CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS

Saturday, October 2o, 2012, 8pm First Congregational Church Ensemble Basiani

George Donadze, Gela Donadze, Zviad Michilashvili, Zurab Tskrialashvili, George Mekvabishvili, Elizbar Khachidze, Shota Abuladze, Irakli Tkvatsiria, George Gabunia, Sergo Urushadze, Lasha Metreveli, Batu Lominadze

PROGRAM

Mravalzhamier “Long Life” (table song), (eastern ) Elesa Work song, (western Georgia) Chona Ritual song, (central eastern Georgia) Didebata Circle dance, (northwestern Georgia) Kali gadmodga mtazeda Lyric-love song Guruli Ferkhuli Circle dance, Guria (western Georgia) Shen khar venakhi “You Are a Vineyard”—The Iambus of the Holy Virgin, Kartli-Kakheti (eastern Georgia) Shen khar venakhi In the tradition of Guria (western Georgia) Shen gigalobt “We praise Thee,” Hymn of the Liturgy, (western Georgia), Gelati school Angelosi ghaghadebs “The Angel cried,” IV refrain to the IX canticle Ganatldi, ganatldi “Shine, shine the New Jerusalem,” IX Irmos in Tone I Jvarsa shensa “Thy cross,” Kartli-Kakheti (eastern Georgia) Netar ars katsi “Blessed is the man” (Psalm 1), Hymn from Vespers, Gelati school Odoia Work song, Samegrelo (western Georgia) Khasanbegura Historical ballad, Guria (western Georgia) Chela Bullock-cart-man’s song, Samegrelo (western Georgia) Chakrulo Table song, Kakheti (eastern Georgia) Naduri, Shemokmedura Work song, Guria (western Georgia)

Cal Performances’ 2012–2013 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo.

40 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 41 NOTES & TEXTS NOTES & TEXTS

Mravalzhamier Kali gadmodga mtazeda Angelosi ghaghadebs

The Georgiansupra (“table party”) usually be- they are remarkably similar to the obligatory ad- Songs of the lyric-love genre convey human Text gins with Mravalzhamier. This lifts the spirits of dress in Christian divine service: Kyrie, eleison spiritual experiences with extraordinary candid- The Angel cried unto her who is full of grace: everyone at the table and creates a festive mood. (Lord, have mercy upon us). ness and immediacy. This song is from Georgia’s Hail, O Pure Virgin! And again, I say: Hail! As the voices rise, so does the collective enthu- northeastern mountain region, and lyric songs Thy son is risen from his three days’ sojourn siasm and spirit of those sitting at table, mak- from different regions of Georgia differ signifi- in the grave, and hath raised up the dead: ing them feel that their meeting will become Chona cantly in their musical structure. Many lyric Rejoice, O ye people! a celebration. masterpieces created in the mountain regions of Chona was a ritual performed on the night be- eastern Georgia are, as a rule, solo songs accom- Text fore Easter. The singers would go through the panied by the panduri, while Gurian lyric-love Ganatldi, ganatldi Let us sing together brothers while we see village, visiting each household and congratu- songs are structurally closer to Gurian drinking each other, lating everyone on the occasion of the brilliant songs, characterized by polyphony, improvisa- Text There will be time for mourning, when we will holiday and the resurrection of Christ. Baskets tion and dissonance. Shine, shine, O New Jerusalem be lying under the ground of presents awaited them at each household. The This song has an amorous-natured text. for the glory of the glory of the Lord With earth on our chests. host made preparations in advance; a festive ta- is risen upon Thee. Keep high holiday now ble was laid heavy with food and with eggs dyed and be glad, O Zion! And rejoice thou, I love you sweet Kakheti, big grove on the bank red on Good Friday. Guruli Ferkhuli O pure Birth-giver of God, in the rising again of the River Chona was an inseparable part of this rit- of him whom thou didst bear! Deer on the pastures, straw on the banks of the ual. The above-mentioned tradition of its per- A circle dance genre song from the Guria region Iori River. formance has been observed only in eastern of western Georgia. No fixed text. Georgia (Kartli). Jvarsa shensa

