Michael Levy: Sample Tracks...
"Hurrian Hymn no. 6" (c.1400BCE) - ("An Ancient Lyre" - Clip of Track 2)
My arrangement of the 3400 year old "Hurrian Hymn no.6", from ancient Mesopotamia - track 6 from my my album "An Ancient Lyre". This track can be downloaded from iTunes:
This amazing Hymn, the oldest written music in History, was discovered in Ugarit in Syria in the early 1950s, and was preserved for 3400 years on a clay tablet, written in the Cuniform text of the ancient Hurrian language - it is THE oldest written song yet known! Respect, to the amazing ancient culture of Syria...
It is played here, on a replica of the ancient Kinnor Lyre from neighbouring Israel; an instrument almost tonally identical to the wooden asymmetric-shaped lyres played throughout the Middle East at this amazingly distant time...when the Pharaoh's still ruled ancient Egypt.
A photograph of the actual clay tablet on which the Hurrian Hymn was inscribed, can be seen here:
http://phoenicia.org/music.html
The melody is one of several academic interpretations, from the ambiguous Cuneiform text of the Hurrian language in which it was written. Although many of the meanings of the Hurrian language are now lost in the mists of time, it can be established that the fragmentary Hurrian Hymn which has been found on these precious clay tablets are dedicated to Nikkal; the wife of the moon goddess.
There are several such interpretations of this melody, but to me, the fabulous interpretation just somehow sounds the most "authentic". Below is a link to the sheet music, as interpreted by Clint Goss:
http://www.flutekey.com/pdf/HurrianTabLtd.pdf
In my arrangement of the Hurrian Hymn, I have attempted to illustrate an interesting diversity of ancient lyre playing techniques, ranging from the use of "block and strum" improvisation at the end, glissando's, trills & tremolos, and alternating between harp-like tones in the left hand produced by finger-plucked strings, and guitar-like tones in the right hand, produced by use of the plectrum.
I have arranged the melody in the style of a "Theme and Variations" - I first quote the unadorned melody in the first section, followed by the different lyre techniques described above in the repeat, & also featuring improvisatory passages at the end of the performance.
My arrangement of the melody is much slower than the actual academic interpretation - I wanted the improvisations in the variations on the theme to stand out, and to better illustrate the use of lyre techniques by a more rubato approach to the melody.
Travel back in time with me now, to the very Dawn of Civilization...
"Shadow of The Zigurrat" - ("Ancient Visions - New Compositions For An Ancient Lyre" - Clip of Track 5)
A clip of track 5, "Shadow of The Zigurrat", from my album, "Ancient Visions - New Compositions For An Ancient Lyre" - this track is available to download from iTunes:
This piece features the rare Assyrian hammered lyre technique, wherby the lyre strings are struck with a wooden baton, rather than plucked with a plectrum. I developed this style of lyre playing fom illustrations of percussive lyre playing, as seen on the Bas reliefs in the ruins of the Palace at Nineveh, c.701BCE...
Full details of this style are discussed in the "History of the Lyre" section of this website...
"Ancient Greek Music Fragment" ("An Ancient Lyre" - Clip of Track 11)
A clip of an ancient Greek musical fragment, track 11, from my album, "An Ancient Lyre". This track can be downloaded from iTunes:
This haunting, almost dream-like fragment of melody was preverved in ancient Byzantine manuscripts(Conspectus codicum:
V. Venetus Marcianus appl. cl. VI, saec. XIII-XIV
N. Neapolitanus graecus III. C4, saec. XV
F. Florentius Ricc. 41, saec. XVI), in the unambiguous alphabetical musical notation used in ancient Greece, & the melodic fragment is catalogued as "Anonymous, Bellermann 97".
I heard this lovely melody for the first time, on the CD "Musique de la Grece Antique"(track 13).
It is in the ancient Greek "Hypolydian" mode; the equivalent intervals as heard on the scale from F-F on the white notes of the piano. The augmented 4th in this mode to me, creates the dreamy quality of the sound of this piece.
