song from Guria) 2.57
11. Aghmosavalidan Mzisad (Church hymn from Guria) 1.49
12. Lile (Ritual song from Svanetia) 5.43
13. Odoia (Work Song from Megrelia) 4.12
14. Sabodisho (Healing song from Guria) 3.32
15. Makruli (Wedding song from Adzharia) 2.51
16. Mirangula (Grieving song from Svenetia) 3.32
17. Zari (Mourning song from the mountain region of Svaneti) 4.31
18. Khasanbegura (Marching song from Guria) 3.16

Leader: Ansor Erkomaishvili

  
Cover painting by Niko Pirosmani

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.ღ•:*´♥`*:•ღ. 

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 Rustavi Ensemble 

 

was created in 1968 by Anzor Erkomaishvili, a singer and folklorist from a distinguished Georgian musical lineage that goes back seven generations. Since its formation Rustavi has successfully toured about 70 countries of the world, always receiving the most glowing comments – even from the toughest of critics.

Songs and dances for work and war, spectacular costumes, the unique Georgian style of polyphonic singing and rich voices characterize the Rustavi Choir. Their intense sacred hymns with their overlapping, continuously moving harmonies are spellbinding. Rustavi is also performing a high-quality comprising national and diverse traditional dances. Excellent costumes, brilliant performance, and elaborate choreography.

Erkomaishvili's vision was to break through ethnic boundaries of regional styles while performing ethnographically authentic music from all of Georgia. The Rustavi's performance style synthesizes the powerful, rough-hewn sound characteristic of the traditional regional folk choirs with a newer, cleaner, more finely-honed aesthetic whose orientation is towards concert presentation - nowadays on an increasingly international scale.

While striving to preserve, and in some cases recreate, authentic voicing and vocal timbres, the Rustavi singers have simplified the complex scales used by the earlier choirs in order to create firmer, more brilliant harmonies. The use of a smaller number of singers for certain songs has also helped to clarify their musical structure.

This is an ensemble, where Hamlet Gonashvili, the brilliance of the world folk music and the voice of Georgia made his flamboyant career.

  

 

In 1998, the group recorded the CD Mirangula under the name 'Rustavi Folk Choir', which has allowed for a wider appreciation of their music outside Georgia. This CD included the folk love song Tsintskaro which has had some popularity globally.

 

wiki

Rustavi home

 

Music of Georgia

 

 Georgia has rich and still vibrant traditional music, which is primarily known as arguably the earliest polyphonic tradition of the Christian world. Situated on the border of Europe and Asia, Georgia is also the home of a variety of urban singing styles with a mixture of native polyphony, Middle Eastern monophony and late European harmonic languages. Georgian performers are well represented in the world's leading opera troupes and concert stages...

Georgian folk music is predominantly vocal and is widely known for its rich traditions of vocal polyphony. It is widely accepted in contemporary musicology that polyphony in Georgian music predates the introduction of Christianity in Georgia (beginning of the 4th century AD). All regional styles of Georgian music have traditions of vocal a cappella polyphony, although in the most southern regions (Meskheti and Lazeti) only historical sources provide the information about the presence of vocal polyphony before the 20th century.

Vocal polyphony based on ostinato formulas and rhythmic drone are widely distributed in all Georgian regional styles. Apart from these common techniques, there are also other, more complex forms of polyphony: pedal drone polyphony in Eastern Georgia, particularly in Kartli and Kakheti table songs (two highly embellished melodic lines develop rhythmically free on the background of pedal drone), and contrapuntal polyphony in Achara, Imereti, Samegrelo, and particularly in Guria (three and four part polyphony with highly individualized melodic lines in each part and the use of several polyphonic techniques). Western Georgian contrapuntal polyphony features the local variety of the yodel, known as krimanchuli...

Singing is mostly a community activity in Georgia, and during big celebrations (for example, weddings) all the community is expected to participate in singing. Traditionally, top melodic parts are performed by individual singers, but the bass can have dozens or even hundreds of singers. There are also songs (usually more complex) that require a very small number of performers. Out of them the tradition of "trio" (three singers only) is very popular in western Georgia, particularly in Guria.

Georgian folk songs are often centered around banquet-like feasts called supra, where songs and toasts to God, peace, motherland, long life, love, friendship and other topics are proposed. Traditional feast songs include "Zamtari" ("Winter"), which is about the transient nature of life and is sung to commemorate ancestors, and a great number of "Mravalzhamier" songs. As many traditional activities greatly changed their nature (for example, working processes), the traditional feast became the harbor for many different genres of music. Work songs are widespread in all regions. The orovela, for example is a specific solo work song found in eastern Georgia only. The extremely complex three and four part working song naduri is characteristic of western Georgia. There are a great number of healing songs, funerary ritual songs, wedding songs, love songs, dance songs, lullabies, traveling songs. Many archaic songs are connected to round dances...

...and more in wiki

 

  

 

 

  

Niko Pirosmani 

 (Georgian: ნიკო ფიროსმანი), simply referred to as Nikala (ნიკალა) (1862–1918) was a Georgian painter...

 

more paintings 

 

nikala wiki 

 

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