Ieratiki Poiisi

Poems by monks

op. 34, 2007

I. Metropolit Pergis Evangelos Galanis – until the end
II. Mönch Simeon Agioritis – late afternoon in the cell, 29-03-1997
III. Mönch Simeon Agioritis – midday in Thessaloniki, 02-06-1997

For Byzantine style psalm singer, piano, clarinet and string quartet
Duration: 14 min.

Commissioned by the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste
World premiere: 14 November 2007, as part of the series “Nationale Musikkulturen: Neue griechische Musik in München”, Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste, Munich. ensemble oktopus, voice: Panagiotis Andriopoulos, clarinet: Veaceslav Cernavca, conductor: Konstantia Gourzi

 

Composer’s notes

Composing is a way of connecting, combining and merging present and past, tradition and contemporary ideas. Ieratiki Poiisi is based on poems by the metropolitan bishop Pergis Evangelos Galanis from Konstantinopel and texts by the monk Simeon Agioritis from Mount Athos. This three-part composition creates atmosphere and tension for these verses and merges contrasting sounds. The voice of the Byzantine style psalm singer and the Eastern timbre of the traditional flute ney (instead of the original version with clarinet) are interwoven with the classical Western sound of string quartet and piano.

 

Press reviews

” (…) in der Uraufführung von Konstantia Gourzis ‘Ieratiki Poiisi’, drei Liedern nach mönchischen Texten für einen byzantinischen Psalmisten (Panagiotis Andriopoulos), Klarinette, Klavier und Streichquartett. Wie da das Holzblasinstrument (Veaceslav Cernavca) mit der Stimme verschmolz oder in einen engen Dialog eintrat, war von ganz eigenem, faszinierenden Reiz.”

Süddeutsche Zeitung, 20 November 2007

 

Score

CD

CD Konstantia Gourzi: Conjunctions – Synápsies
Konstantia Gourzi: Conjunctions – Synápsies

NEOS, 11035, 2010

Apollon Musagète Quartett, Vassilis Agrokostas, Michalis Cholevas, Christian Elsässer, Konstantia Gourzi