OLGA BAKMANIDI - STAVROS KATIRTZOGLOU HELLENIC SUITE
Eleven Transcriptions Of Hellenic Traditional Songs
[Guitar-Cello]
EPN 918
ISMN M-69151-153-4
Pages: 44
Size: 210 x 297 mm
The book "Hellenic Suite" comprises eleven transcriptions of Hellenic folk songs specially adapted for the violoncello and the classical guitar.
Their musical experience of Olga Bakmanidi and Stavros Katirtzoglou and the nature of their chosen instruments, as means to musical self-expression, have led them to a diverse artistic output encompassing works stemming from the classical European school as well as Hellenic musical tradition. Since the forming of their violoncello and guitar duet in 1997, they have played the Hellenic Suite in concert on numerous occasions.
Both the style of the transcriptions and the choice of the two prominently classical instruments provide the interpreters as well as the listener with a fresh and novel perspective to already well known material, bringing forth the musical element that had previously been overshadowed by the traditionally predominant verbal content of the songs.
Stylistically these eleven transcriptions have been forged by a combination of Hellenic and European cultural elements. The authentic thematic material has been largely preserved, so as to remain recognisable, but its harmonic treatment is done in the classical European fashion and adapted in a way that best exploits the expressive capabilities of the instruments.
Special care has been taken, so that both instruments are used alternatively to convey the melody. Thus the guitar is often called upon to rise above its accompanying role and is assigned the melody, resulting in a more interesting and fluent musical structure, which enhances the interpreters abilities for self-expression.
The authors' choice has been that these transcriptions pose a medium level of technical difficulty and this is also reflected in the proposed fingerings. It is felt that a lower technical difficulty, which would have made these works more accessible to beginners, would unavoidably have dulled the overall esthetical result. Medium and higher level students and even soloists are thus presented with the opportunity to enrich their chamber music repertoire with works routed in the Hellenic musical tradition.
Having the firm belief that even the smallest contribution to the growth of the musical culture of our land is significant, we hope that this work will find its way in the musical bibliography.
Olga Bakmanidi - Stavros Katirtzoglou
|