Gurdjieff, Tsabropoulos: Chants, Hymns and Dances

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Philosopher, seeker after the truth, reconciler of science and religion, teacher, guru to artists, writers and musicians, Gurdjieff was an enigmatic figure; even his birthdate is uncertain: 1866 or 1877. He taught movements "to alter or heighten consciousness" at his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, located outside Paris---a highly improvisatory process for which he composed equally improvisatory music. Technically untrained, he depended on skilled assistants to realize and write down his ideas, and found one in a devoted disciple: Ukranian pianist/composer Thomas de Hartmann, who selflessly suspended his own career and, after Gurdjieff's death in 1948, privately published and recorded some of their collaborations. As a composer, Gurdjieff, born at the border of Armenia and Turkey, was influenced by the region's ethnic and cultural diversity, by his childhood memories of the religious and philosophical songs improvised by his father, a Greek troubadour, by the hymns of the Greek Orthodox Church, and by his extensive travels through Europe and Asia. For this recording, the performers themselves arranged his compositions for cello and piano, adding five pieces by pianist Tsabropoulos, including three based on Byzantine hymns. Both players have been involved with Armenian, Ukranian and Greek Orthodox music; both are expert improvisers. Their strong feeling and affinity for the material allows them to approach it with both reverence and freedom; the playing is primarily subdued and inward. The piano texture ranges from delicate tinkling to full-blooded chords and arpeggios; the cello, playing mostly in the low and middle register, often in unison with the piano, sounds dark, warm and beautiful. The music, except for one lively dance, is slow, solemn, and mournful, in the minor mode. Melodies featuring oriental intervals are elaborated but not developed; based on single-note drones, harmonies are static or move in stepwise progressions but do not modulate. This lack of contrast and variety creates an otherworldly, disembodied atmosphere, despite several buildups of motion, dynamics, and intensity. --Edith Eisler

Gurdjieff, Tsabropoulos: Chants, Hymns and Dances, Music, Georges / de Hartmann, Thomas Gurdjieff, Vassilis Tsabropoulos, Vassilis Tsabropoulos, Chamber, Chamber Music, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Artists, Keyboard, Music for Keyboard

Average customer rating:

Must have!

an artistic triumph

Interpretations of Gurdjieff's Music

Inspired Subjectivity Encounters An Objective Music

Stunning

Gurdjieff, Tsabropoulos: Chants, Hymns and Dances

Manufacturer: ECM
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Seekers of the Truth: The Complete Piano Music of Georges I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann, Volume One

ASIN: B0002ONC72
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Tracks:

Chant from a Holy Book
Bayaty
Prayer
Duduki
Interlude I
Trois Morceaux aprHymnes Byzantins I
Trois Morceaux aprHymnes Byzantins II
Trois Morceaux aprHymnes Byzantins III
Dance
Chant
Interlude II
Assyrian Woman Mourners
Armenian Song
(No. 11)
Womans Prayer
Chant from a Holy Book, var. 1

Amazon.com

Philosopher, seeker after the truth, reconciler of science and religion, teacher, guru to artists, writers and musicians, Gurdjieff was an enigmatic figure; even his birthdate is uncertain: 1866 or 1877. He taught movements "to alter or heighten consciousness" at his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, located outside Paris---a highly improvisatory process for which he composed equally improvisatory music. Technically untrained, he depended on skilled assistants to realize and write down his ideas, and found one in a devoted disciple: Ukranian pianist/composer Thomas de Hartmann, who selflessly suspended his own career and, after Gurdjieff's death in 1948, privately published and recorded some of their collaborations. As a composer, Gurdjieff, born at the border of Armenia and Turkey, was influenced by the region's ethnic and cultural diversity, by his childhood memories of the religious and philosophical songs improvised by his father, a Greek troubadour, by the hymns of the Greek Orthodox Church, and by his extensive travels through Europe and Asia. For this recording, the performers themselves arranged his compositions for cello and piano, adding five pieces by pianist Tsabropoulos, including three based on Byzantine hymns. Both players have been involved with Armenian, Ukranian and Greek Orthodox music; both are expert improvisers. Their strong feeling and affinity for the material allows them to approach it with both reverence and freedom; the playing is primarily subdued and inward. The piano texture ranges from delicate tinkling to full-blooded chords and arpeggios; the cello, playing mostly in the low and middle register, often in unison with the piano, sounds dark, warm and beautiful. The music, except for one lively dance, is slow, solemn, and mournful, in the minor mode. Melodies featuring oriental intervals are elaborated but not developed; based on single-note drones, harmonies are static or move in stepwise progressions but do not modulate. This lack of contrast and variety creates an otherworldly, disembodied atmosphere, despite several buildups of motion, dynamics, and intensity. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Must have!.......2006-01-12

This amazingly beautiful album to me is the soundtrack of Anatolia, of an era gone by when Turks, Greeks, Armenians and other ethnic groups shared their lives peacefully and harmoniously. Its sadness inevitably reminds me of millions who unnecessarily died on this soil in many wars fought in early twentieth century, of people forced to leave the only land the knew for unknown destinations and destinies, of the unimaginable hardships endured by its people. And more personally it takes me fom New York and puts me right next to my father's grave in a forgotten Anatolian village, 6000 miles away.

an artistic triumph.......2005-12-28

Peaceful, meditative, sad, introspective, deceptively simple. Classical. Coming from a deep sense of inner peace, like all things from the Work, but NOT New Agey.

