Dominique Vellard, one of the performers, composed three melodies for voice, oud, and santouri based on poems by Constantine P. Cavafy as a tribute to the rich heritage of ancient Greek, Sephardic, and Ottoman repertoires.
Historical Context
The 'Turkification' process in Asia Minor, crystallized by the Young Turk Revolution of 1908, culminated in the 1922 fire of Smyrna, marking the end of a multi-ethnic society.
Interpretation
The musicians based their Ottoman music repertoires on manuscripts by Dimitrie Cantemir and Ali Ufkî Bey, Sephardic songs on 20th-century transcriptions, and Greek traditional music on transcriptions from reference recordings.
Historical Context
Until the early 20th century, Smyrna was a cosmopolitan city in Asia Minor, a crossroads of diverse peoples, cultures, and ideas from the Balkans, Middle East, and Europe.
Interpretation
For this project, performers Ourania Lampropoulou and Dominique Vellard drew inspiration from the cultural diversity of Smyrna at the end of the 19th century, selecting music from Greek, Sephardic, and Ottoman traditions.
Album & Artwork
The album title, 'M'arrêter ici…' (Stopping here…), is suggested by the great Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy and recounts stories of Asia Minor communities seeking a place to end their wandering.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dominique Vellard's compositions, while inspired by his early music experience, do not fit into any neo-tonal or neo-modal aesthetic movement, but follow their own free path of expression.
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