Neva
Özgen & Anatolia Ensemble
Zeybek & Sirtos - Music of the Aegean and Balkans
October 16, 2008 8:30 PM
Fundación
Tres Culturas, Sevilla,
Spain
Neva Özgen
- kemençe
Yurdal Tokcan - oud
Osman Ziyagil - vocals
Yelda Özgen Öztürk - violencello
Can Akin - percussion
Anatolia, is a musical ensemble,
which reflects forty years of an artist’s, Ihsan Özgen’s,
work and musical outlook. It is now led by his daughter, kemençe
player Neva Özgen. The artistic atmosphere, which is a mosaic
of different musical genres-stemming from one another and having
differences in the east and west has influenced the performance
of the general director and members of the group.
Different music genres which came existance
and grew in Anatolia are the basis of Anatolia Ensemble. It was
influenced by the fact that people who have migrated from the
Central Asia bringing in their penthatonic music, combined their
own music with those from Iran, Arabic countries, Byzantine, Balkan,
the Aegean and the Mediterranean, which resulted in new genres.
How does Anatolia make use of this rich
material? By introducing a new expression, by having its modern
polyphonic approach, within its unique performance and attitude
with dynamic profundity and improvisations are taken up as two
important groups. New sounds are being formed as well as rhythmic
and melodic changes in the revoicing process of anonymous works
oe works composed earlier. Sometimes a particular instrument is
in the foreground, the others are used to enrich the melody, using
vertical and horizontal pedals. The human voice is considered
as a musical instrument in the orchestra. Percussion is used like
the other instruments unlike the tradition to contribute to the
melody production. New versions of old songs are being made and
voiced by the director. In addition to this the work has got a
totally new sound, with the participation of musicians, having
their own interpretations. Taksims are known to be solo improvisations
made by an instrument or human voice. The solo improvisations
done by musicians are done chorally, in Anatolia thus, a new harmony
is born.
Program
Zeybek and Sirto are popular dance pieces
from Aegean Region and the Balkans. Zeybek is an anonymous piece
in slow tempo depicts epics and folkloric characteristics of Aegean
and usually in 9/4 tempo. Sirtos are faster in tempo (in 2/4).
They are also anonymous but we know some composers who wrote sirtos
as well.
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