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 is a medley that occupies both sides of the Odeon record. It comprises melodies found in Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray's collection "Trente mélodies populaires de Grèce et d'Orient", published in 1876 in Paris by Henry Lemoine et Cie. The collection includes transcriptions of thirty Greek songs collected by the French composer in Smyrna and Athens during his research trip to Greece and Asia Minor in 1875. The harmonization and piano accompaniment of the melodies were done by the composer himself (see in detail the extremely interesting text by Giorgos Kokkonis, 2017d: 13-47). These song were included in the play "O agapitikos tis voskopoulas" (The shepherdess’ lover). The play, one of the most popular theatrical works by Dimitrios Koromilas (1850–1898), appears to have been first performed in December 1891 at the "Verdis" theater in Constantinople by the touring Athenian troupe "Menandros", managed by the Tavoularis family (see Neologos newspaper, December 19, 1891, page 2 and Grigoriou, 2009: 16). The first publication of the play took place in 1900 in Constantinople, by N. G. Kefalidis’ printing house. The songs included on this side of the record and, respectively, the acts of the play and the heroes who sing them are the following:

– from 0′ 00″ to 0′ 52″ song number 13 [incipit: Astrapsen i Anatoli], Act One, Scene One. It is performed by the Vlach girls Tasoula, Katero, Despo, Rini, Leni.
– from 0′ 53″ to 1′ 51″ song number 11 [incipit: Pente chronia perpatousa], Act One, Scene Five. It is performed by Kroustallo and repeated by her in Scene Five of the Second Act.
– from 1′ 52″ to 2′ 32″ song number 22 [incipit: Ma ti to thel' i mana sou], Act Three, Scene One. It is performed by the entire troupe except for Mitros, Liakos and Kyra-Giannaina who are absent from the Scene.
– from 2′ 35″ to 3′ 05″ song number 30 entitled “To filima”, also known as “Mia voskopoula agapisa”, Act Two, Scene Ten. It is performed by Mitros.
– from 3′ 03″ to 3′ 38″ song number 23 [incipit: Potame, tzanem, potame mou], Act Three, Scene Eight. It is performed by Barba-Chronis and Giannos, Panagos, Manolis, Kostas, Leni, Despo, Rini, and Tasoula participate.

A musical score of the songs and musical tunes featured in the play, arranged for piano by Ange Pulher, was published in Constantinople in the early 20th century by the S. Christidis publishing house. It was titled "I voskopoula".

Based on the data, the play and its great success skyrocketed the popularity of the song "Mia voskopoula agapisa" (I loved a shepherdess). The song was part of the play and is still active even nowadays, mainly in the dimotiko (folk) repertoire. In this recording, at 02.33’, an instrumental version of the tune can be heard.

The song was recorded in historical discography, in Greece, in America, but also in Milan, and later transferred to the cinema, for the first time in 1932. It was included in various repertoires, high-status and popular ones.

– “I voskopoula (The shepherdess)", Dimitrios Karopoulos (Dhimítrios Karópoulos or Demetrio Caropulo), Gramophone 5532R – 12424, Milan, December 1902.
– "O agapitikos tis voskopoulas I & ΙΙ", Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Piraeus, Odeon GX 96 – 65074, Athens, 1907–1908, present recording.
– "To filima", Marios Lymperopoulos, Columbia 38482 – E 1256, New York, December 5, 1912.
– "Agapitikos tis voskopoulas", Charalampos Margelis (clarinet), Odeon GO 2778 – GA 7053, Athens, 1937.
– “Mia voskopoula agapisa", Dimitris Zachos, His Master's Voice 7XGA 893 – 7PG 2892, Athens, Febrouary 7, 1961.

Koromilas was inspired to write his play by a poem by Georgios Zalokostas (1805–1858) entitled "To filima" (The kiss). Zalokostas was born in Syrrako in Tzoumerka. He first published the poem probably in 1851. In any case, in 1853, it was included in issue 23 of the magazine "Efterpi" (p. 547), where under its title the following note can be read: «kata to Italikon» (according to the Italian) (see also Georgiadis, 2016: 160: footnote 11).