Due to a misinterpretation of the Latin texts of Boethius, mediaeval modes were given the wrong Greek names! For the CORRECT names of the ORIGINAL ancient Greek modes, see:
http://www.harmonics.com/lucy/lsd/corrections.html
For what Plato & Aristotle themselves had this to say about these ancient musical modes, please see this fascinating link:
http://www.pathguy.com/modes.htm
What a terrible tragedy, that of all the amazing cultures of ancient civilizations, so few fragments of their original melodies and music from antiquity have been preserved...
"Kol Nidre" ("The Ancient Biblical Lyre" - Clip of Track 1)
A clip of track 1, "Kol Nidre", from my album "The Ancient Biblical Lyre" This track can be downloaded from iTunes:
This track is the ancient melody traditionally sang to the "Kol Nidre" prayer at Yom Yippur...played on a replica of one of the ancient Lyres of the Levites; the Biblical "Nevel" - once played in the Temple of Jerusalem, to accompany the singing of the Levitical Choir...
For full details on this most elusive of the Biblical Lyres, please see all my detailed research in the "Historical Details" section of this website dedicated to the Nevel.
"The Temple of Venus" (Clip of Track 3, "Echoes of Ancient Rome")
A clip of "The Temple of Venus" from my album, "Echoes of Ancient Rome", This track is available to download from iTunes:
"Hymn To Horus" ("Apollo's Lyre" - Clip of Track 8)
"Hymn To Horus" - a clip of track 8 from my album, "Apollo's Lyre." This melody is based on a traditional Egyptian folk song & is arranged here, for a replica lyre, very similar to the lyres played in the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, over 3500 years ago...
This track can be downloaded from iTunes:
"Trance of the Shaman" ("Ancient Visions - New Composition For An Ancient Lyre" - Clip of Track 6)
A clip of track 6, "Trance of the Shaman" from my new album, "Ancient Visions - New Compositions For An Ancient Lyre" - this track is available to download from iTunes:
"Hymn To Hermes" (Original Composition For Replica Kithara in the Ancient Greek Lydian Mode) - "The Ancient Greek Lyre" (Clip of Track 7)
This is the first of the 6 of my original composition for replica ancient Greek Kithara-style lyre, which feature on this album, "The Ancient Greek Lyre" - this track can be downloaded from iTunes:
"Hymn To Hermes" is composed in the ancient Greek Lydian Mode - the same intervals as our regular major pentatonic scale (C- C on the white notes of the piano). This is not to be confused with the Medieval "Lydian" Mode (the equivalent intervals as F- F on the white notes of the piano)...
The names of musical modes in use today, (e.g. Dorian, Mixolydian etc) although having the same names as the original Greek musical modes, were actually misnamed during the Middle Ages! Apparently, the Greeks counted intervals from top to bottom. When medieval ecclesiastical scholars tried to interpret the ancient texts, they counted from bottom to top, jumbling the information. The misnamed medieval modes are only distinguished by the ancient Greek modes of the same name, by being labelled “Church Modes”. It was due to a misinterpretation of the Latin texts of Boethius, that medieval modes were given the wrong Greek names!
According to an article on Greece in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians, the original ancient Greek names for species of the octave included the following (on white keys):
B-B: Mixolydian
E-E: Dorian
A-A: Hypodorian
D-D: Phrygian
G-G: Hypophrygian
C-C: Lydian
F-F: Hypolydian
In this piece, I demonstrate almost every lyre-playing technique possible on the ancient Greek Kithara-style lyre - these include alternating between finger-plucked and plectrum-plucked tones, strumming rhythm by the ancient technique of "finger-blocking" the strings to form basic chords (blocking with the left hand, notes not required to be strummed, and leaving open those required to be strummed by the plectrum in the right hand), tremolos etc.
