“We greeting you from the land of the golden fleece and ancient culture art… from the land of history with ancient writing and pagan eras… from the land of two-part songs and hindrance music… Georgia…”
Georgia is a place where the Christian worldview has been the guardian of Georgian spirituality since the 4th century, and where Mikael Modrekili (Mikael Modrekili was a Georgian calligrapher, poet, writer and scholar of the 10th century). transcribed the Georgian liturgical collection “Yadgari” in the 10th century, which today is a sample of pre-Christian period…, XI-XII hymnography – is a country where in the centuries – there were the biggest educational institutions of Ikalto and Gelati… academies where Shota Rustaveli genius created The Knight in the Tiger Skin and three centuries before the beginning of the European renaissance, the revival of the world… The birth of a new era and aesthetics…
Among Georgians’ various aesthetic values, the folk polyphonic song and hymn, which arose from the depths of the ages, is regarded as a one-of-a-kind event with no analogues and is recognized as a world cultural discovery. That’s why, the Georgian folk song “Chakrulo” was chosen to be among the messages of Earth’s cultural treasures sent into space.
The centuries’ ancient and rich cultural past created a solid foundation for the development of new Georgian musical art. Georgian professional music, which is still enhanced by Georgian folk, musical creativity, poetry, and the historical nation’s mental philosophy, proved to be a fruitful environment for the establishment of the contemporary European musical culture on national roots… In less than half a century, a unique Georgian compositional school with individual handwriting was developed through the integration of national and European musical traditions, with its highly expressed musical language, psychological identity and philosophical understanding.
The invasion of European musical art begins in Georgian reality in the nineteenth century shortly takes place in its cultural life in the outline of musical salons. And then, the most important musical and educational centres were established in a short period of time: the Tbilisi Opera House in 1851, a school of music in 1886, a philharmonic society in 1905, and State Conservatoire in 1917. Thus Tbilisi became Transcaucasia’s only cultural, educational Centre.
The first pléiade of Georgian composers emerged in the beginning of the twentieth century – Zakaria Paliashvili, Dimitri Arakishvili, Meliton Balanchivadze, and Viktor Dolidze. Their names were linked with the first works of romantic choral music and opera.
1919 is an important period in Georgian culture, marking the formation of national, professional music… The Tbilisi Opera House staged the world premieres of three different types of opera compositions. “Abesalom and Eteri” by Zakaria Paliashvili, “The Legend of Shota Rustaveli” by Dimitri Arakishvili, and “Keto and Kote” by Viktor Dolidze. It was the glorious beginning of Georgian compositional and performance arts that shaped Georgian music for decades.
A new era of the Georgian composing school began in the 1930s and 1950s. On the starting point, composers who not only follow in the footsteps of their outstanding predecessors, But they provide a basis for the creation of new genres, enriching and expanding the boundaries of professional music – by transmitting musical content… with individual handwriting… In that period, the first works of symphonic music and ballet were composed – a symphony, an instrumental concert, and the ballet “Heart of the Mountains” by Andria Balanchivadze. Together with him composers Shalva Mshvelidze, Otar Taktakishvili, Archil Kereselidze, Alexi Matchavariani, Rezo Lagidze, and Aleksandre Shaverzashvili appeared in the arena. The composition of a symphonic poem cantata – oratorio, chamber instrumental and pop genre compositions, film and theatre music…were created. The names of the composers of the 1930s and 1950s are associated with actually all of musical art, the development of genres, and the elevation of the composition school’s achievements to a new level.
Sulkhan Tsintsadze, Gia Kancheli, Sulkhan Nasidze, Bidzina Kvernadze, Ioseb Kechakmadze, Jansug Kakhidze, Nodar Mamisashvili, Nodar Gabunia – composers and prominent figures of the 60s generation of Georgian music, a generation that entered the national venue with an unusual power of innovation, a large-scale creative detonation and a qualitative level new worldview in musical art. Composers that developed a completely distinct creating thinking approach towards musical technology, style, aesthetic or philosophical forms – each of their works is fully integrated with current events in modern European art. That is why, despite the Soviet Union’s “Iron Curtain”, their music received importance and established itself as a distinct musical issue on the global stage, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it appeared more deeply and organically blended with the world music phenomenon.
Nowadays, some famous Georgian musicians are known around the world.
George Balanchini, (Giorgi Balanchivadze -Meliton Balanchivadze’s son and Andria Balanchivadze’s brother), Eliso Virsaladze, Marine Iashvili, Liana Isakadze, Alexander, (Lexo) Toradze, Eliso Bolkvadze, Alexander Korsantia, Eter Anjaparidze, Lisa Batiashvili, Khatia Buniatishvili, Paata Burchuladze, Anita Rachvelishvili… And each of their early and present works are recognized as a creation of world music culture.
Georgian Classical Music is an internet platform exclusively to Georgian music.
So you can listen to the the works of Georgian composers, and purchase manuscripts as well. Discover their biography, innovative annotations, photo gallery… expand your musical repertoire with original and interesting music.
Georgian Classical Music portal’s contents will be updated on a regular basis and filled with new classical and up-to-date pieces…
Hello and welcome to the world of Georgian music.