Timoleon Ampelas (1850–1929), poet and playwright, one of the founders of the "Parnassos" Literary Society, in an older text of his which seems to have been written after Zalokostas’ death, and which appeared in the pages of the newspaper Miniaia Eikonografimeni Atlantis (Monthly Illustrated Atlantis) of New York (June 1921 issue, p. 24), describes how Zalokostas copied and translated into Greek the poem of the Italian poet Giambattista Felice Zappi (1667–1719), from which "Filima" emerged.

Before the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896, similar games were organized, with funding from Evangelos Zappas (1800–1865). These games were not international. In 1875, during the third "Olympia", as they were named, apart from the sports competitions, others were announced, among them music composition competitions with poems given by the committee. One of these poems to be set to music was "Filima", by Zalokostas. Therefore, we can assume with relative certainty that the poem was set to music about 25 years after it had been written and before the writing of Koromilas’ play "O agapitikos tis voskopoulas" in 1890–1891 (for the "Olympia" and the music composition competition, see the Regulation of 1875 here).

However, what happened in the 1875 Olympia regarding the composition competition, but also in general regarding the famous melody of "To filima", is still unclear. As Giorgos Konstantzos informs us (2019: 295–296), "In Le Parnasse magazine of 15.3.1882, p. 9, R. Miles writes that he heard some works by Foscarina [Maria Foskarina Damaskinou] and he can not not comment on their beauty. [...] He also refers to Filima that was awarded at the Athens Olympic Games [...]". As Konstantzos informs us, Foskarina's score was lost.

In their book I elliniki mousiki stous Olympiakous Agones kai tis Olympiades (1858–1896) [Greek Music at the Olympic Games and the Olympiads (1858–1896)] (2004: 111–120) Kaiti Romanou, Maria Barmpaki and Fotis Mousoulidis have included the symphonic score-composition of Zalokostas' poem by Pavlos Carrer. The music has nothing to do with the famous melody.

On February 7, 1893, Odysseas Andreadis published a summary of the play in the magazine Neologou Evdomadiaia Epitheorisis (Neologos Weekly Review), issue 16, p. 315. In the title of the article the following can be read: "Verdis Theater – O Agapitikos tis Voskopoulas, romance in five acts, publisher Dim. Koromilas, music by Seiller".

Kostas Georgiadis (2004: 133: footnote 14), in his text entitled "I Anaviosi ton sygchronon Olympiakon Agonon" (The Revival of the Modern Olympic Games), precisely states: "1875 Olympia, Third Period, Athens 1878, p. 349, XV. The monetary award was won by Andreas Seiller, from Corfu, for his three music symphonies, two of which were military music, and for the various marches he had composed".

Was Andreas Seiller (1828–1903) the composer of the famous melody, who, among other things, won the competition at the 1875 Olympia after all? Was "Filima" one of his compositions that won the competition? If so, how the fact that Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray (1840–1910), while including the song in his famous collection, published in 1876, a year after the 1875 Olympia, not only did not mention the name of the composer but in his footnote, at the end of the score, clarified that: "This melody, which has the usual character of a European minor mode, attests to its Italian origin. We heard it being sung in Athens by many people, with variations. We owe the melodic version that we present here to Ms. Z. Baltatzi, who had harmonized it. We reproduce Mrs. Baltatzi’s harmony in our accompaniment"(Ducoudray, 1876: 85–87) can be explained?

The announcement of the play in Athens, in 1892, written in Efimerida (Newspaper), which was owned by Koromilas himself, probably complicates matters more: "Today, the dramatic romance by Mr. D. Koromilas premieres in the theater inside the Orphanidis Garden with the troupe of Mr. Tavoularis. […] The music, consisting of folk songs, was assembled by Mr. Seiller. The drama is preceded by a symphony" (Efimeris, May 30, 1892).

