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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”.
One of these fascinating networks concerns the Spanish world, which, through a variety of paths, meets the Greek one. A key chapter in this influence was the unparalleled international success achieved by a Spanish estudiantina in 1878 in Paris. Following its success, the band toured countless locations around the world. According to the sources, on February 28, 1886, the Spanish estudiantina gave a concert in Constantinople (Istanbul) and on April 26 and 29, 1886, in Athens (for the first Greek estudiantina, see Ordoulidis, 2021a: 88–100 and Ordoulidis, 2021b). The Spanish students mainstream the culture of semi-professional music bands, the culture of the banduria, the mandolin, the guitar, the “tuna”, that is, the street serenades, and the habanera. The latter follows a path that starts from the Afro-Cuban repertoires and ends up being appropriated by Greek musicians, finding its place even in the form of the manes (see, for example, the Smyrneiko minore (Smyrnaean minor), Gramophone 12574b). The network of the theater is a key environment for the circulation of music; and the relationship between the two (music-theater) is more than dynamic. 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, the performance practices: different instrumentation, different singing style, often differences in melodic and rhythmic forms and in the harmonies. Greek musicians adapt what they hear to their own condition, based on their own capabilities. In 1894, when the play of the then most popular zarzuela “La Gran Vía” was played for the first time, a new path that led to the appearance of the Athenian revue opened. Spanish songs started being adapted into Greek since then. 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 was not only embedded in this context, but played a key role in its transformation. 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-Spanish relations. Finally, we have time and time again stumbled upon songs whose creators were born in a different place, worked in another, and, in the end, met in a third location and created a new work, often inspired by something pre-existing. Undoubtedly, cases of this type demonstrate the complexity regarding the issues of ownership of works, but also the problem of applying national signs to musical creations.
The labes reads "Gran via - Barcarola", a title that refers to the famous Spanish zarzuela entitled "La Gran Vía". This renowned zarzuela, with music set by Federico Chueca and Joaquín Valverde and libretto by Felipe Pérez y González, premiered at the Teatro Felipe, in Madrid, on July 2, 1886.
An illustrative fact of the success of the zarzuela is that some of the songs, such as "Vals de El Caballero de Gracia" (Ariston 2024) and "Jota de los Ratas" (Ariston 2023), were released on a 33 cm and 24 hole perforated cardboard record, one of the first sound recording systems, but in fact a member of the large and historical family of mechanical musical instruments.
The first edition of the zarzuela's musical score was published in around 1886, in Madrid, by Pablo Martín.
The song from this particular recording, however, is not included in this version or in any of the surviving later versions or modern Spanish revivals of the zarzuela.
The musical score of this song, entitled "Serenata Marinaresca" and with Italian lyrics, as well as other excerpts from "La Gran Via", were published, probably for the first time in Greece, in the publication Mousiki Efimerida, in 1895. It is included in the third volume (pp. 499–502) of Thodoros Chatzipantazis’ and Lila Maraka’s book I Athinaiki Epitheorisi (1977). The musical score reads "Musica de Chueca V. Valverde".
The lyrics of the above musical score were found under the title "Marinaresca" in the Italian version of the libretto of the zarzuela, published in 1895 by the Stampata da B.C. a beneficio del zoppo Ferrarini publishing house, in Castelfranco Emilia, Modena, as well as in the same year, in Turin, by the Tipografia Origlia, Festa e Comp publishing house.
In the National Library of Spain, however, there is a musical score of the song entitled “El amor es la vida”. It was published in Madrid in 1871, fifteen years before the first presentation of the zarzuela, by Antonio Romero (Calc. de Mascardo). According to the above source, the song was set to music by the Spanish composer Gaspar Espinosa de los Monteros (Murcia 1836 - ? 1898) and lyrics by Manuel G. Domínguez.
The following recordings have so far been identified in historical discography:
- "El amor es la vida (de los Moteros)", Fernando Valero, London, June 16, 1903 (Gramophone & Typewriter 3926b – 52719)
- "El amor es la vida", Carlos Curti's Mexican Orchestra, New York, released on June 1906 (American Record Co. 031367).
A song with this title, for which no audio material has yet been found, was recorded in the USA before April 1899 by tenor Arthur B. Adamini for Berliner (Berliner 1244).
It was also recorded by the Quinteto Jordá on an Edison cylinder (Edison Gold Moulded Record 18780), in Mexico, and released in 1905.
It seems that at some point the song was incorporated into zarzuela performances, at least to some of those staged by Italian troupes, as this can be witnessed from the Italian libretto mentioned above. Besides, the Italian version of the musical score of the song is included, together with other musical scores, in the edition "Il teatro illustrato : ritratti di maestri ed artisti celebri, vedute e bozzetti di scene, disegni di teatri monumentali, costumi teatrali, ornamentazioni, ecc., ecc", which was published in 1881, in Milan, by the "Sonzogno" publications.
It remains unknown if the addition was made by the creators of "La Gran Via" or if it was incorporated on the initiative of the actors of the shows.
In any case, the version of the zarzuela presented for the first time in Greece in April 1894 by the Italian troupe "Gonzales", in the winter Theater of Comedy in Athens, starring the sopranos Annita (Nina) d'Agostini and Tecla Cordové, included the song. As Manolis Seiragakis pointed out to us, Barcarola was a great success in the theaters of Athens, since it was the first element of the zarzuela that was copied and immediately heard in other theaters in an independent manner. In general, the shows excited the Athenian audience and met huge success, stimulating developments for the appearance of a new theatrical genre, that of the Athenian revue (see also Maraka, 2000).
