Presented by: Ed Emery
"When modes of music change, the fundamental
laws of the state always change with them." [Plato, The
Republic, Book IV]
PROGRAMME LIST FOR THE CONCERT
[Please
note the programme may be subject to change]
FIRST
HALF
01. Opening
Instrumental
Watch video
Iraj Emami
(ney), Peyman Heydarian (santur) and Emad Rajabalipour
(dayreh) [Iranian]
A pishdaramad in Shushtari mode by
Ostad Kasaei, and improvisations in Mayeh (maqam) Shushtari
Many maqams, such as Esfehan, Nahawand
and Hijaz, are named after places. Shushtari literally means from Shushtar, a
town in south-western Iran close to
the ancient city of Shush (Susa). Shush and Shushtar are famous for their
fine-quality reeds from which the Ney is made. The prelude (pishdramad)
we are playing this evening was composed by the legendary Ney master Ostad
Hassan Kasaei.
02.
Nychtose choris fengari [Νύχτωσε χωρίς φεγγάρι On a moonless night]
Composer:
Apostolos Kaldaras Catherine Clambaneva (vocals), Andy Theodorou (bouzouki)
and ensemble [Greek]
Text:
Νύχτωσε χωρίς φεγγάρι, το σκοτάδι είναι βαθύ
κι όμως ένα παλικάρι δεν μπορεί να κοιμηθεί
Άραγε τι περιμένει όλη νύχτα ως το πρωί
στο στενό το παραθύρι που φωτίζει το
κελλί
Πόρτα ανοίγει, πόρτα κλείνει με βαρύ αναστεναγμό
ας μπορούσα να μαντέψω της καρδιάς του τον καημό [x2]
Translation:
Night fell, without a
moon. The darkness is deep and yet a pallikari is not able to sleep.
What is that he is waiting
for, from the night to the dawn, in the narrow window which illuminates his
cell?
A door opens a door
closes, with a heavy sigh. I wish I could guess at the grief of his heart.
This song,
about a young partisan in prison, is emblematic of the Greek Civil War. It was
written by Apostolos Kaldaras [1922-90]. A prolific composer, he was influenced
from an early age by the refugees who had arrived from Asia Minor into his
native Trikala, to whom he recognises a profound debt of gratitude for the songs
that they brought with them. Kaldaras decided to move to Athens. One day
he met Yiannis Papaioannou in a café, who took him and introduced him to
musical entrepreneur Minos Matsas, then head of Parlophone. Within a few days a
deal was struck, and the songs Nychtose choris fengari and Evviva rebetes
were recorded, and became big hits.
03. Mah
yüzüne aşıkanım
My beautiful-faced, my blossoming rose
sapling, I am in love with you
Composer:
Dede Efendi Çiğdem Aslan (vocals) with Cahit Baylav (violin), Najib
Coutya (ud) [Turkish].
Dede Efendi
(1778-1846) is the most prominent composer of Traditional Ottoman Turkish Art
Music. This is one of his well-known songs, set in a 9/4 rhythmic pattern. A love song praising the
beauty of the beloved one and likening her face to the moon.
Text:
Mah yüzüne
aşıkanım
taze bitmiş gül fidanım
efendim nazlı cananım
Seni gayet sevdi canım
severim yoktur yalanım
Hoş edalı nazik peri
görenler olur serseri
canım versem vardır yeri
Seni gayet sevdi canım
severim yoktur yalanım.
04. Tois en skotei [Τοῖς ἐν σκότει ἁμαρτημάτων To those in the darkness of
sin...]
Watch video
Composer:
Simon Karas Spiro Antonopoulos (vocals) [Greek Orthodox] ;
followed by Taksim in Hicaz by Cahit Baylav (violin)
This setting of the Byzantine
chanted hymn "Tois en skotei" is by the Greek musicologist and cantor
Simon Karas (c. 1940). The melodic tradition for the hymn, on which his version
is based, dates to at least the 15th century. It is an Idiomelon
(special melody) for the Eastern Orthodox period of Great Lent.
This hymn
is in the Byzantine equivalent of Hijaz, that is
Plagal of Second mode. The composer uses the Hijaz mode, consisting of the base
tetrachord D-G, with a flattened E and 3/4 sharped F, as the framework for
expressing the introspective and penitential ethos of the 40-day fast. On
top of this framework, the melodist utilizes modal variants, all having
reference to Hijaz, to express the feeling associated with certain words: e.g.,
"darkness" (Nikriz mode), "shined" (Hagia mode), and
"arise, O God" (Ussak mode).
Τοῖς ἐν σκότει ἁμαρτημάτων
πορευομένοις φῶς ἀνέτειλας Χριστέ,
τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἐγκρατείας, καὶ τὴν εὔσημον ἡμέραν
τοῦ Πάθους σου
δεῖξον ἡμῖν, ἵνα βοῶμέν σοι· Ἀνάστα
ὁ Θεὸς ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.
05. Maqam
Hijaz / Gorani Motrebi Harifan
Watch video
Çiğdem Aslan (vocals) with Cahit
Baylav (violin), Peyman Heydarian (santur), Arya Zakri (Tonbak) and Emad
Rajabalipour (Daff) [Kurdish]
A Kurdish avaz
(non-metred vocal piece), accompanied by santur and violin in maqam Hijaz. This version is based on a performance by
Leila Fariqi, which has been re-arranged by Peyman Heydarian for this concert.
It is followed by Gorani Motrebi Harifan, a song in praise of the virtuoso
musical performer]
06.
Nani nani - Lullaby
Watch video
Polina
Proutskova (vocals), Peyman Heydarian (santur), Cahit Baylav (violin) [Sephardic,
in the Turkish tradition]
Text:
Nani, Nani,
Nani kere el ijo
el ijo de la
madre de tchiko se ago grande
Ay, durmite mi
alma ke tu padre vyene kon muntcha alegriya
Nani, Nani...
etc
Ay, avrimech,
mi dama, arrimech la puerta,
ke vengo
kansado de arar las uertas
Ay, avrir no
vos avro, no venich kansado,
sino ke venich
de onde nuevo amor!
Translation:
Nani (sleep), Nani, Nani is what the son wants,
the mother's son,
today just a child, soon a man
Oh sleep my soul, if only your father
were soon here, in good spirits.
Nani, Nani... etc
Oh, open up, good woman,
open the door to me,
because I come exhausted
from ploughing the fields.
Oh no, I will not open the door and you
are not tired;
in truth you come
from a new lover.
07.
Sar oumad zemestoun [Winter is over...]
Polina
Proutskova (vocals), Peyman Heydarian (santur), Cahit Baylav (violin), Nicki
Maher, Elizabeth Nott and Arya Zakri (percussion) [Iranian]
This song,
with its guerrilla connotations, has become the anthem of the present popular
uprising in Iran. It is
based on an original song Sari sirun yar composed by Gusan (Troubadour) Ashot
(Ashot Hayrapeti Dadalian) born in Goris, Armenia 12 April 1907
Translation:
The winter has come to an
end, the spring has blossomed.
The red flower of the sun
has risen once again, the night has escaped.
The mountains are covered
with tulips, the tulips are awake.
They are planting sunshine
in the mountains, flower by flower by flower.
In the mountains, his heart
is awake,
He is bringing flowers and
bread and will defend.
In his heart, he has a
forest of stars.
His lips wear a smile of
light.
His heart is filled with
the flames of emotion.
His voice is like a spring.
His memory is like a deer
in the forest of light.
Translation from http://mattsteinglass.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/sar-oomad-zemestoon/
Musical notation available from:
http://pardessrimonim.blogspot.com/2009/07/sar-oumad-zemestoun-winter-is-over.html
INTERVAL
[15 mins]
08.
Improvised mawwal / Aleppo qudud /
Ada
sahillerinde bekliyorum
Watch video
Najib
Coutya (ud and vocals), followed by song in Arabic and Turkish
This section begins with a mawwal
(improvised vocalisation) in praise of Hijaz mode
Followed
by:
Ada
sahillerinde bekliyorum
A famous folk song from Istanbul which has
various versions in different languages. Here sung in Turkish
by Çiğdem Aslan
Ada sahillerinde bekliyorum
Her zaman yollarını gözlüyorum
Seni senden güzelim istiyorum
Beni şad et Şadiye
başın için
Her zaman sen yalancı ben kâni
Her zaman orta yerde bir mâni
Her zaman sen uzakta ben müştak
Her telâkide bir hayâl-i firâk
09. Eimai
prezakias [Είμαι πρεζάκιας I am a
junkie]
Composers:
Emilios Savvidhis and Sosos Ioannides recorded Roza Eskenazi 1935
Catherine
Clambaneva (vocals), Andy Theodorou (bouzouki) and Najib Coutya (ud) [Greek]
Text:
Από το βράδυ ως το πρωϊ.
Με πρέζα στέκω στη ζωή.
Κι όλο τον κόσμο κατακτώ.
Την άσπρη σκόνη σα ρουφώ.
Όλος ο κόσμος είναι θύμα μου, σαν έχω πρέζα και ρουφάω.
Κι οι πολιτσμάνοι όταν θα με δουν, μελάνι αμολάω.
Σαν μαστουρωθείς. Γίνεσαι ευθύς.
Βασιλιάς, δικτάτορας,
θεός και κοσμοκράτορας.
Πρέζα όταν πιεις,
ρε θα ευφρανθείς.
Κι όλα πια στον κόσμο ρόδινα θε να τα δεις.
- Ωχ, θα πρεζάρω αδερφέ μου, μέχρι Ανάσταση.
Δική μου είναι η Ελλάς.
Και στη κατάντια της γελάς.
Της λείπει το να της ποδάρι, ρε,
και το παίξανε στο ζάρι.
Εγώ θα είμαι ρε διχτάτορας
κι ο κόσμος στάχτη, αχ, ας γίνει
Ο ένας θα μ ανάβει το λουλά
κι ο άλλος θα το σβήνει.
Translation:
From evening to morning I spend
my time with cocaine,
And when I snort the white
powder I gain the whole world.
The whole world is my prey
when I have cocaine and I snort it
And when the policemen see
me, I vanish quickly.
When you
get stoned you immediately become
A king, a dictator, god and emperor.
Friend, when you take
cocaine you get happy,
And the whole world looks
rosy.
[Ouf, Ill take dope till
the Resurrection...]
Greece is mine, and you laugh at its wretched state,
Shes missing one leg, and
they staked her at dice.
Friend, I shall be a
dictator, and let the world become ashes.
One person will light my
hash pipe, and another will put it out.
10.
Sari kurdelem sari
Composer:
Fahri Kayahan Çiğdem Aslan (vocals) with Cahit Baylav (violin)
[Turkish]
Text:
Sari kurdelem sari daglara saldim yari
Daglar
kurbanin olam (aman) tez gönder nazli yari
Yandim hey vallah yandim esmerim ben
esmeri findik ile
Ben esmeri fistik ile, ben esmeri
badem ile beslerim
Ipek kusak beldedir saçaklari
yerdedir
Dünya güzelle dolsa (aman)
yine gönlüm sendedir
Yandim hey vallah yandim esmerim ben
esmeri findik ile
Ben esmeri fistik ile, ben esmeri
badem ile beslerim
Translation:
My ribbon is yellow. I sent my lover to
the mountains
Oh mountains please, send my lover back
quick
Ah I am burning
With hazelnuts
With groundnuts. with almonds will I feed my brunette
Silk belt to the belly, with tassels on
the ground
My heart would only see your beauty
Even if the whole world is full of other
beauties
Ah I am burning
With hazelnuts
With groundnuts. with almonds will I feed my brunette
11.
Mandıra
Cahit
Baylav (violin), Najib Coutya ('ud), Nicki Maher (clarinet), Elizabeth Nott (percussion),
Emad Rajabalipour (percussion)
A well-known Turkish instrumental piece in 7/8 rhythm.
FINALE, in which
our audience are encouraged to join the dancing:
12. Turkish
gypsy dance Hicaz oyun havasi
Watch video
Composer:
Şükrü Tunar (1907-62)
Nicki Maher (clarinet), with Cahit Baylav (violin)
13. Sousta
in D Hijaz
Andy
Theodorou (bouzouki) and ensemble [Greek]
14. Two Kurdish dance
pieces: Parwana / Lerzan - Emad Rajabalipour (daff), Elizabeth Nott (daff)
and Arya Zakri (tonbak and dohol)
Watch video
Parwana
[Butterfly] is
a love song, comparing the restless lover with a butterfly who goes towards his
beloved (the candle), although he knows that she will burn his wings. Mode:
Esfehan (Nahawand)
Lerzan [Shaking]
is a love song and a famous wedding tune. The time for Kurdish celebration and
dance has arrived... Mode: Bakhtiary (Hijaz)
d These concerts and their
associated seminars are organised by Ed Emery, with the support of the Music
Department of the School of Oriental and African Studies [SOAS].
d If you wish to join our mailing list for upcoming seminars and
concerts, please send an e-mail to: ed.emery @ soas.ac.uk
London
4.iii.2010