In any case, the tonality of E flat Minor, in which the musical score in Ducoudray’s collection is written, as we saw above, also appears in a commercial musical score of the time. This musical score has a cover entitled "Ellinikoi choroi kai dimodi tragoudia" (Greek dances and folk-like songs) (Konstantinidis music publishing house). The music text of the commercial score is closer to the performance by the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Piraeus.

Another commercial musical score, which on the cover is entitled "To Rinaki, I voskopoula, Ellinikoi choroi kai dimodi tragoudia" (Rinaki, The shepherdess, Greek dances and folk-like songs), contains the aforementioned transcriptions, arranged by Rigas Akritas (M. Gaitanos Music Publications). What stands out in this transcription is the third major chord, which is performed in the verse "kai tin agapisa poly" (and I loved her very much), something that we do not find in the previous two, and probably older than this one, recordings.

Once more, Z. Veloudios Publishing House published a transcription of the song, this time in the series "Syllogi ellinikon temachion dia violion i mandolinon – Anef lexeon" (Collection of Greek pieces for violin or mandolin – Without words). This specific musical score consisted of two transcriptions: "Fysa vorgia" and "I voskopoula". Both songs were included on one page. The name of Georgios Lampiris (1833–1889) is written under the title "Fysa vorgia".

Lampiris also appears as a composer in another transcription, which was dedicated, as it can be read on the cover, to Aikaterini Metaxa. This time, in this particular commercial musical score, which is probably the oldest of all, the title that appears is "To filima" (G. Colman’s lithography workshop). "Folk song" is written under the title. However, just below that the following is written: "Poetry by G. Zalokostas – Music by G. Lampiris". While it is a different melody, one can easily understand the very close affinity with Voskopoula’s well-known melody.

Finally, as far as the aspirant composers are concerned, it is worth mentioning the case of the first cinematic adaptation of the play, which took place in 1932. In the opening titles one can read: "Music by – D. Lavragkas". In the film adaptation (watch the movie here, information and synopsis here), in addition to the musical themes composed by Lavragkas, songs from Bourgault-Ducoudray's collection that were also heard in the theatrical performances, as well as folk songs, such as "O aetos", scholar creations, such as "O Gerodimos", and folk-like compositions, such as "Tsopanopoulo",  are included. Below is a detailed list of the songs in the order they appear in the film:

– Opening titles: song no. 30 from Bourgault-Ducoudray's collection entitled "To filima", also known as "Mia voskopoula agapisa", is featured in instrumental form. It is repeated as the main musical theme in various scenes of the film, including as a song from 4′ 08″ to 4′ 33″, and in the final scene.
– from 2′ 18″ to 3′ 08″: song no. 19 [incipit: Otan mou eipen eche 'geian] from Bourgault-Ducoudray’s collection.
– from 18′ 04″ to 18′ 57″: song no. 11 [incipit: Pente chronia perpatousa] from Bourgault-Ducoudray's collection. It is sung by Kroustallo, played by Nina Afentaki.
– from 27′ 07″ to 28′ 06″: song "Bate koritsia sto choro" (see examples here and here).
– from 30′ 18″ to 31′ 00″: song "O aetos" (see for example here).
– from 31′ 48″ to 32′ 50″: song no. 23 [incipit: Potame, tzanem, potame mou] from Bourgault-Ducoudray's collection. It is sung by Barba-Chronis, played by Michalis Vlachopoulos.
– from 32′ 55″ to 36′ 11″: song "Bate koritsia sto choro" (see examples here and here) is repeated.
– from 41′ 30″ to 45′ 08″: song "O Gerodimos" (see here). It is sung by Barba-Chronis, played by Michalis Vlachopoulos.
– from 47′ 11″ to 49′ 25″: song "Tsopanopoulo" (see for example here). It is sung by Liakos, played by Manos Katrakis.
– from 54′ 45″ to 55′ 06″: song no. 19 from Bourgault-Ducoudray’s collection is repeated. It is sung by Stathaina in the scene where it is revealed that she is Maro, Mitros’ beloved. The role is portrayed by Sofia Damoglou, also known as Sofia Dorival.

