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.

This is an excerpt from an unidentified, so far, music revue. This particular song is a Greek adaptation of the Spanish song "Sevillanas", which comes from the one-act zarzuela "Torear por lo fino", set to music by Isidoro Hernández and libretto by Don Francisco Macarro. The zarzuela "Torear por lo fino" premiered at the Teatro Eslava in Madrid on May 19, 1881. The song "Sevillanas" seems to have been originally recorded by the baritone Aineto in Paris in 1902 (Gramophone 905 – 62705 & X-52017) and on April 22, 1902 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Antonio Vargas (Victor [Pre-matrix-A] 1365 – 1365). On August 24, 1906 recorded in New York by the baritone Señor Rivero [Carlos Cáceres] (Victor B-3747 – 4954 και 62359).

Regarding this recording and Panagis Svoronos who is participating, Katerina D. Diakoumopoulou states (2011: 45): "The baritone [Panagis] Svoronos, immediately after the end of his adventures, founded the troupe 'Athinaiki opereta', with soprano Lina Dorou, tenor Vasilis Samourakis, secondo M. Christou, mezzo-soprano Vasiliki Drosou and conductor Diomidis Avlonitis. Greek-American actors, who lived in New York for many years, also collaborated with them. In the following two years, 1928–1930, Svoronos’ operetta troupe, thanks to Lina Dorou, achieved great artistic and financial success, rightfully making themselves the most important Greek-American troupe".

Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis