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At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The network in which the Greek-speaking urban popular song participates, constantly conversing with its co-tenants, is magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.
Historical sources underline the close relations between Italian-speaking and Greek-speaking music. The conversations that developed with specific places, such as the Ionian Islands, the Dodecanese and Patras, as well as their results, are enough to highlight the strong ties between the two ethno-cultural groups. Furthermore, relationships were forged in places where the two ethnicities lived together, such as, for example, in the case of cosmopolitan Smyrna (Izmir) in the Ottoman Empire, or that of New York, where Italians and Greeks immigrated. When researching the historical material, it seems that one particular city in the Italian peninsula developed special relations with the large urban centers where Greek-speaking musicians played a leading role: it was Naples, with its famous Canzone Napoletana. This recording belongs to a corpus of songs from which the Greek protagonists borrowed music and/or lyrics from pre-existing Neapolitan-speaking songs. In many cases, the appropriations concern not only Neapolitan-speaking songs but the Italian language as a whole, since, often, the original Neapolitan-speaking songs were translated into Italian, from which the loan arose. These songs arrived at the Greek-speaking world either directly or indirectly, through other repertoire networks. In any case, the circulation of musics is already a reality before the 20th century with theatrical and musical performances tours, but also with the networks of music publishing houses. Discography is not only embedded in this context, but plays a key role in its transformation. The appropriation by Greek musicians is twofold: on the one hand are the lyrics, which are now in Greek (often, in fact, they have nothing to do with the original ones), and, on the other hand, are the performance practices: different instrumentation, different singing style, often differences in melodic and rhythmic forms but also in the harmonies. Greek musicians adapt what they hear to their own condition, based on their own capabilities. After all, the mandolins, the guitars, the marches, polyphonic song and the bel canto singing style are characteristics that reveal the influences of the Canzone Napoletana on the Greek-speaking urban popular song. It should also be noted that, in various cases, often due to the great international success of the songs, the network that is finally formed is extremely complex and does not only concern Greek-Italian relations.
This is a re-issue of the record 12789b – 6-12680 by Gramophone Concert Record. According to the database that emerged from Alan Kelly’s research the recording took place in March 1909; based on Hugo Strötbaum’s archive, the song was recorded in April of the same year. The sound engineer Hugh Murtagh was probably in charge of the recording.
The lyrics and music of the song, in Byzantine and European notation, were recorded in the monthly magazine Ethniki Mousa (National Muse) published by the "National Music Association" (volume 1, No 3 and 4, May–June 1909: 14–16 and 50).
According to the Greek musical score, it is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the Neapolitan song "Birbantella", set to music by Vincenzo Di Chiara (1864 – 1937) and lyrics by Antonio Barbieri (1859 – 1931). The song was adapted by Theofrastos Sakellaridis and included in the revue "Ta nea Panathinaia", written by Bampis Anninos and Giorgos Tsokopoulos, which premiered on June 30, 1908 at the Nea Skini (New Scene) theater, with K. Sagior, Marika Kotopouli, Mitsos Myrat, Til. Lepeniotis and others.
In the CD which accompanies the book Spanies ichografiseis mikron etaireion 1905-1930, Aristomenis Kalyviotis includes the first, possibly, Greek recording of the song, which was made in Athens the same year of the "Panathinaia 1908", recorded by Marika Kotopouli (Apollon A 133, Stavros Kourousis' archive) who performed the song as part of the revue.
In Greek historical discography another three recording has been found so far:
- G. Kandilakis & Estoudiantina Smyrniote, Constantinople (Istanbul), May 1909 (Odeon X-46249 & Odeon USA 82017-A)
- Antonis Melitsianos, Constantinople (Istanbul), 1910-1911 (Grammavox 13004)
- Stella Kokkini, Opera Disc Company 9361 - 13330. This is a re-issue by Opera Disc Company in USA the period 1921-1923 of the record 5-13214 by Gramophone (matrix number: 13447b), which was recorded in Smyrna (Izmir) or Athens on May 1909 (for more about Opera Disc Company see Aristomenis Kalyviotis 2019: 40-41 and Yuri Bernikov's archive website).
The Italian musical score was included in the publication "Piedigrotta Morano 1905" (p. 8–9), which was published by Vito Morano, in Naples, in 1905. "Piedigrotta" refers to one of the most famous and oldest religious festivals that took place in Naples. During the festival, a music competition took place, which, in the 19th century, turned into a dynamic festival. This festival took the form of a commercial mechanism which played a key role in shaping and promoting Neapolitan song.
The two Italian recordings that have been found so far are:
- "Birbantella", Francesco Daddi, Zonophone 40136 / 3606, New York, around March 1908
- "Birbantella", Aristide Rota, Pathè 86054
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The network in which the Greek-speaking urban popular song participates, constantly conversing with its co-tenants, is magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.
