[ Summary:  highly accessible and beautifully performed recital of
contemporary serious music from Albania -- which is a very rare opportunity
to discover the repertoire of this musically rich country, shamefully
neglected by record publishers and distributors alike.  (Note:  this seems
to be a limited edition.  Better hurry...) ]

While browsing in the archives of the mailing-list, I found a post by Dr.
Francois Lefort concerning a CD of Ermira Zyrakja.  Independently, I had
bought this record a year before from the Albanian-American Academy in New
York City (Mr.  Arenc Leka), but apparently it can now be ordered directly
from Mr.  Lefort.  I had been looking for Albanian serious music for years
without any success, apart from three short violin pieces on a CD by
T.Papavrami -- he, Klodiana Skenderi and I happen to have studied the
violin at the Paris Conservatory at the same time.  When I ordered Ermira
Zyrakja's CD, Mr.  Arenc Leka confirmed that there were less than five
recordings of Albanian classical music commercially available, including
lighter music, and sadly, it is unlikely that CDs can be produced in
Albania before some time.  This makes this piano recital all the more
important and valuable, I think.

Albania has a very rich musical tradition.  It is a Balkanic nation, but
it is also a Mediterranean (Adriatic) country whose montainous profile has
fostered the development of variegated local cultures.  Polyphonic songs
are particularly famous, in a style which notably differs from Croatian
klapa singing, but there is also a wealth of folk instruments and
interesting rhythmic patterns which can relate this music to more Oriental
conceptions.  "Serious" music is relatively recent in Albania.  Apart from
a work, "Skenderbeg", composed in exile by Fan Noli (a kind of Albanian
Paderewski, maybe more controversial), the first symphony was completed in
1956 by Cesk Zadeja, who had studied in Moscow and became a major figure in
Albania's music.  Other important names are Pjeter Goci, Aleksander Peci,
and the three other composers presented on this record:  Kosma Lara (I
don't know if he has any relation to Kujtim Lares), Tonin Harapi and Feim
Ibrahimi.  I also heard of a few Kosovar composers who settled in Slovenia,
especially Zeqirja Ballata.

As can be expected, this is no avant-garde music.  These composers studied
in Moscow, but it should be stressed that Russian influence is much more
felt on techniques than expressive means -- in particular, these relatively
short pieces avoid plain Soviet official style and its compulsory optimism
and bombast, and they display many finely inspired moments, far from many
clumsy attempts to forcedly adapt local Eastern folklore into ready-made
"Western" patterns.  At first hearing, I must say that I more often thought
of Grieg than Prokofiev, apart from a passage of Zadeja's Toccata.  The
forms used are familiar from Romantic piano music, Ballads, Variations,
Miniatures.  More careful listening gradually reveals subtle specific
features.  For instance, repeated-note patterns are less regular and even
that would be expected in a standard virtuoso piece, and this reflects
the special modes of attack used by Albanian folk musicians, either with
pinched string instruments or with struck membranophone instruments.
Another feature is the general use of small intervalls, which do not lead
to uniformity but convey the feeling of obstinacy and legendary epos which
makes some of south-eastern European music so captivating.  Melodic lines
tend to be sparse, harmonic filling is rare, and thus the impression of
austerity is naturally avoided, probably a heritage of deeply integrated
vocal polyphonies.  Harmonies are generally consonant, with hints of
modality, without sounding dull or purely decorative.

More surprising perhaps is the light-heartedness and delicacy of some
pieces.  The interplay of musical textures, well-balanced interjections
makes up for renewed interest, liveliness more than boisterousness, but the
overall impression is that of smooth refinement.  One of Lara's 3 Ballads
reminded me of Tubin's Estonian Dances.  Harapi's Miniatures, based on
urban songs from Northern Albania, are poetically touching as well (I know,
some will call it "adolescent critic's writing", but we musicians are not
used to despising this kind of profound qualities...) ; the "Little Sorrow"
even has a French touch about it, not so far from Poulenc or Satie,
actually.  This does not mean that the more developed works lack vigour or
expressive range and power (Lara's Pastoral Ballad or Ibrahimi's Toccata,
maybe the most clearly redolent of its geographical origin, are outstanding
instances of this), but what I mean is that "cliches" which come to the
mind about what Albanian music might look like are almost constantly absent
from this often endearing discovery trip.

Of course, I would not say that every single piece is a neglected gem, but
there is more than enough for patient, devoted listening and reflection in
this CD.  While this might not appeal to fans of Boulez, Cage or Carter, it
should be readily enjoyable for general audiences, even if it obviously
takes time before one grasps its full dimension.

A word about the performer.  Some very fine Albanian musicians have
appeared lately, singer Inva Mula and violinists Klodiana Skenderi and
Tedi Papavrami, for instance.  Ermira Zyrakja has a fine technical command,
which is no surprise in a country where young gifted instrumentalists seem
to have been submitted to Soviet-style intensive teaching, but she does not
indulge in thoughtless virtuoso display.  Put plainly, she truly plays this
music with the same commitment that one could expect for standard classical
repertoire.  Even though some would dream of more spectacular performances,
probably not welcome here anyway, I was thankful for the sober, sometimes
restrained dynamic progressions, while quite a few other young
"fireworkers" tend to mistake brutal emphasis for power of expression...
Most importantly, the variety of attacks is vividly rendered, which is
vital whenever the music wants to evoke folk instruments and original
vocal writing.  Of course, this is first and foremost fully integrated
piano music, not a mere imitation of exotic effects.

Well, this is incentive to keep searching for records of orchestral music
from Albania, which, I'm afraid, is not to be expected too soon.  There
seems to be a Centre for Albanian contemporary music, I shall post again
about it later.  Incidentally, it is a sad fact that no distributor seems
to have included this piano music CD in their catalogue.  However, this is
a strongly recommended acquisition -- apart from the expert performances
found here, and some lighter instrumental creations (notably by Arenc Leka,
a fine violinist himself), there might not be other Albanian classical
music available before long.

(For any person interested in ordering the CD, the address given by
Francois Lefort in his previous post is:

Dr Francois Lefort, Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology,
Department of Biology, University Of Crete, P.O.  BOX 2208, 71409
Heraklion, Crete, GREECE

The Albanian-American Academy is at:  2249 83rd St.  No.  B, Brooklyn, NY
11214, USA -- Ph./Fax (718) 236-6536, (800) 522-6268, E-mail: [log in to unmask]
(I am not sure whether they currently have this piano recital CD, but maybe
American music-lovers could ask them.)

Thanh-Tam Le <[log in to unmask]>