Elesa I was at Chona—I saw Chona, but I saw Shen khar venakhi Text no profit. Thy cross do we adore, O Master, Elesa was sung in Guria while hauling a large log Alatasa-balatasa, I put my hand into the basket, Text and thy Holy Resurrection do we glorify. to be used for carving a wine press or for lumber. Girl, put an egg in it, and God will give You are a Vine, newly flourishing, The second part was sung after the weeding and you bounty. Beautiful sapling, planted in Eden, hoeing of the corn had been completed. We have come to congratulate you on Easter. A fragrant poplar, grown in Paradise, Netar ars katsi When the nadi (an assembly of neighbors God has adorned you, there is none like you, and villagers assisting in field work) performed And you yourself are the sun shining! Text Elesa, it signaled the completion of the work, Didebata Blessed is the one who does not walk in step and was also a wish for bountiful harvest for the with the wicked or stand in the way that sin- owner of the field. Circle dance songs are among the oldest surviv- Shen gigalobt ners take or sit in the company of mockers, but ing forms of Georgian musical folklore in tra- whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who Text ditional performance characteristics and form. Text meditates on his law day and night. That person Elesa—and let us sing, elesa, elesa, hey! This is corroborated by dances, which have be- We praise Thee, we bless Thee, is like a tree planted by streams of water, which Elesa—and let us sing, elesa, kirio, hey! come inseparable from their songs. We give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not Elesa, hey and we pray unto Thee, O our God. wither—whatever they do prospers. Not so the Ei sai, eleso, Text wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows Ei-sa kirio, Glory! May it have mercy on us! away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the Ei sai, eleso! May the icons ornamented with gold and silver judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the have mercy on us. righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of Each phrase is repeated several times. Only one They have oxen for sacrifice, the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to understandable word (meaning “let us sing”) is Oxen with golden horns destruction. discernible in the song, all the rest being either They had a young bull to sacrifice interjections. However, two words—kirio and Let us beg for mercy. elesa—are clearly of Greek origin. Together,

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Odoia Chela

Popular nadi song, sung during hoeing and While this is a Bullock-cart-man’s song, it Text weeding a cornfield. No fixed text. should not be considered a work song. This is Cheer up, fireplace, a typical sample of lyrical three-voiced song, Do not be morose. which tells about cart-man’s thoughts and sor- The son says to his father, Khasanbegura rows. Chela and Busca are bull’s names. “You have grown old, do not stay with me.” “Son, what can an old man like me tell you? In the second half of the 19th century, Georgia’s Text I have had many adventures. provinces of Guria and Achara were caught in Here Chela! there Busca, you’re so used to I have crossed all the mountains and plains, a political conflict between and Turkey. the slavery That desolate ridge. Some nobles decided to use the conflict for their You poor, you weak-willed, you heartless, I have killed with my sword, brothers, own advantages. One such figure is Khosro you neck-dropped. I have killed. , who had a falling out with Prince I am going to war tomorrow. Gurieli and emigrated to Turkey. There he was At war it’s better to have gunpowder promoted, receiving the title of bey—Khasan- Chakrulo Than a wife and children.” beg (bey)—and was appointed commander of a military unit. This song is told from the view- The crown of Georgian folk songs. Like point of Khasan-beg’s brother: Mravaljamier, It belongs to the family of long Naduri, Shemokmedura Kakhetian table songs. Various explanations Text exist as to the origin of the song’s name. The Shemokmedura is a work song—more precisely, Khasan-beg Tavdgiridze who rejected God literal meaning of the word in Georgian is “in- a Naduri. Nadi (hence naduri) is given special Sought the Turkish title of pasha, completely tertwined.” One theory cities everyday farming significance in Guria. If a family hoed its field forgetting God. activity as the possible source: “As Chakrulo He entered , crying in Turkish, needs a strong resounding voice, in the same “I have come.” way, a load placed on an oxcart needs to be without a nadi, it would be called inhospitable. We’ll allow him to pass as far as , tightly bound.” If the village had no singers for the naduri, they Then let him see what we do. Hence, it is concluded that chakrulo means: were specially invited from other villages. The We are Gurians. We had a battle near Shukhut-Perdi. strong, reliable, loud, charming song, requir- people gladly worked together with the sing- We defeated the enemy leaving no one to tell ing a singer with a high voice, which is cer- ers of the nadi, as the work then became more the tale. tainly true of Chakrulo. In the view of some cheerful. Apart from easing the work, the na- I saw my brother, Khasan-Pasha, beheaded. researchers such as Joseph Jordania, however, duri was entertaining as well. By the end of the As he was my brother, I cried out, “Woe is me!” the name of the song implies strongly linked or 19th century, the song had become so popular The previous night he had fought us, snaring intertwined voices. that it was often sung in the churchyard after himself in the process. Shalva Aslanishvili noted: “Chakrulo char- divine service. Because he was my brother, I buried him. acterized by noble content and high spirits. It Field naduris are the longest and most so- features flawless modulation, developed polyph- phisticated antiphonal work songs, and they Some researchers believe that the music of ony, strict architectonics of form, rich ornament number in the dozens. Most antiphonal naduris Khasanbegura was created earlier, and this histor- and profound ethical content.” Some researchers of this region are in four parts, an unusual phe- ical text was set to it later. Romain Rolland and believe that songs like Chakrulo date from the nomenon in world musical folklore. Their texts Igor Stravinsky were fascinated by Khasanbegura tenth to twelfth centuries. Aslanishvili observed have nothing to do with the work process. and its remarkable polyphony. reflections of ancient traditions dating to feudal times in such table songs. Chakrulo has come Text down to us in several forms. I was a noble woman A peasant’s son took my hand in marriage I won’t go with him by choice unless he forces me

