Alessandra Celletti
Hidden Sources - Gurdjieff/deHartmann

THE REVIEW

George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff was born in 1866 in Alexandropol, at the borders between Armenia and Turkey, in a region of the Caucasus that is a crossroads of numerous ethnicities. We are dealing with an exceedingly complex character, and this is not the place to discuss Gurdjieff as a "master of life," a topic that would certainly require an effort and ability beyond my means. We are here to talk about music... But it must be said that Gurdjieff, along with a group of friends, participated in several expeditions to Asia and the Arabian Peninsula in search of ancient knowledge and traditions. Visiting mysterious religious fraternities living in inaccessible monasteries, he had the opportunity to deepen both his psychological knowledge and the significance of sacred art and ritual dances. Only many years later, between 1925 and 1927, after moving near Paris, our traveler (assisted by pianist Thomas de Hartmann) composed about 300 piano pieces inspired by reminiscences of sacred melodies and traditional Eastern music.

And now we come to this magnificent CD: HIDDEN SOURCES. The title alone suggests a lot: listening to the 18 tracks magnificently interpreted by Alessandra Celletti truly feels like embarking on a splendid journey through mysterious and distant territories. The selection of these melodies brings to light the sweet and fascinating atmospheres of Asian chants and intense prayers. It is really worth letting oneself be guided on a musical journey that concludes on the profound notes of "Assyrian Women Mourners."