"Echoes of Ancient Egypt" (Improvisation on an Ancient Egyptian Scale)
This is a clip of track 3 album, "An Ancient Lyre" - an improvisation on a 3500 year old ancient Egyptian minor pentatonic scale, as deciphered by the late Prof. Hans Hickmann of the Museum in Cairo...this track can be downloaded from iTunes:
"Ose Shalom" (The One Who Brings Peace) - Track 20, "King David's Lyre; Echoes of Ancient Israel"
"Ose Shalom" (The One Who Brings Peace) - the beautiful ancient Shabbat Hymn, arranged for replica 3000 year old Biblical Lyre! This is a clip from track 20 of my debut album, "King David's Lyre; Echoes of Ancient Israel". This track is available from iTunes:
This totally unique, enchanting, meditative and spiritually and uplifting album, consists of an amazing selection of ancient traditional Jewish songs, mystical Shabbat melodies and exhilarating Jewish Klezmer music, all arranged and performed on my replica of the Lyre of the Ancient Hebrews...
"King David Danced" ("The Ancient Biblical Lyre" - Clip of Track 11)
This is a clip of track 11, "King David Danced", from my album, "The Ancient Biblical Lyre" - the track is available to download from iTunes:
This track is a spontaneous improvisation in the ancient Jewish "Ahava Raba" mode, performed on replica 3000 year old Biblical "Nevel" Lyre.In this improvisation, I wanted to evoke the famous Biblical narrative of how King David danced with rapture, during the Transport of the Ark of the Covenant...
"Magic of the Ancients" (Composition in the Mystical Middle Eastern Hijaz Mode) - Clip of Track 4 From "Apollo's Lyre"
A clip of "Magic of the Ancients" from my album, "Apollo's Lyre". This track is available to download from iTunes:
"Dancers of Dionysus" - Composition For Lyre In The Ancient Greek Hypolydian Mode (Clip of Track 2, "The Ancient Greek Modes")
“Dancers Of Dionysus” (Composition For Lyre In The Ancient Greek Hypolydian Mode) - clip of track 2 from my new album, "The Ancient Greek Modes". This track is available to download from iTunes:
"The Wisdom of Solomon" ("Apollo's Lyre" - Clip of Track 7)
A clip of "The Wisdom of Solomon", - track 7 from my new album, "Apollo's Lyre". This track is availalable to download from iTunes:
This original composition is called “The Wisdom of Solomon” – an improvisation on the Ancient Hebrew “Misheberakh” scale:
EF#GAA#BC#DE
This same scale can be heard in an example of ancient Greek music, called “Tecmessa’s Lament” – coincidence, or yet more possible evidence of an ancient cross-cultural exchange of musical ideas? A fascinting possibility!
Below is a modern orchestral arrangement of this unique ancient Greek melody:
Psalm 114 (Ancient Traditional Melody, c. 2nd century CE) - "The Ancient Biblical Lyre" (Clip of Track 2)
This is a clip of track 2, from my album, "The Ancient Biblical Lyre" - "Psalm 114 (Ancient Traditional Melody, c. 2nd century CE)" - this traditional melody sang to Psalm 114, "When Israel Went Forth From Egypt" is of great antiquity and was preserved by both Jews and Christians in the Middle Ages, as a Sephardic cantillation (B'tseth Isra'el) & in the Roman Catholic tradition, as a Latin plainchant (In Exitu Israel). The track can be downloaded from iTunes:
The two chants are indentical, both musically and texturally - which could even suggest that there was an ancient common origin, before the Jewsh and Christian faiths split into separate entities..maybe even an aural memory of the orginal melody once sang by the L evitical Choir in the Temple of Jerusalem? A fascinating possibility...
Egyptian Folk Song - "My Heart Was Burnt By Love" ("An Ancient Lyre" - Clip of Track 4)
A clip of track 4, the traditional Egyptian folk song "My Heart Was Burnt By Love" from my album, "An Ancient Lyre". This track is available to download from iTunes:
Egyptian Folk Song - "Salah" ("An Ancient Lyre" - Clip of Track 5)
A clip of track 5, the traditional Egyptian folk song "Salah", from my album, "An Ancient Lyre". This track is available to download from iTunes:
Ancient Babylonian Jewish Wedding Music "Ashir Shirim" ("The Ancient Biblical Lyre" - Clip of Track 10)
This is a clip of track 10, the ancient Babylonian Jewish Wedding Song "Ashir Shirim", from my album, "The Ancient Biblical Lyre". This track is available to download from iTunes:
This ancient wedding song of the Babylonian Jews in Israel was carefully collected and transcribed almost a century ago by the musicologist A.Z Idelsohn.
