Search - Vassilis Tsabropoulos :: Akroasis

Powerful piano music

Christopher Culver | 10/16/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The album AKROASIS by the classically trained, European jazz-minded Greek pianist Vassilis Tsabropoulos is a recital of eight improvisations, 5 being on Byzantine hymns and 3 Tsabropoulos's own compositions. The Byzantine originals which serve as material here, such as "Axion esti" and "Anastasis", are among the most familiar hymns in the Orthodox world, but Tsabropoulos completely abstracts them into moody piano soundscapes in line with the general ECM aesthetic. (A more considerate modernist treatment of Byzantine church music, grappling with its microtonal nature, may be found in Radulescu's piano sonatas.)



Much of the excitement in this album comes from how palpably improvisational these performances are. The listener can perceive Tsabropoulos starting with a basic melody and then ordering it into a larger work on the fly, turning his opening indecision into the first part of, say, an ABABC structure. Moments of hesitation and uncertainty, far from weakening the performance, give the music substantial character. While the pieces on Byzantine hymns seem very focused, Tsabropoulos' own compositions break this concentration, offering as a refresher more widely ranging melodies.



There is nothing especially revelatory here, and I've fluctuated between awarding this three or four stars. Nonetheless, the beauty and purity of this music makes for powerful listening and anyone interested in the ECM scene or Tsabropoulos' music especially would probably gain great pleasure from this."

Honest solo piano rendering of old Byzantine hymns

Philippe Vandenbroeck | HEVERLEE, BELGIUM | 06/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a quite wonderful disc bringing centuries-old Byzantine hymns back to life from the piano keyboard. The collection consists of 5 traditional hymns, supplemented with 3 of Tsabropoulos' own compositions. It's definitely the kind of music that needs to be listened to away from the daily bustle. You first need some time to settle down. The music is not demanding, but very contemplative: simple song-like melodies, repetitive forms, very slow tempos, no abrupt changes in dynamics, clean and long lines, sparse textures. In the hands of a less honest and skilled musician I can well imagine how this music could degenerate into a new age kind of ear candy. Tsabropoulos' virtuosity lies in his ability to play these old hymns with utter, heartfelt simplicity. In the short liner text he writes "I approached this rare musical expression with deep respect and attention to its unique melodic form, careful to remain within the context of a holy tradition that has been passed on from generation to generation." For me this sense or reverence and respect clearly emerges from the space between the notes. Tsabropolous also mentions that ideally this collection should be performed (and listened to) as a set. The sequence of 8 pieces is, at 44 minutes, a fairly short journey but it's a very rewarding one, building up slowly to the restrained ecstasy of the fifth hymn (Anastasis) after which comes a short Prayer to bring the cycle to a quiet end.



I really can't find fault with the recording. Eicher is listed as "executive producer" which is indeed different from most if not all other ECM recordings in my collection. I am aware of the magic that Manfred Eicher is able to bring to a recording session (see my review of Horizons Touched: The Music of ECM) but I can't really tell from this CD whether he was present or not at this one-day session at the Dmitri Mitropolous Hall in Athens. As I said, Tsabropolous plays freely, unselfconsciously, as if in the company of friends and the piano sounds wonderfully weighty, yet vivacious, clear and limpid. For me it's a best in class recording, as is custom at ECM."

Tsabropoulos w/o Eicher

Hitters | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 05/25/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I like Tsabropoulos. He is a very talented piano player and composer of nice work, not to deep, but nice anyway. I really enjoyed his two recordings with cellist Anja Lechner (also on ECM). But this recording has not been produced by the legendary Manfred Eicher, and unfortunately, you can easily tell. There is no focus, no space, no mystery here. The recording does not help, either.

Manfred did marvels with Vassilis work. This is not where to start to investigate this Greek musician. Try Melos or Hymns (both on ECM as well), but produced by Eicher."