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”.
This recording includes a song that was first recorded on wax cylinders by the Frenchman Hubert Pernot (see here) in the context of the scientific expeditions he carried out in the summers of 1898 and 1899 in the island of Chios.
About four years later, in 1903, in Paris, Ernest Leroux would publish the collection "Mélodies populaires grecques de l'île de Chio" (see here), which included 114 melodies (tunes and songs) from the recordings in Chios. The registration of the music on a staff was made by the French composer Paul Le Flem, the recording of the Greek lyrics and the supervision of the edition was done by Hubert Pernot, while the translation of the lyrics into French was undertaken by the Greek-born French musicologist and music critic Michel Dimitri Calvocoressi. In the edition, "Giaroumpi" is included on pp. 169-170 and is numbered 41. It is accompanied by a reference to the place of recording, Pyrghi, and the note "The song was recently imported from Smyrna. A version (piano and voice) was published in Athens by D. Lavridis" ["Cette chanson a été récemment importée de Smyrne. Une version (piano et chant) a été publiée à Athenes par D. Lavrìdis"]. It was sung by Kalliopi, 23 years old.
A little later, another Frenchman, the composer Maurice Ravel (Ciboure, France, March 7, 1875 - Paris, December 28, 1937) chose four melodies from the above collection, harmonized them and included them in the song cycle "Cinq mélodies populaires grecques" (Five Greek popular melodies). Among them is also included (as the last, fifth song to be heard) the song "Yaroubi" (Tout gai!). The songs, for voice and piano, were written between 1904 and 1906 and were published as musical scores by A. Durand & Fils in Paris in 1906 (see here). The other three recordings chosen by Ravel from the Hubert Pernot - Paul Le Flem edition are (in listening order): «Xypnise Petroperdika» (no. 74) / 1."Chanson de la Mariée", "Kato ston Agio Sidero" (no. 25) / 2. "Là-bas, vers l'église" and "Antzelos eisai matia mou" (no. 104) / 4. "Chanson des cueilleuses de lentisques". The fifth song (no. 3 among the songs) "Poios asikis san ki emena" / "Quel galant m'est comparable", comes from the collection "Ellinikai Dimotikai melodiai syllechtheisai kai synarmonistheisai ypo P. Matsa" (Greek dimotiko melodies collected and assembled by P. Matsas) published in Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1883 by A. Comendinger (see here, page 109).
In the magazine Pinakothiki (year ΙΒ, June-July 1912, issue 136-137, page 92, see here), there is a reference to the presentation of the songs in Strasbourg in 1912:
"A beautiful performance of Greek music was presented in Strasbourg by the lovely Indo-Dutch singer Mrs. Sorga [Mme Sorga], who rendered with unparalleled art and deep emotion most Greek dimotiko songs. In them is encapsulated the entire soul of the great Greece, this classical country of Light and Beauty.
'To tragoudi tis nymfis', 'Kato stin Ekklisia', 'Kapetan Vasiliki', 'Giaroumpi-giaroumpi', etc., all passive, but deeply dramatic love songs, like a distant mysterious voice, like the voice of the East speaking.
All these melodies harmonized by Ravel contributed immensely to the emergence of this unique artist, unique for her warm and fascinating voice, unique for her expression and for her Greek eminence, delicate features and fine stature.
Mrs. Sorga is no stranger to Athens, where she has had unprecedented success".
Concerning the recordings of the "Five Greek popular melodies", we should note the recording "Trois mélodies populaires grecques : Quel galant - Là bas vers l'église - Tout gai!" (Ultraphone 77219D - BP1435) made around 1935 in Paris by the baritone Pierre Bernac accompanied by Jean Doyen on the piano. It includes three of the five songs (nos. 2, 3 and 5), including "Giaroumpi-giaroumpi" (Tout gai!).
Also, on March 4, 1952, the mezzo-soprano Irma Kolasi, accompanied by Jacquelin Bonneau on the piano, recorded in Paris the "Cinq mélodies populaires grecques" in Greek (LP "Récital Irma Kolasi", Decca DRL 1165 - LX 3080).
However, the tune of "Giaroumpi" also inspired the Greek scholar composers. Marios Varvoglis (Brussels, April 26, 1883 - Athens, July 30, 1927) included the melody of the song in the symphonic sketch "To panigyri" (The feast), his first orchestral work, written in Paris in 1909 (Sakallieros, 2023). Of particular interest is the fact that the melody is rendered by a "prepared" piano (see here from 4′ 18″ to 4′ 43″).
As far as Greek historical discography is concerned, "Giaroumpi" seems to have been recorded for the first time on December 6, 1902 in Milan by the baritone Dimitrios Karopoulos (Dhimítrios Karópoulos or Demetrio Caropulo) with piano accompaniment (Gramophone 5538R – 12132).