Mystical.

Mr Gurdjieff sang or hummed his songs and Thomas deHartmann "wrote them down and added harmony". Hard to tell where Mr. G stops and deHartmann starts, but we will never know. Mr G speaks of Objective Music and the vast majority pieces of subjective music. This is the former.

I must confess that many other peformances and arrangements of the music of Gurdjieff/de Hartmann, the way it was "supposed to be played", left me cold. Most of the other renditions I heard were played by those Drunk with Orthodoxy, amaturish or just plain lacking in musical ability.

This version is a revelation!

I think G would approve of this.

I like this, I think that the arrangements for cello and piano instead of just piano, as written, is an artistic triumph. The cello played by Anja Lechner expresses the peace and meditative sadness inherent in the music, even if that wasn't the way it's usually played. Composers are often not the best intepreters of their music.

That having been said there are three part to this music, pieces by G/deH, Tsabropoulos and then more G/deH and when the pianist sticks his own works in the middle of Mr G's the quality of composition falls somewhat. His compositions are or similar mood and type to G/deH, but really don't have the same achieve the same heights of depth and soul. (Mr G would say they are not Objective Music, I guess.) Perfomances of all pieces are uniformly good.

I would hope this group will arrange more of Mr G's music in this format in the future.

Recommended.

Interpretations of Gurdjieff's Music.......2005-12-14

You may want to pass this one up if you enjoy Gurdjieff's music as he intended it to be. To me these seem like rambling, flimsy interpretations of strong, articulate works (if you have heard any of the Kremski recordings, you know).

The arrangements do not seem to have captured the spirit of Gurdjieff's music very well. If someone did with Beethoven what has been done with Gurdjieff's music here, I don't think it would be taken seriously.

If you are interested in a new "twist" on Gurdjieff's music, then you may enjoy this. If you enjoy Gurdjieff's music closer to the way which he composed it, then you will want to look for a different recording.

Inspired Subjectivity Encounters An Objective Music.......2005-03-19

Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff's music was first given a broad public exposure with Keith Jarrett's recording "Sacred Hymns" in 1980. The public was perhaps already partly prepared for this music in 1979, due to the release of director Peter Brook's beautiful film on the life of G.I. Gurdjieff, "Meetings with Remarkable Men". The closing sequences of "Meetings with Remarkable Men" show the middle-aged Gurdjieff being taught about deep ontological truths through live performances of both music and dance.

In the 1920's, at his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, Gurdjieff continued this work by collaborating with Thomas de Hartmann on creating an "objective music". A music that "would work upon all listeners equally, focusing their mental life and bringing them to a new relationship with the living universe". It is probably Keith Jarrett, who has worked closely with the Gurdjieff Societies of both London and New York, that has produced the most "authentic" or "objective" reading of Gurdjieff's music in recent years.

On this ECM New Series disc of 2004, "Chants, Hymns and Dances", Anja Lechner and Vassilis Tsabropoulos decided to take a more liberal, "subjective", approach. Their interest in these compositions is perhaps more "musical than philosophical". Their suitability for this task should be apparent. Lechner's most recent work has involved interpreting the music of both Armenian Composer Tigran Mansurian and the Ukrainian Valentin Silvestrov. While Tsabropoulos, for his part, has worked with ancient Byzantine music and the music of the Greek Orthodox Church.

According to the informative liner notes by Steve Lake, "This music exists for the individual to make of it what he or she will, according to capacity". Lechner and Tsabropoulos both have deep experience with composed music and also with the process of free improvisation. Indeed, these two performers brilliantly interpret Gurdjieff's music with gentle assurance and a bright spontaneity. The five original compositions on this disc by Tsabropoulos even suggest an affinity with the Gurdjieff sensibility that borders on predestination.

"Chants, Hymns and Dances" is worthy of repeated encounter and remains serenely vital with each new audition. This is an ambiguous music that defies easy spiritual classification.

Stunning.......2005-03-02

This is one of the most moving records I have ever heard. It is a must have for any classical music lover or anyone who appreciates deeply emotional music. So simple, so powerful. Wow.

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