Six Balkan Miniatures is a piece that is especially dear to me, not only because it’s so beautifully written, but as well because it was composed in 1991, the year I was born and the year Yugoslavia fell apart. The piece itself contains a lot of folkloric and rhythmic elements of the Balkans, which are very familiar to me coming from that region. By writing this piece, I think the Serbian composer Dušan Bogdanović in his own way wanted to show how the Yugoslavian nations, despite the country falling apart, are still very much culturally and historically connected with things that know no borders, such as music.
To quote the composer himself:
“These days of political turmoil in Eastern Europe find their focus especially in Yugoslavia, the heart of the Balkans, and my homeland. It is both tragic and ironic to see the further disintegration of the land and the people, while being aware of the unique cultural stamp of the whole area. So, it might be that the art among other universal human endeavors, still shows us a way of harmonizing and synthesizing the most diverse elements coming from the same source. It is in this spirit that I dedicate this music to World Peace.”
Following Miniatures coming soon, stay tuned! :)
www.karmenstendler.com
Special thanks to David Antigüedad Mangas and Uroš Barič at barosrecords.com/studio
The guitar support I am using is Guitarlift by Felix Justen - guitarlift.de/
Played on a Daryl Perry guitar - www.perryguitars.com