It is worth noting that the theatrical play "O agapitikos tis voskopoulas" was adapted for the cinema three more times under the same title. In 1955, it was directed by Ntimis (Dimitris) Dadiras with music by Margaritis Kastellis (see here and watch the film here). That same year, it was directed by Ntinos Dimopoulos with music by Takis Morakis (see here). In 1956, it was directed by Ilias Paraskevas with music by Athanasios Kokkinos (see here and watch the film here).

It is notable that both Kastellis and Kokkinos handled the music for their respective films in a manner similar to Lavragkas, incorporating songs from Bourgault-Ducoudray’s collection featured in the play, as well as folk or folk-like songs. For example, Kastellis, in addition to the melody of the song "Mia voskopoula agapisa", used and adapted melodies no. 11 (sung by Aliki Vougiouklaki in the role of Kroustallo, see here), 13, 23 and 19 from Bourgault-Ducoudray’s collection. The soundtrack is further enriched with the songs "Bate koritsia sto choro", "Arachova" and "Tsompanopoulo".

The play, along with the famous song, became very popular among the Jewish population. When the play was performed in 1895 in Smyrna by the "Menandros" troupe, the song was immediately translated into Ladino and was entitled "Una pastora yo ami". On March 12, 1903, students of the Alliance Israellitte Universelle performed the play "La chobana", that is, "The Shepherdess" (see also Nar 1997: 175–189). On March 10, 1906, the Jewish charity "Ozer Dalim" staged a play at the Sporting Theater under the title "El amante de la pastora". Christos Solomonidis (1954: 158) informs us that the Greek play was translated into Ladino by the "Smyrnaean Greek-educated Jew Kasser".

So far, the oldest recording of "Una pastora yo ami" that we have found comes from Gloria Levy's album "Sephardic Folk Songs", which was released in 1959 by Folkways Records (FW 8737). Levy was born in New York and her real name was Gloria DeVidas Kirchheimer. Her father, however, came from Smyrna, and her mother came from Alexandria, Egypt. In this recording, the song is entitled "La Pastora".

In 1940–1941, the German-Jewish composer Berthold Goldschmidt (Hamburg, January 18, 1903 – London, October 17, 1996) completed the "Greek Suite" for orchestra. The eight-movement suite consists of arrangements of Greek popular melodies, which come from the publication "Trente Melodies Populaires de Grece et d' Orient" by Louis Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray. In the fifth movement, that is, "Alegretto Grazioso" the composer combines the melody of "Voskopoula", number 30 in the Bourgault-Ducoudray's collection entitled "To fílima", with that of the untitled song number 20 (see here) which included on the other side of the record (see here). In addition, in the fourth movement, that is, Allegro marziale, he is based on another song heard in this recording, number 23 of the collection.

In 1965, the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre (Sagunto, November 22, 1901 – Madrid, July 6, 1999) completed his work "Cuatro canciones sefardíes" for piano and voice, which seems to have been released in 1968. One of these four Sephardic songs is "Una pastora yo ami".

In 1983, the Dutch composer Henk van Lijnschooten (The Hague, March 27, 1928 – Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, November 1, 2006) wrote the work "Suite on Greek love songs" for wind orchestra. The second of the four movements of the work, that is, Andante espressivo, is based on the melody of "Voskopoula".

Finally, we should note the cover of "The shepherdess (Boskopoula)" by the Welshman Donald Swann, who became more widely known for his participation in the British comedy duo Flanders and Swann. The song was recorded by tenor Jeffrey Cresswell in London on February 22–23, 1996, with orchestration and conducting by John Jansson. It is included  in the CD "The Isles of Greece" (The Divine Art 2-5010), a collection of music and songs composed and collected over a period of fifty years, from the time Swann lived in Greece as a member of the Friends Ambulance Unit (FAU), between 1944-46, until his last visit at the end of August 1992. The fruits of this long-standing relationship with Greece are his arrangements of Greek songs (see, for example here, here and here), his original compositions to the verses of Greek poets, such as Kostis Palamas (see here) and Ioannis Gryparis (see here), and the cycle of eight songs entitled "The Casos sonetts" to his own verses (see here and here).