44 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 45 ABOUT THE ARTISTS ABOUT THE ARTISTS

David Eden Productions, Ltd. (tour producer) has been one of the leading American organi- zations devoted to producing international work in the United States for more than 25 years. Most recently, David Eden Productions has pro- duced American tours of Gate Theatre Dublin’s Krapp’s Last Tape, Endgame, and Watt; Galway’s Druid Theatre in The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Walworth Farce, and DruidSynge; and the Georgian folk music Ensemble Basiani. Other recent tours include the Gate Theatre Dublin’s Waiting for Godot, Declan Donnellan’s Twelfth Night, Propeller’s The Winter’s Tale, Piccolo Teatro di Milano’s Arlecchino, the Russian Patriarchate Choir of Moscow, Batsheva Dance Company, and the State Ballet of Georgia with Bolshoi prima ballerina Nina Ananiashvili.

For David Eden Productions President: David Eden General Manager: Erica Charpentier Visa Coordinator: Elise-Ann Konstantin Travel Agent: Lori Harrison, Atlas Travel Ensemble Basiani The patriarchate folk was cre- In recent years, Basiani has received inter- Company Management: Tanya Scott ated in 2000, under the blessing of his holiness national acclaim and recognition, giving per- Consultant: Scott Watson and beatitude Ilia II—Catholicos Patriarch of formances in some of the world’s best known all Georgia. The Ensemble is part of the concert halls and international festivals, includ- Holy Trinity Cathedral Church choir and it par- ing Auditorio Nacional de Música (Madrid), ticipates in services conducted by the patriarch. the Gulbenkian Great Hall (Lisbon), the Ensemble Basiani is composed of singers Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), the Aldeburgh from different parts of Georgia. Most members Music Festival (Aldeburgh, England), and come from families that perform traditional St. John’s, Smith Square (London). singing and many members have sung folk songs In August 2010, Basiani participated in the in different ensembles since childhood. Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, per- The Ensemble sings Georgian folk songs and forming for New York audiences on a program chants by researching and reviving them from that presented traditional Georgian polyphony the ancient phonological and notated record- along with masterpieces of J. S. Bach and other ings, while studying songs directly from the European classic composers. The above event famous singers and conductors of elder genera- was praised widely in the American press. The tions active in different regions of Georgia. It ensemble will return to New York at the conclu- also works with many world-renowned ethno- sion of their current American tour to perform musicians. In little more than a decade, Basiani in Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival. has already performed at numerous internation- “Basiani” is the name of one of the regions in al festivals and has visited some 20 countries. In southwest Georgia (in what is now modern-day that time, Basiani has also recorded and released Turkey, northwest of the town of Erzurum). In seven CDs. In January 2012, Ocora Radio 1203, at this location, Georgian royal troops de- France released Géorgie: Polyphonies vocales pro- feated the Turks with the victory consolidating fanes et sacrées, the most recent album recorded Georgia’s position in Asia Minor. by Basiani.

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