The year 2006 is dedicated to concerts featuring folk polyphony.
Polyphony, meaning harmony, is a characteristic of Western music. In Europe, singing with multiple intertwining melodies has been elevated to a true art form. We often associate this with scholarly, ‘classical’ music, where composers meticulously notate how the voices should harmonize. However, polyphony also appears in folk music!
In the first concert we’ll hear polyphonic music from Sardinia, where it’s known as cantu a tenore. On its neighbouring island Corsica, there is also a tradition of polyphony, known as paghjella. There are both similarities and differences between the two types of music. A cantu a tenore is sung by four men instead of three, with one singing the melody and the other three providing accompaniment. The accompanists can sometimes sound very instrumental, using techniques reminiscent of Tuvan throat singing! The fact that we can hear this so much closer to home, while few people are aware of it, is truly a small wonder…
The second concert features music from a bit further from home: Georgia. This music is not very well-known in the West, but over the past few decades, it has occasionally made its way into our concert halls. Georgian polyphony is pleasing to the ear and surprisingly Western in its sound. Enjoy!
Performed by
Cuncordu e tenore de Orosei (1-17)
Armaz Darashvili, Mikheil Edisherashvili, Zaza Ketckamadze, Nugzar Arveladze (18-40)
Playlist
1. Miserere
2. Kyrie
3. Ave Maria
4. Gotzos de sas animas
5. Voche seria
6. Lellere
7. Voche tivoes
8. Muttos
9. Trunfa
10. Ballo
11. Sanctus
12. Altissimu
13. Jachi non li cheren
14. Ninnu
15. A una rosa
16. Dillu
17. Ballu turturinu
18. Me Rustveli
19. Kuchkhi bedineri
20. Jvarsa shensa
21. Kakhuri maqruli
22. Meupeo zetsatao
23. Ats ganuteve
24. Shavi shashvi
25. Voisa
26. Tskhenosnuri
27. Mstsrapi ganukhveri
28. Basili Didis tropari
29. Zamtari
30. Odoia
31. Shamarera
32. Mravalzhamier
33. Tsqals napoti chamokhonda
34. Kakhuri Satskekvao
35. Aghdgomasa shensa
36. Ocheshkhvei
37. Arami do sharika
38. Naduri
39. Svanuri perkhuli
40. Guruli perkhuli (encore)
