Part of the content is temporarily available only in Greek
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 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”.
Tango is one of the main musical elements of the national identity of modern Argentina. It is born in the marginalized environment of the port of Buenos Aires, but soon conquers Europe and the USA, where it is carried by traveling Argentine musicians and dancers during the first decade of the 20th century. Its acceptance by the upper and middle classes was due to its transformation from a multicultural musical expression of the underworld to a dance-music one for whites, as well as to its thematic cleansing of its overtly sensual origins. Primarily marginal types and their provocative liminality are replaced by quaint figures who are possessed by unquenchable, but stylized love passions. This is how a “tamed” musical genre emerges that recalls a more romantic Argentina. Tango takes Parisian cabarets by storm, and its initially targeted popularity soon develops into widespread appeal. Record companies, composers and orchestras manage it as an integral part of their business. At the end of the 1920s and the beginning of the 1930s, Greece succumbs too to this “tangomania”. During the interwar period, tango has a central place in the repertoire of elafro (light music) and enriches discography’s catalogs with hundreds of original compositions which complement the systematic arrangements of popular pieces, mainly of European origin, “dressed” with Greek lyrics.
This recording includes an arrangement of the German song "Warum?" by P. Lesso-Valerio, a pseudonym of the German composer, lyricist, pianist and music publisher Erich Ewald Walter Plessow (Berlin, German Empire, November 25, 1899 - Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany, June 13, 1977). The Greek lyrics were written by Pol Menestrel (Giannis Chidiroglou).
The song became a great hit and was recorded many times in various formats, locations and languages. For example:
– "Warum? (Conchita)", Barnabás von Géczy and his orchestera – Robert Brake, Berlin, April 9, 1932 (Parlophon 113491 – B. 48194-I).
– "Warum (Conchita)", Paul Godwin Tanz-Orchester – Paul Dorn, Berlin, 1932 (Polydor 4924 BD VII – 24830-A).
– "Varför", Sven-Olof Sandberg – Waldimir's Orkester, Stockholm, 1932 (Odeon Sto 5128 – D2441 – Sa 255919 a).
– "Hvofor? (Warum)", Jens Warny med sit Orkester – Erik Bertner, Copenhagen, September 3, 1932 (His Master's Voice OPF 14-II – X 4001 / 30-9111).
– "To-night", Marek Weber and his orchestra, London, January 11,b1933 (His Master's Voice OB 4393-II – B. 6308).
– "Perché?", Pippo Barzizza e la sua Orchestra Blue Star, Milan, 1933 (Fonit 6123-B).
– "Bez słów", Chór Dana, Warsaw, 1933 (Syrena-Electro 23189 – 3954 και Melodia 23189 – 151).
– "Pourquoi quand je te dis je t'aime", Tino Rossi, Paris, 1934 (Columbia CL 4949 – DB 1659).
– "Warum küßt mich dein Mund so heiß?", Hans Rehmstedt mit seinem Orchester – Henriette Schäffler, Berlin, November 1940 (Columbia CR 710-2 – DW 4887).
In Greek historical discography, in addition to the present recording, the song was released in two more covers:
– "Giati (Warum)", Spyros Vlassis, Athens, December 14, 1933 (His Master's Voice 0T 1416-1 – AO 2083).
– "Giati (Warum)", Christina Efthymiadou – Columbia Orchestra conducted by Sosos Ioannidis, Athens, 1934 (Columbia W.G. 811 – D.G. 2015).
The Greek commercial musical score of the song was published in Athens, in 1933, by the Stefanos Gaitanos publishing house (see here).
Research and text: George Evangelou, 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 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”.
Tango is one of the main musical elements of the national identity of modern Argentina. It is born in the marginalized environment of the port of Buenos Aires, but soon conquers Europe and the USA, where it is carried by traveling Argentine musicians and dancers during the first decade of the 20th century. Its acceptance by the upper and middle classes was due to its transformation from a multicultural musical expression of the underworld to a dance-music one for whites, as well as to its thematic cleansing of its overtly sensual origins. Primarily marginal types and their provocative liminality are replaced by quaint figures who are possessed by unquenchable, but stylized love passions. This is how a “tamed” musical genre emerges that recalls a more romantic Argentina. Tango takes Parisian cabarets by storm, and its initially targeted popularity soon develops into widespread appeal. Record companies, composers and orchestras manage it as an integral part of their business. At the end of the 1920s and the beginning of the 1930s, Greece succumbs too to this “tangomania”. During the interwar period, tango has a central place in the repertoire of elafro (light music) and enriches discography’s catalogs with hundreds of original compositions which complement the systematic arrangements of popular pieces, mainly of European origin, “dressed” with Greek lyrics.
This recording includes an arrangement of the German song "Warum?" by P. Lesso-Valerio, a pseudonym of the German composer, lyricist, pianist and music publisher Erich Ewald Walter Plessow (Berlin, German Empire, November 25, 1899 - Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany, June 13, 1977). The Greek lyrics were written by Pol Menestrel (Giannis Chidiroglou).
The song became a great hit and was recorded many times in various formats, locations and languages. For example:
– "Warum? (Conchita)", Barnabás von Géczy and his orchestera – Robert Brake, Berlin, April 9, 1932 (Parlophon 113491 – B. 48194-I).
– "Warum (Conchita)", Paul Godwin Tanz-Orchester – Paul Dorn, Berlin, 1932 (Polydor 4924 BD VII – 24830-A).
– "Varför", Sven-Olof Sandberg – Waldimir's Orkester, Stockholm, 1932 (Odeon Sto 5128 – D2441 – Sa 255919 a).
– "Hvofor? (Warum)", Jens Warny med sit Orkester – Erik Bertner, Copenhagen, September 3, 1932 (His Master's Voice OPF 14-II – X 4001 / 30-9111).
– "To-night", Marek Weber and his orchestra, London, January 11,b1933 (His Master's Voice OB 4393-II – B. 6308).
– "Perché?", Pippo Barzizza e la sua Orchestra Blue Star, Milan, 1933 (Fonit 6123-B).
– "Bez słów", Chór Dana, Warsaw, 1933 (Syrena-Electro 23189 – 3954 και Melodia 23189 – 151).
– "Pourquoi quand je te dis je t'aime", Tino Rossi, Paris, 1934 (Columbia CL 4949 – DB 1659).
– "Warum küßt mich dein Mund so heiß?", Hans Rehmstedt mit seinem Orchester – Henriette Schäffler, Berlin, November 1940 (Columbia CR 710-2 – DW 4887).
In Greek historical discography, in addition to the present recording, the song was released in two more covers:
– "Giati (Warum)", Spyros Vlassis, Athens, December 14, 1933 (His Master's Voice 0T 1416-1 – AO 2083).
– "Giati (Warum)", Christina Efthymiadou – Columbia Orchestra conducted by Sosos Ioannidis, Athens, 1934 (Columbia W.G. 811 – D.G. 2015).
The Greek commercial musical score of the song was published in Athens, in 1933, by the Stefanos Gaitanos publishing house (see here).
Research and text: George Evangelou, Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