Historical sources underline the close relations between Italian-speaking and Greek-speaking music. The conversations that developed with specific places, such as the Ionian Islands, the Dodecanese and Patras, as well as their results, are enough to highlight the strong ties between the two ethno-cultural groups. Furthermore, relationships were forged in places where the two ethnicities lived together, such as, for example, in the case of cosmopolitan Smyrna (Izmir) in the Ottoman Empire, or that of New York, where Italians and Greeks immigrated. When researching the historical material, it seems that one particular city in the Italian peninsula developed special relations with the large urban centers where Greek-speaking musicians played a leading role: it was Naples, with its famous Canzone Napoletana. This recording belongs to a corpus of songs from which the Greek protagonists borrowed music and/or lyrics from pre-existing Neapolitan-speaking songs. In many cases, the appropriations concern not only Neapolitan-speaking songs but the Italian language as a whole, since, often, the original Neapolitan-speaking songs were translated into Italian, from which the loan arose. These songs arrived at the Greek-speaking world either directly or indirectly, through other repertoire networks. In any case, the circulation of musics is already a reality before the 20th century with theatrical and musical performances tours, but also with the networks of music publishing houses. Discography is not only embedded in this context, but plays a key role in its transformation. The appropriation by Greek musicians is twofold: on the one hand are the lyrics, which are now in Greek (often, in fact, they have nothing to do with the original ones), and, on the other hand, are the performance practices: different instrumentation, different singing style, often differences in melodic and rhythmic forms but also in the harmonies. Greek musicians adapt what they hear to their own condition, based on their own capabilities. After all, the mandolins, the guitars, the marches, polyphonic song and the bel canto singing style are characteristics that reveal the influences of the Canzone Napoletana on the Greek-speaking urban popular song. It should also be noted that, in various cases, often due to the great international success of the songs, the network that is finally formed is extremely complex and does not only concern Greek-Italian relations.
This is a re-issue of the record 12789b – 6-12680 by Gramophone Concert Record. According to the database that emerged from Alan Kelly’s research the recording took place in March 1909; based on Hugo Strötbaum’s archive, the song was recorded in April of the same year. The sound engineer Hugh Murtagh was probably in charge of the recording.
The lyrics and music of the song, in Byzantine and European notation, were recorded in the monthly magazine Ethniki Mousa (National Muse) published by the "National Music Association" (volume 1, No 3 and 4, May–June 1909: 14–16 and 50).
According to the Greek musical score, it is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the Neapolitan song "Birbantella", set to music by Vincenzo Di Chiara (1864 – 1937) and lyrics by Antonio Barbieri (1859 – 1931). The song was adapted by Theofrastos Sakellaridis and included in the revue "Ta nea Panathinaia", written by Bampis Anninos and Giorgos Tsokopoulos, which premiered on June 30, 1908 at the Nea Skini (New Scene) theater, with K. Sagior, Marika Kotopouli, Mitsos Myrat, Til. Lepeniotis and others.
In the CD which accompanies the book Spanies ichografiseis mikron etaireion 1905-1930, Aristomenis Kalyviotis includes the first, possibly, Greek recording of the song, which was made in Athens the same year of the "Panathinaia 1908", recorded by Marika Kotopouli (Apollon A 133, Stavros Kourousis' archive) who performed the song as part of the revue.
In Greek historical discography another three recording has been found so far:
- G. Kandilakis & Estoudiantina Smyrniote, Constantinople (Istanbul), May 1909 (Odeon X-46249 & Odeon USA 82017-A)
- Antonis Melitsianos, Constantinople (Istanbul), 1910-1911 (Grammavox 13004)
- Stella Kokkini, Opera Disc Company 9361 - 13330. This is a re-issue by Opera Disc Company in USA the period 1921-1923 of the record 5-13214 by Gramophone (matrix number: 13447b), which was recorded in Smyrna (Izmir) or Athens on May 1909 (for more about Opera Disc Company see Aristomenis Kalyviotis 2019: 40-41 and Yuri Bernikov's archive website).
The Italian musical score was included in the publication "Piedigrotta Morano 1905" (p. 8–9), which was published by Vito Morano, in Naples, in 1905. "Piedigrotta" refers to one of the most famous and oldest religious festivals that took place in Naples. During the festival, a music competition took place, which, in the 19th century, turned into a dynamic festival. This festival took the form of a commercial mechanism which played a key role in shaping and promoting Neapolitan song.
The two Italian recordings that have been found so far are:
- "Birbantella", Francesco Daddi, Zonophone 40136 / 3606, New York, around March 1908
- "Birbantella", Aristide Rota, Pathè 86054
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
