Byzantine Dances

Description

Written in the style of a Roma dance, “Byzantine Dances” is fast and energetic. Students will love playing in a different style, and directors will find plenty of historical content to teach while learning this piece.

Program Notes

“Byzantine Dances” is designed to portray a set of Turkish dances. The opening dance is fast and energetic, written in the style of a Roma Gypsy dance. During this upbeat section, the melody incorporates grace notes that are enjoyable to play, while the harmony and bassline include engaging countermelodies and syncopated lines. The slower section in the middle of the piece is crafted in the style of a Zeybek dance, often performed by a solo dancer symbolizing courage and heroism. The dancer uses outstretched arms, resembling a great hawk.

In this composition, I chose to incorporate some uniquely Turkish-sounding elements. Much of the melodic material is based on either the Byzantine scale or the Harmonic Major scale, both of which produce a somewhat exotic sound.

The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, lasted from about 400–1453 A.D. and covered much of the area of what is now Turkey. With the conquest of the Byzantine Empire’s capital, Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire began its reign in 1453. After World War I, the Ottoman Empire fell, and the Republic of Turkey was formed in 1923.

Please enjoy “Byzantine Dances”!