Franco Cesarini: Greek Folk Dances Op. 58a (Blazerskwintet)

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Franco Cesarini: Greek Folk Dances Op. 58a (Blazerskwintet)|for Double Wind Quintet

Folk dances are widespread throughout Greece. In this composition formed by three movements, Franco Cesarini elaborates some typical dances of the Greek folk tradition by making use of three traditional folk songs, developing them freely. The first movement is a kalamatianos, a festive dance that has roots dating all the way back to antiquity and is considered the national dance of Greece. Its most distinctive feature is the irregular 7/8 rhythm. Depending on the occasion and the dancers’ level of skill, certain steps may be taken as jumps or squats.

The second movement represents a zeibekiko. Contrary to most of the traditional Greek dances, the zeibekiko is not a dance performed in a group; it doesn’t have any step to follow, only certain figures. The third movement, an hasapiko, is a traditional dance with roots from Constantinople. It serves as the inspiration for the “sirtaki” and progresses from a slow to a faster pace. The hasapiko is performed in a line or open circle formation, with each dancer placing his on the neighbour’s shoulders.