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It was the twilight of The Bronze Age and The Dawn of The Iron Age when this story began. In fact, The Bronze Age was already past, remained only in memories of some people. And it was like a fairytale, as twilight colours mixed with the dawn of new age, so our fairytale layed watercolours, picture of love between young ladies and Prince or King, gods and goddess, roses...
This is the subject of the project I created - "LOVE and SACRED" - there are three of my compositions based on/ related to Love.
The first composition, Doina, is a short old authentic Romanian-style solo piece for wind instrument (versions for flute or clarinet mostly, but for bassoon too). The original pieces (always for solo voice or solo instrument) are very lyrical, melismatic modal melodies performed by shepherds, for instance. Composed in 2007, it was awarded and performed in 8 major international festivals (in UK, Czechia, Romania, Austria several times etc), the performer uses different timbral and technics colours during the performance.
The second work of the project, "Πέντε λυρικὰ καὶ μυστικὰ ποιήματα" - Five Lyrical and Mystical Poems (few of Sappho' s poems) was composed between December 2021 and July 2022, only few months after I completed שיר השירים, Shir HaShirim. The work, composed for soprano, harp and three percussionists (vibrafono; crotali; triangolo, tam-tam grande and gran cassa) intend to bring back to life a magical world from Sappho' s time. The imagination runs free - as the music itself SEEMS to be freely improvisational, but, in fact, I used a strict and clear notation, as I did in previous Doina. Even Sappho herself consider poems being performed by voice accompanied by harp only, I dared to add percussion (for timbral colours mostly - percussion alone or in combination with harp), very-very few places uses percussion to emphasize dramatism effect.
During compositional process I respected some mathematical rules as well, certain proportions were architectural created - but only serving/ co-operating with Music, with Art. So, in this composition, Terpsichore, Erato, Calliope and sacred Polymnia chants and dances were painted in watercolour with discretion. It was not my intention to re-create the way of recitation or chant style as was in Sappho' s time, but enter through a temporal gate into real-mythological world of Levant, thousands years ago, painting Sappho, Aphrodite and others in Eolian dialect.
Another gate to an older time was open to let us meet King Solomon and Sulamit. Considered to be written by King Solomon himself, שיר השירים /Shir HaShirim - Song of Songs, part of Ketuvim/ Writings. In 1st-2nd centuries AD, Rabbi Akiva from third generation of tanaim considered Shir HaShirim the most sacred text of the Bible. Besides the (so beautiful !) love poetry, related to Egyptian and Mesopotamian love poetry, there are other several layers in this texts as well.
Many scholars consider there is hieros gamos allegorical described under the literary layer, and I wouldn't say it isn't ! After years working on this text I would agree with this opinion, considering - as I mentioned written above - some other hidden layers under the literary and allegorical ones. I could be wrong. Or not.
Like the apples of gold...
The musical structure was build based on text microstructures, internal rhymes, rhythms and so on. It is the first-ever version of a composition using the entirely biblical Hebrew texts of Song of Songs. The instruments used (tenor as King Solomon and soprano as Sulamit, three wind instruments - flute, clarinet, bassoon, harp and three percussionists) are all mentioned in Bible or closely to them.
There is a clear melodic influence from old synagogal chants (more to speak about...). I will not go deep explaining the compositional process. I will only mention the music not only follows the text, but very closely the text and music co-operate on this sacred journey, creating an atmosphere of sacrality - or intended to.
I haven't approached this text in a profane, "legere" way, but with deep respect, looking deep on different meanings. As I very carefully noted each syllable, note, or even appogiatura or group of appogiaturas, or melodic microintervals sometimes, very carefully combined two up to seven instruments - in hights, intervals or timbral colours, I very seriously and clearly mentioned that either שיר השירים or Πέντε λυρικὰ καὶ μυστικὰ ποιήματα will never be performed in other ensemble/ orchestral formula (or piano reduction !) than the arrangement mentioned in musical score.
Not only the piano, violins or full orchestra etc haven't existed 2500-3000 years ago, but also the combination of very few timbral colours were so carefully selected during the work on this composition of Shir HaShirim, between 2009 and 2021. Changing anything could/would be a sort of blasphemy.
The composition was performed in London and Bucharest, but the "real" premiere took place in 2021 during International Theatre Festival Sibiu, being one of most watched online events from more than 500.
Performed again in Bucharest in May 2022, live streaming, was watched online by people from all continents, being highly appreciated by top scholars, musicians or music lovers.
All works were/are performed by "Migdal Ensemble" which I created especially for this project, bringing together some of best Romanian performers.
Last but not least, may I, please, express my gratitude to all my respected and good friends, top scholars and authors worldwide, who so kindly supported me during this project, clarifying aspects of texts in biblical Hebrew or in old Greek.
Also my deepest gratitude to my parents, both of them professors and styled humans who educated and supported me in the cultural journey, in a world of colours and watercolours.
Ploiești, Romania
2022, December 6th
Laurențiu Ganea, member of Romanian Composer's Union/ symphonic dept, graduated Musical Theory Faculty in Bucharest (1992-1997), National Music University, composition class (1996-2001), Master of Arts (Anthropology of sacred space at National Architecture University "Ion Mincu" 2002-2004), post masteral on Conservation of Cultural Heritage, 2013... and others.
SPRS, KCCH.