In 1905-1906 it was recorded in Constantinople (Istanbul) by Estudiantina Thanou (Odeon c1213 – 16030).
In 1916 the Greek Artillery Band made in New York this recording (Columbia 43948 - E-2896).
About ten years later, in December 1925, Sotiris Stasinopoulos recorded in New York the song "Giaroumpi-giaroumpi" (Columbia 205572 – 56029-F). The orchestra consisted of Charlie Makedonas (Kostas Gkantinis), on the clarinet and Thanasis Zervas on the santouri.
Between 1930-1932 Vasilis Psamathianos with Giannis Kalaitzoglou band recorded in Constantinople the song "Giaroumpi" (Polydor BN1068 – V51117).
It was also recorded in 1933-1934 in Athens by M. Zafeiridis and Mrs. Manou as an arrangement by M. Tsamas (Minos Matsas) for Parlophone ("Giaroumpi", Parlophone 101425 – B.21721-II). An orchestral ensemble of mandolins under the direction of Nikos Statheros accompanied the singers.
In the late 1940s, a popular orchestra with Kostas Gkantinis on the clarinet recorded in the USA the instrumental song "Giaroumpi"(Standard 25053 – F-9083-B).
The tune can also be found in Jewish discography that was recorded in the USA. On March 27, 1916, Joseph Moskowitz (cimbalom) and Max Yussim (piano) made a recording in New York under the title "Medley of Greek songs" (Victor B-17393-1 - 67826-A). In addition to the melody we are examining here, which is listed on the label of the record as "Iarumbi", this selection includes the songs "Pai pai, pai, pai" (Paei, paei, paei) and "Elvero haralambi" (Ela vre Charalampi).
Finally, it should be noted that in the summer of 2022, 37 boxes containing the wax cylinders containing Pernot's recordings, which were thought to be lost, were discovered at the Musée d'ethnographie de Genève (Geneva Ethnography Museum). For more information, see here the article by Christophe Corbier, a researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Institute for Research in Musicology (IReMus) in Paris, and a member of the six-strong French team, Greek and Swiss researchers who have undertaken the task of studying the cylinders and their transmission to the general public, as well as here the announcement of the discovery of the recordings made in Chios by three members of the team, Dimitris Gianniodis, anthropologist, Christophe Corbier (see above) and Giorgos Kokkonis, musicologist - associate professor at the Department of Music Studies at the University of Ioannina.
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 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”.
This recording includes a song that was first recorded on wax cylinders by the Frenchman Hubert Pernot (see here) in the context of the scientific expeditions he carried out in the summers of 1898 and 1899 in the island of Chios.
About four years later, in 1903, in Paris, Ernest Leroux would publish the collection "Mélodies populaires grecques de l'île de Chio" (see here), which included 114 melodies (tunes and songs) from the recordings in Chios. The registration of the music on a staff was made by the French composer Paul Le Flem, the recording of the Greek lyrics and the supervision of the edition was done by Hubert Pernot, while the translation of the lyrics into French was undertaken by the Greek-born French musicologist and music critic Michel Dimitri Calvocoressi. In the edition, "Giaroumpi" is included on pp. 169-170 and is numbered 41. It is accompanied by a reference to the place of recording, Pyrghi, and the note "The song was recently imported from Smyrna. A version (piano and voice) was published in Athens by D. Lavridis" ["Cette chanson a été récemment importée de Smyrne. Une version (piano et chant) a été publiée à Athenes par D. Lavrìdis"]. It was sung by Kalliopi, 23 years old.
A little later, another Frenchman, the composer Maurice Ravel (Ciboure, France, March 7, 1875 - Paris, December 28, 1937) chose four melodies from the above collection, harmonized them and included them in the song cycle "Cinq mélodies populaires grecques" (Five Greek popular melodies). Among them is also included (as the last, fifth song to be heard) the song "Yaroubi" (Tout gai!). The songs, for voice and piano, were written between 1904 and 1906 and were published as musical scores by A. Durand & Fils in Paris in 1906 (see here). The other three recordings chosen by Ravel from the Hubert Pernot - Paul Le Flem edition are (in listening order): «Xypnise Petroperdika» (no. 74) / 1."Chanson de la Mariée", "Kato ston Agio Sidero" (no. 25) / 2. "Là-bas, vers l'église" and "Antzelos eisai matia mou" (no. 104) / 4. "Chanson des cueilleuses de lentisques". The fifth song (no. 3 among the songs) "Poios asikis san ki emena" / "Quel galant m'est comparable", comes from the collection "Ellinikai Dimotikai melodiai syllechtheisai kai synarmonistheisai ypo P. Matsa" (Greek dimotiko melodies collected and assembled by P. Matsas) published in Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1883 by A. Comendinger (see here, page 109).
