Verabei for solo guitar (2023)
Verabei was commissioned by guitarist Robert Phillips in 2023 as part of a series of dance-inspired solo guitar compositions. For this series, composers of different ethnic origins were invited to create compositions based on dance rhythms from their cultures. I chose to base this work on an ancient Belarusian fiddle dance tune called "Verabei" ("Sparrow"); in addition, I incorporated the melody of a lovely Belarusian folk song called "Oi I Grusha Maya" ("My Pear Tree"), which I found in а field recording captured during a 2018-19 ethnographic expedition to Krasnapolle, a settlement in the Chernobyl-affected zone of Southeastern Belarus. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my friend Andrei Bursau for his help with my research into Belarusian folk music. Approx. duration: 5.5 min.
Verabei was commissioned by guitarist Robert Phillips in 2023 as part of a series of dance-inspired solo guitar compositions. For this series, composers of different ethnic origins were invited to create compositions based on dance rhythms from their cultures. I chose to base this work on an ancient Belarusian fiddle dance tune called "Verabei" ("Sparrow"); in addition, I incorporated the melody of a lovely Belarusian folk song called "Oi I Grusha Maya" ("My Pear Tree"), which I found in а field recording captured during a 2018-19 ethnographic expedition to Krasnapolle, a settlement in the Chernobyl-affected zone of Southeastern Belarus. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my friend Andrei Bursau for his help with my research into Belarusian folk music. Approx. duration: 5.5 min.
Verabei was commissioned by guitarist Robert Phillips in 2023 as part of a series of dance-inspired solo guitar compositions. For this series, composers of different ethnic origins were invited to create compositions based on dance rhythms from their cultures. I chose to base this work on an ancient Belarusian fiddle dance tune called "Verabei" ("Sparrow"); in addition, I incorporated the melody of a lovely Belarusian folk song called "Oi I Grusha Maya" ("My Pear Tree"), which I found in а field recording captured during a 2018-19 ethnographic expedition to Krasnapolle, a settlement in the Chernobyl-affected zone of Southeastern Belarus. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my friend Andrei Bursau for his help with my research into Belarusian folk music. Approx. duration: 5.5 min.