Regarding the four other musical tunes included on this side of the record, the melodies no. 13 [incipit: Astrapsen i Anatoli], no. 11 [incipit: Pente chronia perpatousa] and no. 22 [incipit: Ma ti to thel' i mana sou] from Bourgault-Ducoudray’s collection have not been identified in any other recording in Greek historical discography. Contemporary recordings of these songs are included in the CD "Melodies tis anatolis, Tragoudia tis Smyrnis (19os aionas)” [Melodies of the East, Songs of Smyrna (19th century)] (The Hellenic Music Archive – FM Records – FM 800, Athens, 1997), which contains 20 of the melodies collected by Bourgault-Ducoudray, with different harmonic - rhythmic accompaniment and orchestration. The songs no. 13 and 22 are performed by Katerina Papadopoulou ("Astrapsen i Anatoli" and "Ma ti to thelei i mana sou" respectively), while the song number 11 is sung by Ourania Sinopoulou ("Pente chronia perpatousa").

Between June and August 1923, the English composer Rutland Boughton (Aylesbury, January 23, 1878 – Barnes, London, January 25, 1960) completed his String Quartet No. 1 in A Major "On Greek Folk Songs". This quartet was first performed on October 12, 1923, at the Aeolian Hall in London and reprised at the same venue on October 26. In the first of the four movements, Apollonian, the composer worked on melodies no. 5 and 13 from Bourgault-Ducoudray's collection. In the second movement, Dionysian, he used melody no. 12. In the third movement, Threnody, he adapted melody no. 19. The fourth and final movement, Aphrodisian, is based on the fifth musical tune from this recording, song mumber 23 [incipit: Potame, tzanem, potame mou] from Bourgault-Ducoudray's collection.

This melody appears in several recordings within Greek historical discography (see here for example).However, these recordings differ significantly from the present performance, which is based on Bourgault-Ducoudray's transcription.

Nikos Skalkottas will harmonize the melody and include it as the first piece in his "Tria ellinika dimotika tragoudia gia violi kai piano" (Three Greek folk songs for violin and piano, AK 60), a work he composed between 1942-1948. The collection features arrangements of the following songs:  I Potamos (I River). Andante. II O Olympos ki o Kissavos (Olympus and Kissavos). Lento a piacere, III Ainte koimisou kori mou (III Go sleep, my daughter). Andante. About sixty years later, in 2000, violinist Giorgos Demertzis and pianist Maria Asteriadou would record the work for the first time (see here) at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall. It was included in the CD "Nikos Skalkottas - Duos with violin" (BIS- BIS-CD-1204) released in 2002. A handwritten musical score of the work is uploaded to the Great Music Library of Greece "Lilian Voudouri", where the Nikos Skalkottas archive (see here) is kept (see here).

As mentioned earlier, the melody also features in the foreign scholar music repertoire, specifically in Berthold Goldschmidt’s "Greek Suite" and Rutland Boughton’s "String Quartet No. 1 in A Major 'On Greek Folk Songs'".

It is worth noting that is a recording titled “Voskopoula” in Greek historical discography, which is may be related to the theatrical play and share the same musical content as this recording. Besides the title, that recording, like this one, occupies both sides of the record. It was made in Constantinople, possibly in 1912, by the Orfeon Orchestra. The two sides of the record, which are titled “Voskopoula I” (Orfeon 214/10420) and “Voskopoula II” (Orfeon 214/10421). However, no audio material has yet been found.

Finally, we note two additional instrumental recordings with unknown content: the recording "Voskopoula", made in Constantinople in 1905 by the La Musique de Gramophone orchestra (Zonophone 487r – X-100022 and Gramophone 15-12554), and the recording "I Voskopoula, Symfonia", made in Athens in 1909 by the Athinaiki Orchistra [Athenian Orchestra] (Gramophone 13429b – 10882).

Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis