In einer einmaligen Kombination aus Jazz, Volksmusik, klassischer Musik und Rock entwickeln Iva Bittová und Anıl Eraslan in „What my father sang to me“ bei der Vertonung alter europäischer Volkslieder ihren ganz eigenen Stil.
Ausgangspunkt sind dabei die Lieder, die Iva Bittová seit ihrer Kindheit aus dem Munde ihres Vaters gelernt hat und ihm nun als Geschenk zurückschickt. In ihre Erinnerungen an die Sommer auf dem Land in der Slowakei an der Grenze zu Ungarn mischen sich musikalische Einflüsse aus Volksliedvertonungen von Leoš Janáček und Béla Bartók. Mit Anıl Eraslan trifft sie auf einen der spannendsten improvisierenden Cellisten der Gegenwart. Gemeinsam werfen sie sich spielerisch Motive aus den alten Melodien zu und improvisieren über Verse aus den zugrunde liegenden Gedichten. So wird „What my father sang to me“ zu einer sehr persönlichen und berührenden Erinnerung an die Kindheit und die Eltern, aber auch Traditionen, Leidenschaften und Emotionen.
„Every moment is a new vibration, a new resonation, new ideas and new messages to the universe. After all my educational experiences it is live creative musical process that brings power to the planet.“
Open up the sky
von Iva Bittová
As the daughter of a Moravian mother (a teacher and singer) Lidmila Bittová and Slovakian father (who played various instruments) Koloman Bitto, this choice of songs came naturally: I would use melodies that my parents loved. This selection would offer me a chance to send back a „thankful gift“ to them for giving me such an amazing childhood.
During the totalitarian era in Czechoslovakia the Czech and Slovak languages were used in the media and spoken at home. Some of older people also spoke German. The official foreign language taught in school was Russian. Our relatives were spread out over the entire country and my favorite time was the visits each summer to the family on my father’s side. They lived in small village near the Hungarian border where many people enhanced their lives with playing music. Those summers, especially experiencing traditional
Moravian, Slovak, and Hungarian folk music, are reflected in my piece. After separation between Czech and Slovak Republic in 1993 many culture bonds perished and the younger generations were unable anymore to speak both languages. Every time that I go on tour in Slovakia, I feel as home and the audience gives me welcoming and appreciative response. I have been particularly inspired by the Moravian folk poetry in songs (Leoš Janáček) and Slovak songs (Béla Bartók), musical gems that areon the top of my repertoire.
Being part of a musical culture, not only as a musician but also as a listener, nourished my sense of being in tune with the earth. Every moment is a new vibration, a new resonation, new ideas and new messages to the universe. After all my educational experiences it is live
creative musical process that brings power to the planet.
When I was 20 my father, Koloman Bitto, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He could not exist anymore without music, playing his double-bass, cimbalom, trumpet, and other instruments. He died three years later and decided to follow his musical path. It is the best way for me to express myself, to communicate, to understand myself and others. It is a healing process just to work with the voice and violin and to practice every day. This musical language sometimes means more than our world, it could open “the sky”.
Songtexte
Holub
Song from Ukraine
Kohutik
Song from the north east of Slovakia
Panna
Song from the north of Moravia
Modry Kvietok
Song from Slovakia
Javor
Song from Ukraine
Javor, javor javoryna,
L’udy brešut’, ja ne vina.
Trava zelena, stojit’ nad vodov,
nebolyt’ ňa moje serce za Tobov.
Zvony
Song from Slovakia
Čí to zvony zvoňá
Či orgóny hrajú
Či to ťe lieskovske
ďoučata spievajú
Zvony to nezvoňá
orgóny nehrajú
Ale to ťe lieskovske
ďoučata spievajú