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”.
One of these fascinating networks concerns the Spanish world, which, through a variety of paths, meets the Greek one. A key chapter in this influence was the unparalleled international success achieved by a Spanish estudiantina in 1878 in Paris. Following its success, the band toured countless locations around the world. According to the sources, on February 28, 1886, the Spanish estudiantina gave a concert in Constantinople (Istanbul) and on April 26 and 29, 1886, in Athens (for the first Greek estudiantina, see Ordoulidis, 2021a: 88–100 and Ordoulidis, 2021b). The Spanish students mainstream the culture of semi-professional music bands, the culture of the banduria, the mandolin, the guitar, the “tuna”, that is, the street serenades, and the habanera. The latter follows a path that starts from the Afro-Cuban repertoires and ends up being appropriated by Greek musicians, finding its place even in the form of the manes (see, for example, the Smyrneiko minore (Smyrnaean minor), Gramophone 12574b). The network of the theater is a key environment for the circulation of music; and the relationship between the two (music-theater) is more than dynamic. 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, the performance practices: different instrumentation, different singing style, often differences in melodic and rhythmic forms and in the harmonies. Greek musicians adapt what they hear to their own condition, based on their own capabilities. In 1894, when the play of the then most popular zarzuela “La Gran Vía” was played for the first time, a new path that led to the appearance of the Athenian revue opened. Spanish songs started being adapted into Greek since then. 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 was not only embedded in this context, but played a key role in its transformation. 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-Spanish relations. Finally, we have time and time again stumbled upon songs whose creators were born in a different place, worked in another, and, in the end, met in a third location and created a new work, often inspired by something pre-existing. Undoubtedly, cases of this type demonstrate the complexity regarding the issues of ownership of works, but also the problem of applying national signs to musical creations.
The labes reads "Gran via - Barcarola", a title that refers to the famous Spanish zarzuela entitled "La Gran Vía". This renowned zarzuela, with music set by Federico Chueca and Joaquín Valverde and libretto by Felipe Pérez y González, premiered at the Teatro Felipe, in Madrid, on July 2, 1886.
An illustrative fact of the success of the zarzuela is that some of the songs, such as "Vals de El Caballero de Gracia" (Ariston 2024) and "Jota de los Ratas" (Ariston 2023), were released on a 33 cm and 24 hole perforated cardboard record, one of the first sound recording systems, but in fact a member of the large and historical family of mechanical musical instruments.
The first edition of the zarzuela's musical score was published in around 1886, in Madrid, by Pablo Martín.
The song from this particular recording, however, is not included in this version or in any of the surviving later versions or modern Spanish revivals of the zarzuela.
The musical score of this song, entitled "Serenata Marinaresca" and with Italian lyrics, as well as other excerpts from "La Gran Via", were published, probably for the first time in Greece, in the publication Mousiki Efimerida, in 1895. It is included in the third volume (pp. 499–502) of Thodoros Chatzipantazis’ and Lila Maraka’s book I Athinaiki Epitheorisi (1977). The musical score reads "Musica de Chueca V. Valverde".
The lyrics of the above musical score were found under the title "Marinaresca" in the Italian version of the libretto of the zarzuela, published in 1895 by the Stampata da B.C. a beneficio del zoppo Ferrarini publishing house, in Castelfranco Emilia, Modena, as well as in the same year, in Turin, by the Tipografia Origlia, Festa e Comp publishing house.
In the National Library of Spain, however, there is a musical score of the song entitled “El amor es la vida”. It was published in Madrid in 1871, fifteen years before the first presentation of the zarzuela, by Antonio Romero (Calc. de Mascardo). According to the above source, the song was set to music by the Spanish composer Gaspar Espinosa de los Monteros (Murcia 1836 - ? 1898) and lyrics by Manuel G. Domínguez.
The following recordings have so far been identified in historical discography:
- "El amor es la vida (de los Moteros)", Fernando Valero, London, June 16, 1903 (Gramophone & Typewriter 3926b – 52719)
- "El amor es la vida", Carlos Curti's Mexican Orchestra, New York, released on June 1906 (American Record Co. 031367).
A song with this title, for which no audio material has yet been found, was recorded in the USA before April 1899 by tenor Arthur B. Adamini for Berliner (Berliner 1244).
It was also recorded by the Quinteto Jordá on an Edison cylinder (Edison Gold Moulded Record 18780), in Mexico, and released in 1905.
It seems that at some point the song was incorporated into zarzuela performances, at least to some of those staged by Italian troupes, as this can be witnessed from the Italian libretto mentioned above. Besides, the Italian version of the musical score of the song is included, together with other musical scores, in the edition "Il teatro illustrato : ritratti di maestri ed artisti celebri, vedute e bozzetti di scene, disegni di teatri monumentali, costumi teatrali, ornamentazioni, ecc., ecc", which was published in 1881, in Milan, by the "Sonzogno" publications.
It remains unknown if the addition was made by the creators of "La Gran Via" or if it was incorporated on the initiative of the actors of the shows.
In any case, the version of the zarzuela presented for the first time in Greece in April 1894 by the Italian troupe "Gonzales", in the winter Theater of Comedy in Athens, starring the sopranos Annita (Nina) d'Agostini and Tecla Cordové, included the song. As Manolis Seiragakis pointed out to us, Barcarola was a great success in the theaters of Athens, since it was the first element of the zarzuela that was copied and immediately heard in other theaters in an independent manner. In general, the shows excited the Athenian audience and met huge success, stimulating developments for the appearance of a new theatrical genre, that of the Athenian revue (see also Maraka, 2000).
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