In the magazine Pinakothiki (year ΙΒ, June-July 1912, issue 136-137, page 92, see here), there is a reference to the presentation of the songs in Strasbourg in 1912:
"A beautiful performance of Greek music was presented in Strasbourg by the lovely Indo-Dutch singer Mrs. Sorga [Mme Sorga], who rendered with unparalleled art and deep emotion most Greek dimotiko songs. In them is encapsulated the entire soul of the great Greece, this classical country of Light and Beauty.
'To tragoudi tis nymfis', 'Kato stin Ekklisia', 'Kapetan Vasiliki', 'Giaroumpi-giaroumpi', etc., all passive, but deeply dramatic love songs, like a distant mysterious voice, like the voice of the East speaking.
All these melodies harmonized by Ravel contributed immensely to the emergence of this unique artist, unique for her warm and fascinating voice, unique for her expression and for her Greek eminence, delicate features and fine stature.
Mrs. Sorga is no stranger to Athens, where she has had unprecedented success".
Concerning the recordings of the "Five Greek popular melodies", we should note the recording "Trois mélodies populaires grecques : Quel galant - Là bas vers l'église - Tout gai!" (Ultraphone 77219D - BP1435) made around 1935 in Paris by the baritone Pierre Bernac accompanied by Jean Doyen on the piano. It includes three of the five songs (nos. 2, 3 and 5), including "Giaroumpi-giaroumpi" (Tout gai!).
Also, on March 4, 1952, the mezzo-soprano Irma Kolasi, accompanied by Jacquelin Bonneau on the piano, recorded in Paris the "Cinq mélodies populaires grecques" in Greek (LP "Récital Irma Kolasi", Decca DRL 1165 - LX 3080).
However, the tune of "Giaroumpi" also inspired the Greek scholar composers. Marios Varvoglis (Brussels, April 26, 1883 - Athens, July 30, 1927) included the melody of the song in the symphonic sketch "To panigyri" (The feast), his first orchestral work, written in Paris in 1909 (Sakallieros, 2023). Of particular interest is the fact that the melody is rendered by a "prepared" piano (see here from 4′ 18″ to 4′ 43″).
As far as Greek historical discography is concerned, "Giaroumpi" seems to have been recorded for the first time on December 6, 1902 in Milan by the baritone Dimitrios Karopoulos (Dhimítrios Karópoulos or Demetrio Caropulo) with piano accompaniment (Gramophone 5538R – 12132).
In 1905-1906 it was recorded in Constantinople (Istanbul) by Estudiantina Thanou (Odeon c1213 – 16030).
In 1916 the Greek Artillery Band made in New York this recording (Columbia 43948 - E-2896).
About ten years later, in December 1925, Sotiris Stasinopoulos recorded in New York the song "Giaroumpi-giaroumpi" (Columbia 205572 – 56029-F). The orchestra consisted of Charlie Makedonas (Kostas Gkantinis), on the clarinet and Thanasis Zervas on the santouri.
Between 1930-1932 Vasilis Psamathianos with Giannis Kalaitzoglou band recorded in Constantinople the song "Giaroumpi" (Polydor BN1068 – V51117).
It was also recorded in 1933-1934 in Athens by M. Zafeiridis and Mrs. Manou as an arrangement by M. Tsamas (Minos Matsas) for Parlophone ("Giaroumpi", Parlophone 101425 – B.21721-II). An orchestral ensemble of mandolins under the direction of Nikos Statheros accompanied the singers.
In the late 1940s, a popular orchestra with Kostas Gkantinis on the clarinet recorded in the USA the instrumental song "Giaroumpi"(Standard 25053 – F-9083-B).
The tune can also be found in Jewish discography that was recorded in the USA. On March 27, 1916, Joseph Moskowitz (cimbalom) and Max Yussim (piano) made a recording in New York under the title "Medley of Greek songs" (Victor B-17393-1 - 67826-A). In addition to the melody we are examining here, which is listed on the label of the record as "Iarumbi", this selection includes the songs "Pai pai, pai, pai" (Paei, paei, paei) and "Elvero haralambi" (Ela vre Charalampi).
Finally, it should be noted that in the summer of 2022, 37 boxes containing the wax cylinders containing Pernot's recordings, which were thought to be lost, were discovered at the Musée d'ethnographie de Genève (Geneva Ethnography Museum). For more information, see here the article by Christophe Corbier, a researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Institute for Research in Musicology (IReMus) in Paris, and a member of the six-strong French team, Greek and Swiss researchers who have undertaken the task of studying the cylinders and their transmission to the general public, as well as here the announcement of the discovery of the recordings made in Chios by three members of the team, Dimitris Gianniodis, anthropologist, Christophe Corbier (see above) and Giorgos Kokkonis, musicologist - associate professor at the Department of Music Studies at the University of Ioannina.
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
![Sto steno dromaki [Chitarra]](https://kounadisomeka.aegean.gr/files/thumbnails/7354d0ce7e727fb8f7ee10d1cbcd9d96.jpg)
