Anatoli (Ανατολή) is a Greek word meaning “Sunrise”. The sunrise can symbolize hope, rebirth, growth a period of renewal, or a return to life after a period of darkness or hardship. The sun’s emergence from darkness can evoke feelings of hope and optimism, suggesting that even after challenges, brighter times are possible.
Through the combination of lyrical expressive melodic material (embellished with improvisation elements), rich rhythmic diversity inspired from the Greek traditional music and through the exploration of musical color, timbral effects and techniques such as “Iso-polyphony”, I wanted to express the emotions evoked both by the literal and metaphorical/symbolic meaning of the word “Anatoli”.
As far as the rhythm is concerned, Greek folk music emphasizes rhythmic complexity, incorporating asymmetrical time signatures with various combinations of mixed rhythms (7/8 – Kalamatiano, 9/8 Karsilamas, 9/8 or 9/4 – Zeibekiko, 5/8, 10/8, 8/8 etc.) underlining the role of dance.