#38 ბიულეტენი (ივნისი, 2025)
Georgian Traditional Polyphony: Modern Trends and Perspectives of Development
The collection Georgian Traditional Polyphony: Modern Trends and Perspectives of Development is compiled by Georgian and foreign scholars using articles written for a project sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth of Georgia in 2022
Giorgi Donadze, head of the Anzor Erkomaishvili Folklore State Center and project director, proposed a partnership in implementing the project’s academic portion to Tbilisi State Conservatoire International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony, for whom it was a great honor to participate in such an important
Project Director: Giorgi Donadze
Coordinators: Sophio Lobjanidze and Nino Razmadze
Collection Compiler: Rusudan Tsurtsumia
Editors: Rusudan Tsurtsumia and Joseph Jordania
Georgian Article Translator and English Text Editor: Eirik Halvorson
Worked on the collection: Maka Khardziani and Ana Lolashvili
Designer: Nikoloz Gogashvili
Typesetter: Mariam Poltakhienti
QR Code Creator: Tevdore Gogoladze
IN SEARCH OF LOST THINGS – VALERIAN MAGHRADZE’S EXPEDITION AUDIO RECORDINGS FROM MESKHETI
The present bilingual publication is devoted to Valerian Maghradze’s Meskhetian expedition material from the 1960–1980s, which to this day has not been studied or published. His contribution to the study of Meskhetian musical heritage is immeasurable – if not for Maghradze’s selfless labors, we would not have had the possibility of getting to know the audio examples represented here and preserved in the people’s cultural memory, with these audio examples possessing exemplary artistic and performance value.
Having the goal of bringing back this unique expedition material to the academic and performance realms, 340 audio examples surviving from the archive materials have been included in the publication.
The project was implemented by LEPL Tbilisi Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatoire, Caucasus University Ltd., Georgian National University Ltd. (SEU), and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University within the framework of a mutual collaboration memorandum signed in 2020 envisioning the publication of unique archival folklore recordings kept at the Conservatoire. This publication is financially supported by Caucasus University Ltd. and Georgian National University Ltd. (SEU).
Compiler: Victoria Samsonadze and Baia Zhuzhunadze
Editor: Rusudan Tsurtsumia
The publication was prepared by Nikoloz Zazashvili, Nino Razmadze, Ana Lolashvili
Translator: Eirik Halvorson
Designer: Sandro Chkhaidze
The audio recordings were prepared in the sound recording studio “Georgia Chanting” of the University of Chant
Sound Engineers: Giorgi Jolbordi, Natali Maisuradze
Project coordinators: Nino Razmadze, Nini Kutelia
The collection – Anzor Erkomaishvili and Contemporary Trends in the Study of Traditional and Sacred Georgian Music
The two volume collection “Anzor Erkomaishvili and Contemporary Trends in the Study of Traditional and Sacred Georgian Music“ provides a comprehensive review of the current state of, and new developments in, Georgian ethnomusicology, from raising the tourist industry for lovers of Georgian traditional music to the peculiarities of teaching Georgian traditional music to countless choirs around the world. It presents a tribute to Anzor Erkomaishvili, a pivotal figure in Georgian traditional music, the author of many widely known masterpieces of Georgian traditional and church-song repertoires. The steadily increasing popularity of Georgian traditional music, both among professional ethnomusicologists and lovers of choral singing, provides an urgent need for this volume.
WOMEN’S ROLE IN UNESCO-RECOGNIZED EUROPEAN TRADITIONAL SINGING PRACTICES
This bilingual collection was created by the UNESCO Participation Program within the framework of a project implemented by the International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire.
The idea belongs to Teona Lomsadze, who studies the topic of traditional music revival in modern Georgian society. According to her, the intention of this project is to consider singing practices recognized by UNESCO across Europe, and use them as examples to show what role they played in the modern processes of women’s liberation. Practices wherein the repertoire of women occupies an important place – Bulgarian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Portuguese and Georgian – were selected. The collection includes articles by 13 women authors.
The collection was published within the framework of the UNESCO “Participation Programme”
(2020-2021). The project is co-financed by V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire.
Project Manager and Compiler: Teona Lomsadze
Project Coordinator: Nino Razmadze
Editor: Rusudan Tsurtsumia
Working on proofreading English texts: Lauren Ninoshvili, Brian Fairley
Translated by Marina Decristoforo, Marika Nadareishvili, Baia Zhuzhunadze, Nana
Mzhavanadze
Designer: Sandro Chkhaidze
Sound Engineer: George Jolbordi
The publication was non-profit and it is available in electronic form.
Appendix and Audio material is available here.
Magda Sukhiashvili’s book “History of Georgian Church Music”
Magda Sukhiashvili’s book “History of Georgian Church Music. Lectures” covers the issues of history and theory of Georgian art of chanting. Since neither a textbook nor a course on the history of Georgian church music has yet been published, the book is the first attempt to provide students with educational resources. It reflects almost two decades of pedagogical experience of the author.
ACHARAN FOLK SONGS – COLLECTION OF SHEET MUSIC WITH CD FOR SELF-STUDY
The publication continues the “Teach Yourself Georgian Folk Songs” publication series by the
Georgian Chant Foundation and this time it features the study of Acharan folk songs. This is a score
collection for study purposes accompanied with audio CDs. The publication is intended for professional
as well as amateur musicians. These songs are performed by the Moqvare and Elesa ensembles from
the Keda municipality.
KIST TRADITIONAL MUSIC
In 2018 with the financial support of the Georgian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport International Research Centre for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi State Conservatoire published the book “Kist Traditional Music” (in Georgia, Kist and English)
GEORGIAN POLYPHONY IN WESTERN TURKEY: ON THE FOOTSTEPS OF PETER GOLD
In 2018 with the financial support of the Georgian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, and “Georgian Chanting Foundation” International Research Centre for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi State Conservatoire published the book “Georgian Polyphony in Western Turkey: In the footsteps of Peter Gold” (in Georgia, Turkish, English and German); the book was published by WPN Polish Publishers specially for Frankfurt Book Fair.
Tbilisi State Conservatoire (TSC), which is a centre for researching traditional polyphony in Georgia, has been studying for several years already musical culture of the Georgians living in Turkey, particularly musical traditions of the village Hayriye, Inegol district.
Grimaud and Georgian Song
In 2018 with the financial support of the Georgian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, and “Georgian Chanting Foundation” International Research Centre for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi State Conservatoire published the book “Grimaud and Georgian Song” (in Georgia and English); the book was published by WPN Polish Publishers specially for Frankfurt Book Fair.