It is played here on a replica of the ancient Biblical "Nevel" Lyre - one of the lyres once played by the Levites in the Temple of Jerusalem to accompany the singing of the Levitical Choir...
The translation of the song is:
"I will sing songs to God at the coming of the redeemer.This terrified,innocent,& fair daughter - hurry to redeem her now.Elijah will come & she will be redeemed"
The traditional music of the Babylonian Jews is unique, as it may well be the "Invisible Baggage" of the Jews who were sent into exile there, after the destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadrezzar II, in 586BC! These melodies therefore, MAY be representative of the very earliest aural memory of Jewish music, ever...from the almost Legendary Era of the Ark of the Covenant, & King Solomon's Temple!
"Ma Tovu" - in Hebrew: מה טבו - "Oh How Good" ("The Ancient Biblical Lyre" - Clip of Track 5)
This is a clip of track 5, "Ma Tovu" ( in Hebrew: מה טבו ) - "Oh How Good", from my album, "The Ancient Biblical Lyre". This track is availalable to download from iTunes:
The translation of this beautiful Shabbat hyms is as follows:
"How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!
And I, with Your great loving-kindness, shall enter Your House; I shall prostrate myself toward Your Holy Temple in the fear of You.
O Lord, I love the dwelling of Your house and the place of the residence of Your glory.
Come, let us prostrate ourselves and bow; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.
But, as for me, may my prayer to You, O Lord, be in an acceptable time. O God, with Your abundant kindness, answer me with the truth of Your salvation"
"Unzer Toyrele" ("Lyre of the Levites" - Clip of Track 1)
A clip of the traditional Jewish Klezmer melody, "Unzer Toyrele" - track 1 from my CD album, "Lyre of the Levites". This track can be downloaded from iTunes:
"Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" ("Lyre of the Levites" - Clip of Track 12)
a clip of "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav"(Jerusalem of Gold) - track 12 from my album, "Lyre of the "Levites". This track is available to download from iTunes:
This enchanting song, written by the Naomi Shemer in 1967, was forever immortalized by the simply legendary singing of it, by the late great Ofra Haza. It is now also known as Israel's "Second National Anthem"...
"Chusen Kalah Mazeltov" ("Lyre of the Levites" - Clip of Track 3)
A clip track 3, the traditional Jewish wedding song ""Chusen Kalah Mazeltov" (Congratulations, Bride & Groom), from my album, "Lyre of the Levites". This track can be download from iTunes:
"Firn Di Mekhutonim Aheym" ("Lyre of the Levites" - Clip of Track 8)
A clip of track 8, the traditional Jewish Klezmer melody "Firn Di Mekhutonim Aheym" (Escorting the Parents of the Bride & Groom),from my album, "Lyre of the Levites". This track can be downloaded from iTunes:
This timeless Klezmer melody was originally composed by the legendary Klezmer clarinetist, Naftule Brandwein, in 1923.
Joseph in Egypt
I have recently had the pleasure of collaborating with the amazing US-based contemporary artist, Wolfgang Schweizer - we have started an exciting new joint project, featuring a new series of Wolfgang's paintings, inspired by my Lyre Music!
Wolfgang modifies the Lyre music with haunting synthesized effects, before painting incredible art, directly inspired by the music - it is now possible to literally "see" what my music sounds like! Here is the painting Wolfgang created, to this joint composition featuring my Lyre & Wolfgang's Syntheizer, "Joseph in Egypt"...
Both a print of this incredible, hypnotising painting, complete with an MP3 of "Joseph in Egypt" which inspired the painting, are available for purchase from:
