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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 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”.
As it emerges from the musical score published in Athens by Georgios Fexis under the title "Asma ntistegke. Me vouala a nte kai nte xevgo kala t' ampe-se-nte" and number 746 (see here and musical score back cover with catalogue of George Fexis editions here), the song comes from the revue "Edo k' ekei" written by Polyvios Dimitrakopoulos - Georgios Tsokopoulos and set to music (mainly adaptation of foreign songs) by Alexandros Kyparissis. The revue was staged on August 1, 1905 by the Pantopoulos troupe at the Pantopoulos theater located, in the area of Syntagma, Athens.
Lyrics of the song with minor variations are found in Andr. Stavropoulos article "Oi typoi tis zois" (The types of life), which was published in the literary magazine "Mathitika grammata" (Athens, July 15, 1943, issue 1, pp. 7 & 14).
As Aikaterini Diakoumopoulou states (2009: 408) William Mozaris, the performer in this recording, participated in the revue "Lig' ap' ola" presented by Vrysoula Pantopoulou’s troupe at the Maxine Elliot's Theater, in New York, on March 29, 1933. In New York’s Greek newspaper Ethnikos Kiryx (January 26, 1933, p. 5), from where the above information comes, he is referred to as "the popular serenader and guitarist Mr. William Mozaris".
According to an ad in New York’s Greek newspaper Ethnikos Kiryx (March 29, 1933, p. 5), he also appeared in the operetta "Ta koritsia tis Athinas", which was presented, after postponement, on April 2, 1933, at the Lyric Theater by the troupe of the "Elliniki Mousiki Skini" (Greek Music Stage).
One of the few things we know about William Mozaris concerns his appearances with the Athenian Serenaders every weekend since November 12, 1932, at the Minerva restaurant on West 57th Street in New York (Ethnikos Kiryx, November 12, 1932, p. 5).
In America, where this recording took place, the “national” repertoires live a new, parallel life. This situation is not static and, to a large extent, is molded by discography, which attends to and “tunes” the overlapping relationships that have already developed in the “Old World”. Repertoires communicate with each other once again; a familiar and already dynamic condition in Europe.
The tune, which probably comes from the French repertoire, can also be found in the Russian historical discography. More specifically, in 1903 Minna Merci (Минна Мерси), nickname of Wilhelmina Kulganek (Вильгельмина Иосифовна Кульганек), recorded in Moscow the song "Five Turks" (Туров пять.) for Zonophone (1586z - X-63628).
In America, where this recording took place, the “national” repertoires live a new, parallel life. This situation is not static and, to a large extent, is molded by discography, which attends to and “tunes” the overlapping relationships that have already developed in the “Old World”. Repertoires communicate with each other once again; a familiar and already dynamic condition in Europe.
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”.
As it emerges from the musical score published in Athens by Georgios Fexis under the title "Asma ntistegke. Me vouala a nte kai nte xevgo kala t' ampe-se-nte" and number 746 (see here and musical score back cover with catalogue of George Fexis editions here), the song comes from the revue "Edo k' ekei" written by Polyvios Dimitrakopoulos - Georgios Tsokopoulos and set to music (mainly adaptation of foreign songs) by Alexandros Kyparissis. The revue was staged on August 1, 1905 by the Pantopoulos troupe at the Pantopoulos theater located, in the area of Syntagma, Athens.
Lyrics of the song with minor variations are found in Andr. Stavropoulos article "Oi typoi tis zois" (The types of life), which was published in the literary magazine "Mathitika grammata" (Athens, July 15, 1943, issue 1, pp. 7 & 14).
As Aikaterini Diakoumopoulou states (2009: 408) William Mozaris, the performer in this recording, participated in the revue "Lig' ap' ola" presented by Vrysoula Pantopoulou’s troupe at the Maxine Elliot's Theater, in New York, on March 29, 1933. In New York’s Greek newspaper Ethnikos Kiryx (January 26, 1933, p. 5), from where the above information comes, he is referred to as "the popular serenader and guitarist Mr. William Mozaris".
According to an ad in New York’s Greek newspaper Ethnikos Kiryx (March 29, 1933, p. 5), he also appeared in the operetta "Ta koritsia tis Athinas", which was presented, after postponement, on April 2, 1933, at the Lyric Theater by the troupe of the "Elliniki Mousiki Skini" (Greek Music Stage).
One of the few things we know about William Mozaris concerns his appearances with the Athenian Serenaders every weekend since November 12, 1932, at the Minerva restaurant on West 57th Street in New York (Ethnikos Kiryx, November 12, 1932, p. 5).
In America, where this recording took place, the “national” repertoires live a new, parallel life. This situation is not static and, to a large extent, is molded by discography, which attends to and “tunes” the overlapping relationships that have already developed in the “Old World”. Repertoires communicate with each other once again; a familiar and already dynamic condition in Europe.
The tune, which probably comes from the French repertoire, can also be found in the Russian historical discography. More specifically, in 1903 Minna Merci (Минна Мерси), nickname of Wilhelmina Kulganek (Вильгельмина Иосифовна Кульганек), recorded in Moscow the song "Five Turks" (Туров пять.) for Zonophone (1586z - X-63628).
In America, where this recording took place, the “national” repertoires live a new, parallel life. This situation is not static and, to a large extent, is molded by discography, which attends to and “tunes” the overlapping relationships that have already developed in the “Old World”. Repertoires communicate with each other once again; a familiar and already dynamic condition in Europe.
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
