infotext:
CONNECTIONS – SYNÁPSIES
»Whole and non-whole, united and separated, unanimous and dissonant – and out of all one and out of one all.«
This epigram of Heraclitus has accompanied and inspired me for many years. For me, in its incomparable succinctness and concentration, it is also a wonderful expression of my inner goal to combine tradition with my own contemporary life in my music. So the desire to let the different sounds and timbres of the most diverse instruments from different eras and cultures flow together in my compositions - and thus to create a new whole.
That was essentially my tonal vision for the pieces on this recording. The contrasts of the different musical concepts, playing techniques and timbres inspired me to create certain moods that have their roots in East and West. So I was able to cross borders in the truest sense of the word: the classical string quartet meets the traditional Ottoman instruments Ney and Reed, which was played 5000 years ago.
The Tarho, the instrument based on historical models and newly developed and built in Australia by Peter Biffin a few years ago, sounds together with the piano, which is also played improvisationally. These sound and time mixtures, which have probably never been explored before, are expanded by the human voice: the Byzantine style of singing the psalmist is at least 1000 years old in its origins, but it is still cultivated in the Orthodox Church today and is so in people's everyday lives currently.
For me, a special challenge of composing is to seek harmony in these sounds that seem to be alien to each other, while still allowing their elements and sources to be heard separately in their independence.
Konstantia Gourzi
program:
Ieratiki Poisi (Poems by Monks) op. 34 (2007, rev. 2009) 15:19
for string quartet, Byzantine psalmist, ney and piano
[01] I. Till the very end Text by Metropolitan Pergis Evangelos Galanis 06:05
[02] II. Evening in the Hermitage Text by Hieromonk Symeon 03:54
[03] III. Midday in Salonica Text by Hieromonk Symeon 05:20
[04] flame aria Op. 44 (2009) 14:33
Trio for Byzantine psalmist, tarhu and piano
[05] South wind - a story 1 Op. 43 (2009) 02:03
for ney solo
[06] Sappho Song – Homage à Kurtág op. 12 (1995, rev. 2009) 03:29
Duo for Byzantine psalmist and piano
Text by Sappho
[07] South wind - a story 2 Op. 43 (2009) 01:25
for ney solo
[08] Connections op. 32 (2007, rev. 2009) 07:46
Trio for Byzantine psalmist, tarhu and piano
Text by Heraclitus
Kastalia op. 35 (2008, rev. 2009) 17:17
for string quartet and saz
[09] I. Sinking 03:14
[10] II. Arrival 02:44
[11] III. breathe in 01:46
[12] IV. The Proverbs 05:31
[13] V. Exhale 01:22
[14] VI. Taking leave 02:40
total time: 62:25
Apollon Musagete Quartet [01-03 | 09-14]
Pawel Zalejski, violin
Bartosz Zachlod, violin
Piotr Szumiel, viola
Piotr Skweres, cello
Vasilis Agrokostas, psalmist [01–03 | 04 | 06 | 08]
Michalis Cholevas, tarhu, saz, ney [01–03 | 04 | 05 | 07 | 08 | 09-14]
Christian Alsatian, piano [01–03 | 04]
Konstantia Gourzi, piano [06 | 08]
Konstantia Gourzi, conductor [01–03 | 09-14]
World Premiere Recordings
Press:
04/2011
06/2010
03.11.2010
