Vassilis Tsabropoulos
Chants, Hymns and Dances

Gurdjieff-Tsabropoulos: a winning combination.

Vassilis Tsabropoulos on the piano, accompanied by Anja Lechner on the cello, tackles the repertoire of Gurdjieff and de Hartmann, gifting us a musical gem. 11 pieces by Gurdjieff and 5 of his own composition make up the program of this splendid CD released by the record label ECM.

Performing the repertoire of Gurdjieff means going beyond music and entering the realm of the spirit and tracing back to the sources of our inner self. Tsabropoulos fully succeeds in this, guiding us through 80 minutes of pure sonic poetry, to a rediscovery of ourselves. Musical vibrations that overflow with subtle energy, expressive intensity rich in nuances masterfully captured by the two musicians in question.

Gurdjieff, the Armenian "master of dance," son of one of the last asohkh (poet-bards) of the Caucasus, came to the West in 1922 to found the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at Fontainebleau, where he welcomed many artists and intellectuals of the time, dedicating his life to the transmission of a knowledge he had sought and rediscovered during more than twenty years of travels across Asia and the East. From these journeys, he brought back dances and melodies of rare beauty, heard in secret monasteries and inaccessible, mysterious places, which he then transcribed with the help of Russian musician and pianist Thomas de Hartmann.

There's nothing left but to invite you to listen to this sonic journey...