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| Gurdjieff, Tsabropoulos: Chants, Hymns and Dances | 
 enlarge | Creators: Thomas Gurdjieff Georges / De Hartmann, Vassilis Tsabropoulos, Anja Lechner
Label: ECM
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $10.99
You Save: $6.99 (39%)
Buy New/Used from $7.96
Avg. Customer Rating:  (17 reviews)
Sales Rank: 12468
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.7 x 5.2 x 0.6
MPN: 000303602
UPC: 602498196137
EAN: 0602498196137
ASIN: B0002ONC72
Release Date: September 28, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Chant from a Holy Book | | • | Bayaty | | • | Prayer | | • | Duduki | | • | Interlude I | | • | Trois Morceaux apres Hymnes Byzantins I | | • | Trois Morceaux apres Hymnes Byzantins II | | • | Trois Morceaux apres Hymnes Byzantins III | | • | Dance | | • | Chant | | • | Interlude II | | • | Assyrian Woman Mourners | | • | Armenian Song | | • | (No. 11) | | • | Womans Prayer | | • | Chant from a Holy Book, var. 1 |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Philosopher, seeker after the truth, reconciler of science and religion, teacher, guru to artists, writers and musicians, Gurdjieff was an enigmatic figure; even his birthdate is uncertain: 1866 or 1877. He taught movements "to alter or heighten consciousness" at his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, located outside Paris---a highly improvisatory process for which he composed equally improvisatory music. Technically untrained, he depended on skilled assistants to realize and write down his ideas, and found one in a devoted disciple: Ukranian pianist/composer Thomas de Hartmann, who selflessly suspended his own career and, after Gurdjieff's death in 1948, privately published and recorded some of their collaborations. As a composer, Gurdjieff, born at the border of Armenia and Turkey, was influenced by the region's ethnic and cultural diversity, by his childhood memories of the religious and philosophical songs improvised by his father, a Greek troubadour, by the hymns of the Greek Orthodox Church, and by his extensive travels through Europe and Asia. For this recording, the performers themselves arranged his compositions for cello and piano, adding five pieces by pianist Tsabropoulos, including three based on Byzantine hymns. Both players have been involved with Armenian, Ukranian and Greek Orthodox music; both are expert improvisers. Their strong feeling and affinity for the material allows them to approach it with both reverence and freedom; the playing is primarily subdued and inward. The piano texture ranges from delicate tinkling to full-blooded chords and arpeggios; the cello, playing mostly in the low and middle register, often in unison with the piano, sounds dark, warm and beautiful. The music, except for one lively dance, is slow, solemn, and mournful, in the minor mode. Melodies featuring oriental intervals are elaborated but not developed; based on single-note drones, harmonies are static or move in stepwise progressions but do not modulate. This lack of contrast and variety creates an otherworldly, disembodied atmosphere, despite several buildups of motion, dynamics, and intensity. --Edith Eisler
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| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 Compose yourself April 8, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff once said the following: "I have very good leather to sell to those who want to make themselves shoes." This splendidly uncanny and unfussy record, just one violoncello and one piano, clocks in at over 70 minutes and is emphatically my kind of leather. Boots for preference but I'll take these shoes any day of the week. Sustained, hypnotic and beguiling.
superb February 16, 2008
this kind of music it's only described as a superb... impossible to express in words... but it's not for everybody and not for every moment...
Beautifully Rendered Interpretation January 7, 2008
This CD is simply lovely. I read all the comments and was amused by the complaints of the "purests" who decried the interpretive take on Gurdjieff's music. I suppose they hate Jerry Mulligan's classic take on "My Funny Valentine" too. The rest of us just like beautiful music when we hear it. The complaints are particularly amusing since Hartmann...who transcribed Gurdjieff's music into notes on paper...complained that "G" never whistled the tunes the same way twice. So...? which version is the "true spirt" of the thing? This interpretation and the other pieces on the CD are perfect for a quiet, contemplative, rainy/snowy afternoon with a good book and hot cocoa at hand.
can't hum along...but gorgeous December 30, 2007
Heard a piece on xm radio & had to search a bit to find this album...but well worth it. One of my favorites- Russiany - minor keys - but gorgeous & even ethereal in parts. I leave it in the car for a treat when I have to drive.
Beautiful music! December 25, 2007
I played this music to friends of mine across culture and heritage and all fell in love immediately with the highly spiritual sounds of the album. I found my self instantly climbing on a long bridge following Gurdjeff and looking for remarkable people and continued to dance a highly spiritual dance in my imagination. What a bliss!
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