The Rustavi Ensemble - Artistic Director Anzor Erkomaishvili – Georgian Folk Songs – Melodiya C30 29783 005, recorded in 1978 and 1988 (LP)
Vocal polyphony is part of the very fabric of Georgian rural culture, performed during supra feasts, funerals, healings and weddings; occasions in which the entire community participates.
The Rustavi Ensemble was created by Anzor Erkomaishvili in 1968 to preserve these rich vocal polyphonic traditions. The men’s choir includes notable singers from many regions of Georgia and presents these brilliant harmonies on concert stages in Georgia and throughout the world to highlight the universality and timeless beauty of this great musical heritage.
This LP presents enthralling harmonies, ranging from the melodious to the dissonant and abstract, in an engaging program featuring elements specific to regional styles, like the use of Western Georgian yodelling (B6) and haunting drone-like singing (A4) with Eastern Georgian influences.
La polyphonie vocale, qui est au coeur même de la culture rurale géorgienne, est chantée à l’occasion de banquets traditionnels supra, de mariages, de funérailles, ou de rites de guérison, au cours desquels toute la communauté participe.
L'ensemble Rustavi a été créé par Anzor Erkomaishvili en 1968 afin de préserver ces riches traditions vocales. Ce coeur d’hommes, qui comprend de formidables chanteurs issus de différentes régions de la Géorgie, présente ces harmonies polyphoniques brillantes sur scène en Géorgie et dans le monde pour mettre en avant l'universalité et la beauté intemporelle de ce patrimoine musical.
Cet album présente des harmonies fascinantes, allant du mélodieux au dissonant et à l’abstrait, dans un programme musical varié comprenant des éléments stylistiques régionaux, comme l’utilisation du yodel en provenance de l’ouest (B6) et l’utilisation d’un bourdon lancinant (A4) en provenance de l’est du pays.
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Many thanks Christian for sharing this wonderful album.
The photographs below are from The Music of Georgia BM 30 L 2025 (LP):
Group of instrumentalists and dancers - Georgian miniature, 13th century
Group of singers, Adjaria
Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I got introduced to Georgian polyphonic music thanks to an incredibly beautiful and haunting scene from Werner Herzog's 179 film "Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht", which features a rendition of "Tsintskaro" by male vocal ensemble Gordela. It took me years to track down that recording, and during this hunt I happily discovered the inimitable Hamlet Gonashvili and his ensemble Rustavi. Recently, I've been lucky to attend a very intimate and powerful concert of Iberi Choir, a Georgian ensemble touring the world these days. Check them out if you can. It's wonderful to experiecne this unique kind of music live.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the story behind your connection to this music. I'll have to get a hold of the Nosferatu soundtrack and listen to the Gordela track which I missed (I'm just stuck on Murnau's fantastic 1922 version of Nosferatu). I haven't been to a concert of traditional music in a while, so your idea of going to a performance of a Georgian vocal ensemble is an excellent one.
DeleteMurnau's Nosferatu is fantastic, indeed. The mother of all versions :)
DeleteIt turns out that the Herzog scene I mentioned is on Youtube: https://youtu.be/JdzHAKPV7dk
Oddly / unfortunately, the Gordela track is not on the soundtrack. But there are some LPs around (mosty on the Melodiya label). I have an LP rip somewhere and would be happy to send it to you, if you like.
I just saw the interesting scene you sent me with the Gordela music which brought back some memories of the film I saw when it was released in 1979.
DeleteI plan to post a beautiful three-LP Georgian anthology on the Melodiya label in the future.
In the meantime, I would love to listen to the rip you have. Perhaps you can contact me directly: music.republic.project@gmail.com
Soothing..
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