GEORG GRATZER AND AMRIDAN - CD ALBA

Popis - ALBA:
Through the music on this album I want to share my musical journeys, my experiences, the stories I was told, the continuous search for new sounds and instruments and the innumerable encounters with inspiring people all around the globe. The word Alba is of Italian and Spanish origin and means ‘dawn’ or ‘the morning of the world’. I actually chose it as the album title because I like the meaning and it feels nice saying it: Alba! Amridan is named after the Sanskrit word ‘Amrita’, the divine elixir of life. 1. Miguel (by Georg Gratzer) Georg Gratzer: Zampo?a l Alto Flute l Soprano Saxophone l Aymara Sound Samples Thomas Mauerhofer: Electric Guitar l Electric Bass Raul Sengupta: Tabla l Percussion This song was composed in 2007 at the Lake Titica in Peru. On my way there leaving Bolivia by bus I met a man called Miguel. He belongs to the aboriginal group called Aymara and invited me to a local traditional festival in the area of the so called ‘Altiplano’. 96 ensembles with 150 musicians and dancers each gather once a year to celebrate their culture. The most outstanding performance is rewarded with a breeding bull for the winner’s village. The Zampo?a is the traditional double rowed panflute from the Andes. On this track it is set into a different musical context. Well, this is what we actually always do with traditional instruments! 2. Banyan (Music by Georg Gratzer l Words by Hina Sarojini) Hina Sarojini: Tamil Talking Georg Gratzer: Dizi Thomas Mauerhofer: Electric Guitar l Electric Bass Raul Sengupta: Percussion Georg Ludvik: Cello Roland Wesp: Piano The language used in this song is called Tamil and is predominantly spoken by Tamil people of South India and North-east Sri Lanka. This is the translation of the words written and spoken by our Singaporean dancer Hina Sarojini: “Come to merge and melt with my soul. come to me as music, understanding my silence. come in the form of blue - green to refresh my eyes. come as a smile caressing the corner of my lips. come to see me, come to see yourself in me, come” The Banyan tree is considered sacred. The flute playing Hindu God Lord Krishna finds his resting place on its leaf and Buddha is believed to have achieved enlightenment while meditating under a Banyan tree. It was in China in 2002 when I saw for the first time a Banyan tree with its roots hanging down, melting with the ground and making one tree appear like a little forest. I composed and recorded this song on the Chinese bamboo flute Dizi. 3. Alap for Karuna (Improvisation) Georg Gratzer: Bansuri Klemens Bittmann: Violin In Indian classical music all melodic aspects are defined by the Raga. Each Raga uses a series of five or more musical notes creating its own character and mood. Since there is no harmonic structure for the melodic lines the wholeness of a Raga can only be expressed through a unique way of tuning each note and melody. The Alap is an melodic improvisation at the beginning of each Indian classical music performance. By introducing each overtone resonance very slowly it builds up the essence of the Raga. The Bansuri is a transverse flute of India made from a single hollow shaft of bamboo with seven finger holes. Alap for Karuna is inspired by the ancient North Indian singing style Dhrupad. 4. Karuna (by Klemens Bittmann & Georg Gratzer) Georg Gratzer: Bansuri Klemens Bittmann: Violin Raul Sengupta: Tabla In Buddhism and Jainism Karuna is a part of the spiritual path. It is generally translated as compassion or sympathy which makes it fit for this piece of World-Chamber-Music! 5. Aymara (Traditional l Arrangement by Berndt Luef) Georg Gratzer: Zampo?a l Alto Flute Thomas Mauerhofer: Acoustic Guitar l Electric Bass Raul Sengupta: Tabla l Percussion The indigenous ethnic group called Aymara lived in the Altiplano region of South America for many centuries before becoming a subject people of the Inca, and later of the Spanish in the 16th century. With the Spanish American Wars of Independence (1810-1825) Aymaras became subjects of Bolivia and Peru. Followed by a war between Chile and Peru (1879-1883) Chile gains one of the Aymaran populations. The melody of this song draws from a traditional Aymara folk song arranged for all of us by my friend Berndt Luef. I believe it sums up both the joy and pain of the history these tribes went through. 6. Chazcon (by Georg Gratzer) Georg Gratzer: Soprano Saxophone l Flanett l Vocals Thomas Mauerhofer: Electric & Acoustic Guitars l Electric Bass Raul Sengupta: Tabla l Percussion Chazcon is a chilean slang word describing somebody's superficial appearance. This song is one possible way of painting a picture about the special kind of quietness and silence existing between people, who are rushing around in the big cities of India and South America trying to play for time. 7. DAR (by Georg Gratzer) Georg Gratzer: Clarinet Raul Sengupta: Frame Drum DAR is dedicated to Djivan Gasparyan, the Master of the Armenian double reed woodwind instrument called Duduk. 8. My Song (by Keith Jarrett) Georg Gratzer: Soprano Saxophone Thomas Mauerhofer: Spanish Guitar There are four songs on this album in a duo constellation, because I just love to play a woodwind instrument in a direct musical dialogue with another musician. This stunning composition by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett features Thomas on his father’s Spanish Guitar. 9. Alba (by Georg Gratzer) Georg Gratzer: Flanett Georg Ludvik: Cello Raul Sengupta: Percussion Being driven by a constant search for new sounds, new musical settings and new instruments it came into to my mind to put the neck of my Alto Saxophone from the 1920’s on a silver flute with a removed headjoint. Because of different Saxophone measurements 90 years ago I was surprised that it fitted perfectly without the need to use gaffa tape. It was such a pleasure to record with the newly invented instrument that I named ‘Flanett’ interacting within this wide-string-space created by the Austrian cellist Georg Ludvik. The word Alba is of Italian and Spanish origin and means ‘dawn’ or ‘the morning of the world'. In Spanish poetry it also describes the longing of lovers, who must separate for fear of being discovered after a night of forbidden love. As you may have already read, I actually chose it as the album title because I like the original meaning and it feels nice saying it: Alba! 10. Tarishad (by Georg Gratzer) Georg Gratzer: Bass Clarinet l Alto Flute Thomas Mauerhofer: Electric Guitar l Eletric Bass Raul Sengupta: Tabla l Kanjira l Percussion In Bengali language ‘taratari shad’ means ‘fast seven’. Focusing on rhythmic elements Tarishad features Raul Sengupta on the Tabla and Kanjira. Many years ago he was the one, who originally introduced me to Indian classical music. 11. Anubis 1st Movement (by Georg Gratzer) Georg Gratzer: Soprano Saxophone Georg Ludvik: Cello In early Egyptian myths Anubis is one of the four sons of Ra, the ancient Egyptian solar deity. The melodic motif of this song is based on a so called ‘sigh motif’. The Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) used it as one of his expressive innovations and it became a characteristic element in his Sonatas. Just lay down on your wings of imagination and listen! 12. Anubis 2nd Movement (by Georg Gratzer) Georg Gratzer: Soprano Saxophone Thomas Mauerhofer: Electric Bottleneck Guitar Georg Ludvik: Cello Christian Wendt: Upright Bass I composed the 1st & 2nd Movement of Anubis saying “Thank You!” to my parents for enabling me to grow up in an environment full of music, art and love. Thanks to my wife María José, to my sister, brother, parents and grandparents, to my family in Chile, to the musicians who so graciously consented to join this album’s journey and to all the people who crossed my path.