Part of the content is temporarily available only in Greek
There was no previous management model in the early period of discography. Each company creates their own networks, something that will allow them to take a dynamic lead in the market. New specialties and professions are created and new conditions emerge, or the need to update older facts, with the most serious being intellectual property. The latter, until then, concerned mostly printed commercial musical scores and the publishers’ rights. New small companies are constantly springing up, trying to claim a share of the market, which, sooner or later, takes on global dimensions. They are often bought by larger companies, along with their already recorded repertoires and their existing agreements with agents, producers and musicians. Sooner or later, most of the smaller labels are under the control of a few growing companies. Over the years, and as the recording market becomes more complex, factories-branches are built on all continents. These offices are taken over by local actors who gradually draw up their own policies: they know their markets better. The ever-evolving recording industry proves to be centripetal: the decisions that are taken follow the policies centrally dictated by the managements of the companies and their subsidiaries. This time, the network is adjusted in a programmatic manner, under new terms and via new paths. This entire environment, this entire layered landscape, becomes even more complex in America. There, “national” repertoires live a new, parallel life. This situation is not static and, to a large extent, is molded by discography, which attends to and “tunes” the overlapping relationships that have already developed in the “Old World”. Repertoires communicate with each other once again; a familiar and already dynamic condition in Europe. The networks in which the Greek-speaking musics participate, constantly conversing with their co-tenants, are 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”. Within these networks, already existing tendencies and aesthetic currents are often created or integrated, especially during the period when the phenomenon of sound recording and reproduction takes on commercial, mass and universal dimensions. A typical example is exoticism, as manifested in its various representations.
In the era of discography, the advance of exoticism is irresistible and leaves a very strong imprint. However much it seems to be defined by the principle of "locality", exoticism is a global aesthetic constant, a "common" language of the new age strongly marked by modernism and inscribed in a complex and lengthy process of osmosis among "national" musicians, which produces repertoires with "ecumenical" or global characteristics.
The locations represented in exoticism, that is, the East, Latin America, Spain, Hawaii, are par excellence imaginary, disconnected from the real world. They are revealed like a theatrical stage, with alternating scenes, where fantasies are dramatized, overwhelm the senses and release intense emotions, offering the "visitor" an ideal experience, outside the limitations of the conventional world: an eternal feast, pleasures, adventure.
This recording is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the song "Ay, Ay, Ay!" by Osmán Pérez Freire. Although the composer is Chilean, on the label of the record the song is described as a "Spanish serenade". This demonstrates the tendency of exoticism towards generalization and abstraction. In these contexts, Latin America is often perceived and represented as Spain and vice versa. The main indicator of "Spanishness" is the use of cadences that strongly refer the chordal progression that is usually called "Andalusian cadence" and are accentuated with forte dynamics.
It is thought to have been first published on a musical score in 1913 by Breyer Hermanos in Buenos Aires (Fuld, 2012). A Chilean musical score was published by the Casa Amarilla publishing house in Santiago, probably around 1928.
The song became a global hit and was recorded countless times in various formats, locations and languages (see here, here and here). For example:
- Agustín Barrios Mangoré, Buenos Aires, 1914 (Atlanta 65376 - 304)
- Ludovico Muzzio, Santiago, June 19, 1917 (Victor G-2065 - 72862)
- Dúo Gardel-Razzano, Argentina, 1918 or 1919 (Disco Gardel-Razzan 18013a)
-Nicola Fusati, Zagreb, August 1926 (Edison Bell Penkala 10054 - 1176)
- Roberto D'Alessio, Milan, 1926 or 1927 (Columbia WB 1148 - D1575)
- "Ај, ај, ај", Власта Јованчић, Germany, 1928 (Polydor 996 bf - L 30253)
- Miguel Fleta, Barcelona, December 9, 1930 (HMV CN 1123 D.B. 1483/32-2016)
- Ivan Horak-Gorski, Berlin, October-November 1928 (Odeon, VSE 1336 - A192809b)
- Emil Svartström, Berlin, 1930 (Tri-Ergon TE 5791-B - 03164-m2)
- Mesquitinha, Rio de Janeiro, November 9, 1931 (Victor 65277-1 - 33496 a)
- Polscy Revellersi, Warsaw, 1931 (Columbia WJ. 201 - DM. 1493 b.)
- Raquel Meller, Paris, 1931 (Odeon KI 5032 - 188.854)
- Ninoun Vallin, Paris, May 31, 1933 (Odeon KI 6067 - 166.669)
- Børge Christiansen, Denmark, 1933 (Polyphon 5170 BR - X.S 50222-B)
- Jaroslav Jaroš, Prague, November 2, 1934 (Ultraphon 40206 - A 10949)
- Jussi Björling, Stockholm, 1936 (HMV OSB411 - X.4723)
- Herbert Ernst Groh, Berlin, December 12, 1940 (Odeon Be 12777 - O 26 439 a)
- Olga Coelho, USA, 1947 (RCA Victor 26-9020A 2S - 26-9020-A)
In Greek historical discography, the song was also recorded in 1929, in Berlin, by Lysandros Ioannidis and Dajos Béla's orchestra (Parlophone GO1241 – GZA2504/ZA – 190804a).
The Greek musical score of the song was published in Athens by the Gaitanos - Konstantinidis - Starr publishing house (see here and here) and by the Gaitanos publishing house (see here).
This recording probably took place in Milan, given that, according to the extremely interesting report compiled by Edmund Michael Innes from the trip he made to Greece in April-May 1930, as an emissary of the British record label His Master's Voice for the purpose of collecting and recording information about the company's situation in Greece (also) in relation to the other record labels that were active in the area, Columbia used to send to Milan one of its tenors, [Michalis] Thomakos (Tomako), almost every two months in order to record its latest Western "hits".
Research and text: George Evangelou, Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
There was no previous management model in the early period of discography. Each company creates their own networks, something that will allow them to take a dynamic lead in the market. New specialties and professions are created and new conditions emerge, or the need to update older facts, with the most serious being intellectual property. The latter, until then, concerned mostly printed commercial musical scores and the publishers’ rights. New small companies are constantly springing up, trying to claim a share of the market, which, sooner or later, takes on global dimensions. They are often bought by larger companies, along with their already recorded repertoires and their existing agreements with agents, producers and musicians. Sooner or later, most of the smaller labels are under the control of a few growing companies. Over the years, and as the recording market becomes more complex, factories-branches are built on all continents. These offices are taken over by local actors who gradually draw up their own policies: they know their markets better. The ever-evolving recording industry proves to be centripetal: the decisions that are taken follow the policies centrally dictated by the managements of the companies and their subsidiaries. This time, the network is adjusted in a programmatic manner, under new terms and via new paths. This entire environment, this entire layered landscape, becomes even more complex in America. There, “national” repertoires live a new, parallel life. This situation is not static and, to a large extent, is molded by discography, which attends to and “tunes” the overlapping relationships that have already developed in the “Old World”. Repertoires communicate with each other once again; a familiar and already dynamic condition in Europe. The networks in which the Greek-speaking musics participate, constantly conversing with their co-tenants, are 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”. Within these networks, already existing tendencies and aesthetic currents are often created or integrated, especially during the period when the phenomenon of sound recording and reproduction takes on commercial, mass and universal dimensions. A typical example is exoticism, as manifested in its various representations.
In the era of discography, the advance of exoticism is irresistible and leaves a very strong imprint. However much it seems to be defined by the principle of "locality", exoticism is a global aesthetic constant, a "common" language of the new age strongly marked by modernism and inscribed in a complex and lengthy process of osmosis among "national" musicians, which produces repertoires with "ecumenical" or global characteristics.
The locations represented in exoticism, that is, the East, Latin America, Spain, Hawaii, are par excellence imaginary, disconnected from the real world. They are revealed like a theatrical stage, with alternating scenes, where fantasies are dramatized, overwhelm the senses and release intense emotions, offering the "visitor" an ideal experience, outside the limitations of the conventional world: an eternal feast, pleasures, adventure.
This recording is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the song "Ay, Ay, Ay!" by Osmán Pérez Freire. Although the composer is Chilean, on the label of the record the song is described as a "Spanish serenade". This demonstrates the tendency of exoticism towards generalization and abstraction. In these contexts, Latin America is often perceived and represented as Spain and vice versa. The main indicator of "Spanishness" is the use of cadences that strongly refer the chordal progression that is usually called "Andalusian cadence" and are accentuated with forte dynamics.
It is thought to have been first published on a musical score in 1913 by Breyer Hermanos in Buenos Aires (Fuld, 2012). A Chilean musical score was published by the Casa Amarilla publishing house in Santiago, probably around 1928.
The song became a global hit and was recorded countless times in various formats, locations and languages (see here, here and here). For example:
- Agustín Barrios Mangoré, Buenos Aires, 1914 (Atlanta 65376 - 304)
- Ludovico Muzzio, Santiago, June 19, 1917 (Victor G-2065 - 72862)
- Dúo Gardel-Razzano, Argentina, 1918 or 1919 (Disco Gardel-Razzan 18013a)
-Nicola Fusati, Zagreb, August 1926 (Edison Bell Penkala 10054 - 1176)
- Roberto D'Alessio, Milan, 1926 or 1927 (Columbia WB 1148 - D1575)
- "Ај, ај, ај", Власта Јованчић, Germany, 1928 (Polydor 996 bf - L 30253)
- Miguel Fleta, Barcelona, December 9, 1930 (HMV CN 1123 D.B. 1483/32-2016)
- Ivan Horak-Gorski, Berlin, October-November 1928 (Odeon, VSE 1336 - A192809b)
- Emil Svartström, Berlin, 1930 (Tri-Ergon TE 5791-B - 03164-m2)
- Mesquitinha, Rio de Janeiro, November 9, 1931 (Victor 65277-1 - 33496 a)
- Polscy Revellersi, Warsaw, 1931 (Columbia WJ. 201 - DM. 1493 b.)
- Raquel Meller, Paris, 1931 (Odeon KI 5032 - 188.854)
- Ninoun Vallin, Paris, May 31, 1933 (Odeon KI 6067 - 166.669)
- Børge Christiansen, Denmark, 1933 (Polyphon 5170 BR - X.S 50222-B)
- Jaroslav Jaroš, Prague, November 2, 1934 (Ultraphon 40206 - A 10949)
- Jussi Björling, Stockholm, 1936 (HMV OSB411 - X.4723)
- Herbert Ernst Groh, Berlin, December 12, 1940 (Odeon Be 12777 - O 26 439 a)
- Olga Coelho, USA, 1947 (RCA Victor 26-9020A 2S - 26-9020-A)
In Greek historical discography, the song was also recorded in 1929, in Berlin, by Lysandros Ioannidis and Dajos Béla's orchestra (Parlophone GO1241 – GZA2504/ZA – 190804a).
The Greek musical score of the song was published in Athens by the Gaitanos - Konstantinidis - Starr publishing house (see here and here) and by the Gaitanos publishing house (see here).
This recording probably took place in Milan, given that, according to the extremely interesting report compiled by Edmund Michael Innes from the trip he made to Greece in April-May 1930, as an emissary of the British record label His Master's Voice for the purpose of collecting and recording information about the company's situation in Greece (also) in relation to the other record labels that were active in the area, Columbia used to send to Milan one of its tenors, [Michalis] Thomakos (Tomako), almost every two months in order to record its latest Western "hits".
Research and text: George Evangelou, Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
