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”.

Germany, in its current form, is one of the most newly founded states which emerged after the two great wars that changed the world. It was also, by far, the country with the strongest wave of philhellenism during the Greek revolution. It is no coincidence that the first king of the newly established Kingdom of Greece was the Bavarian prince Otto. The relations that developed between the two regions, from the time of the German Confederation, which replaced the former Holy Roman Empire in 1815, were very close. German-raised Greeks occupied key positions in Athens and played a key role in the policy drawn up by the state, both in cultural matters, and, more specifically, in those regarding music. Personalities such as Georgios Nazos, director of the Athens Conservatoire since 1891, and Manolis Kalomoiris, defined the attitude of the Greek intelligentsia and of the public towards the burning matters of the time, such as the “Music Issue”, the “National School”, ecclesiastical music and urban folk-popular realities. Regarding the latter, it is worth noting some entities that crossed the German borders and influenced other places, including Greece: The German operetta and the German cabaret, with Berlin as a reference point, where countless composers are active, including Oscar Strauss. The famous “Buntes Theater” (or “Überbrettl”), which starts its operation in 1901, following the model of the Chat Noir in Paris, is the epicenter of the city’s creative activity. It was from there that a special kind of music developed and was exported. By 1926, Berlin is home to a jazz community numbering 500 members and providing the environment for the mixing of various elements reaching the city even from America, such as, for example, the foxtrot. 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.

This recording is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the German song "Nimm dir die kleine", set to music by Willy Engel-Berger (Bonn, August 26, 1890 - Vienna, August 28, 1946) and lyrics by Fritz Grünbaum (Brünn, Austria-Hungary, April 7 1880 - Dachau concentration camp, January 14, 1941) and Fritz Löhner-Beda (Wildenschwert, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary, now Ústí nad Orlicí, Czech Republic, June 24, 1883 - Auschwitz III concentration camp, Monowitz, December 4, 1942).

The musical score of the song under the title "Spieldosen-Shimmy (Nimm dir die Kleine)" was published in Vienna, in 1921, by the Wiener Boheme Verlag publishing house.

It was probably first recorded by Jacques Rotter in Berlin, on September 29, 1922 (Favorite F-0459 / 31 876 - F 452-I & F 478-I).

In the same year, it was also recorded by the Romanian orchestra Danse orkeste of Nicu Vladescu, a nickname of Ioan Florescu (Joan Florescu).

It was also recorded by Paul O'Montis in Berlin, on June 26, 1928, for Odeon (Be 6968 - O-2655-A).

The Greek musical score, with lyrics by Giannis Prineas and under the title "Xypnitiri - Simmy", was published in Athens by the Gaitanos - Konstantinidis - Starr publishing house.

For the singer of the recording, Misailidis, see here.

Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis