Epirus ex.1
In Ex.1 is a style called skaros which is a Sephardic way of improvising or playing, leading into Cheimariotikos
Based on the thremmatology of songs of Epirus, the coexistence of pentatonic music mixing with the makams brought from either the byzantine music or the trade roots with the east and especially minor Asia and Istanbul or the Balkans, the music of Epirus has created its own special character. The melodies hidden in the landscape of Epirus are very different from those of the Aegean islands, Creta, or Peloponnese. This is due to the natural and built environment, but also because of the needs and history of the people leaving in each place and the tool of expression that music became for each place.
In this section, we will go through three music examples performed by the same instruments inside and outside Epirus, and try to spot differences and identify the reasons behind them.
Note that one could go deeper into the history of Epirus, Creta and the Aegean islands, and that would reveal even stronger reasons to how and why the music was created and what it served. We will for now base our observations on the music as it is presented in the examples above.
First, we will take the approach of observing the basic role of the instruments in the local music. Even though the instrument combination remains the same, in each tradition their roles seem to vary.
If we focus in the role of the lute, in all three examples the lute in the first part of each song has the same role. It accompanies and sets a solid steady and repetitive foundation for the violin to express freely, borrowing elements of the upcoming song to decorate the improvisation and wink in the direction the playing will progress. The idea of music improvisation in the introduction or within the song is a very common element in traditional music, even though often the framework and the rules differ.
Once we pass to the main part of the songs though, the role of the lute seems to be multifaceted:
In ex.1 the lute takes the role of the accompaniment of the main melody, while creating counter melody lines or melodic patterns based on chord progressions or chords analysis. This creates a very diverse and interlocking way of thinking behind the music. It reminds us in many cases of the function of polyphonic music as described in the end of section 5.1, from Michális Ganás.
The style is heavily ornamented but the spirit of the music remains authentic and straightforward while the swing of the rhythmic phrases makes the music heavy and full as if it echoes from a mountaintop.
In ex. 2 the lute also takes the role of the accompaniment of the main melody but in this case the phrases are played as tutti with the violin giving a solid and strong direction drawing from the might of the music and presenting it to the audience as such. Here the style is Doric and direct. The music must deliver a message and that becomes a purpose, leaving the listener with a feeling of unrest and power.
In ex.3 the lute accompanies the music in a different way. The way of following the melodic line is simplistic in terms of harmony and chord progressions, but makes sure to follow the main melody at every turn, and highlight every change and characteristic of the scales played in the modality of the song. There is the existence of ornamentation and analysis of the chords, but way scarcer than in ex.1 and ex.2. In this way the music remains uplifting, light and meaningful in a different way. It perhaps reminds one of the effect of a cool breeze close to the sea.
Let us now shift our focus to the role of the violin.
In ex.1 in the introductory part, the violin has a unique function of exploring improvisation through a combination of rhythmic patterns, with intense elements of repetition. The improvisation is based on a strict limitation of the number of notes on specific scales, creating a tension that will be later on released with an explosion of scale notes giving further direction, breaking the repetition and extending to the second or even third octave of the scale. As we hear in the polyphony here, there is the identification of specific stretched and visited degrees of the scale such as the 4th and the 7th in many cases. The phraseology is borrowed very often from nature both from the seen and the heard. Finally, passing to the main part of the song the role of violin becomes the leading melodic instrument with a swing that has to match very closely the one of the lute. The violin player apart from taking the main melody, has the obligation of ornamenting the melody in the same way introduced in the first part. Usually, the melodies are straight forward but if lacking the right ornamentation, the music will never sound the same.
The sources of this way of ornamenting can definitely be taught, but thrive and blossom through life experience and living in the environment in which the music was born.
In ex.2 the violin in the introduction part explores carefully all the notes of the scale, introducing them to the song. While painting with the notes, the violinist is careful not to give away too much information about the main melody. Passing in the main part, the violin takes up the main melody while being supported at parts, masterfully, by the lute. The heavily decorated melodic lines stop being simple due to the amount of continuous ornaments and the uplifting tempo gushes certainty, stability, solidarity and pride. Finally, we are witnessing the existence of one melodic line that works as an anchor point for the music. The players always faithfully visit it, touch base, and go as far from it as possible in terms of developing it, making sure, that there is always a safe way to reach back to it so that it resolves, clean and unaltered.
In ex.3 in the introductory part, the unravelling of the improvisation is slow and steady but rather heavy. This creates a beautiful contrast between the introduction and the main body of the song. Specific pulls make their intense appearance, borrowing the almost chanting style of Byzantine music while secularizing it with the phraseology of the east and the traditions of minor Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. There, every now and then, appear quicker variations in the improvisation and frequency alterations. The tone, though, remains the same throughout the improvisation. Passing to the main body of the song the creativity of the melody lines becomes apparent. Usually there are no more than two repetitions of each melody, with the second repetition having a different ending phrase. This constant movement of the melody in a very steady and calm movement provided by the swing is clearly affected by the movement of the sea.
It becomes apparent that even though the instruments are the same their use and the musical influences depend not only on the surrounding environment but in the everyday life realities of the players or the ones who developed the traditions locally, revealing the characteristics based on music ecology and sociology. Dimitris Skotis in his thesis ’’Η Διδακτική μέθοδος του λαούτου’’ – The teaching method of Lute, mentions that
‘‘An important cause, which we saw affects the two teachers in the way of teaching them, is their relationship with their place of origin as well and their capacity to constitute, one a musician of the periphery and the other musician of the urban center. (…) Everyone perceives sounds, music from the environment in which he grows and subconsciously makes them his property. The environment for what we are talking about is everyone's place, with the geographical approach and not only. We should not forget that the place, as a social construction, directly related to time, including those who are placed in it. Mainly at home but also from various social events we accept, in terms of music, musical stimuli of the local
repertoire.’’ (Skotis, 2008) This mention complements and explains the differences that we found between the previous examples and the way that the same instruments are played locally, but also where these differences derive from. Musicians from Epirus, Creta or the Aegean islands have completely different images in their everyday life, as well as different ways of life and life rhythms that are mainly dictated by their local realities.
5.2 The example of the specific use of instruments. Lute and violin. Same music, same scales, different feeling
Creta ex.2
In ex.2 we have a Chaniotiko that is played in Chania Crete from where it takes its name.