30 miniatures for guitar solo
The miniatures are divided into two parts. In the first part, certain scales of the Rebetiko are varied with the typical odd rhythms. It ends with the more well-known song “Stou Thoma” from the movie “Rebetiko” (directed by Kostas Ferris, 1983). In the second part, the material is further developed in the direction of classic, jazz and modern, while melancholic pieces on guitar must not be missing.
The Rebetiko came to Greece from Izmir to Greece in the 1920s and peaked there in the 1930s to 1950s. This music, often referred to as Greek blues, is often about drug addiction, prison and a longing for a lost home, but also has its own sense of humor. Rebetiko’s music has influenced numerous composers, above all Mikis Theodorakis, and has contributed to an extraordinary and very lively musical wealth in Greece and beyond.
The miniatures were written between 2017 and 2019. Typical bouzouki scales – as the main instrument of Rembetiko – were transcribed for guitar and used as basis for new compositions.
“The miniatures are very refreshing and open up completely new sound architectures. They are particularly suitable for young musicians who want to open up new dimensions of sound.”
Johannes Monno (Professor of Guitar at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart)
“Your rebetiko cycle has a special, intense vibrancy.”
Heinrich Hartl, composer
[..] The Nuremberg guitarist and composer has engaged intensively in Greek music and presents “30 moderately difficult miniatures” for guitar, which emancipate themselves from attractive free adaptations of rebetiko towards jazz and co. And ensure partly for new auditory impressions [..] Klaus Jäckle recorded the pieces sensitively for guitar [..]
German print magazine Akustik-Gitarre Oct/Nov 2020
In the present compositions, the focus should be on enjoying variation and experimentation. For this reason, dynamic specifications were deliberately omitted in some cases. Also there is place for free improvisation given by “ad libitum” passages.
The publication should also focus on a perhaps neglected section of recent European music history and could therefore be particularly attractive for young people and/or competitions.
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Klaus Jäckle has accompanied the project constructively from the beginning and recorded the pieces. Thank you very much for that.
I recommend this Spotify playlist – Music with a focus on guitar and bouzouki from the beginnings of rebetiko in the 30 years in Piraeus to the present day. If you are interested in more Rebetiko music, I definitely recommend this CD: Rembetika, Songs of the Greek Underground, double CD from Trikont Verlag.