Hamlet Gonashvili
Encyclopedia
Hamlet Gonashvili was a Georgian
singer (tenor
), influential teacher and performer of traditional Georgian music. He is sometimes referred to as "the voice of Georgia".
Gonashvili was born in eastern Georgia and is considered the best interpreter of songs from the Kartli
and Kakheti
regions. He was a recipient of many national honours and prizes. The Third Symphony of the Georgian composer Giya Kancheli
drew inspiration from Gonashvili's singing, and he was himself the soloist in the first recording of the work (Olympia Records, 1979). He died in 1985, at the height of his fame, as the result of a fall from an apple tree. Hamlet (JARO
, 1985) is a collection of his most impressive songs.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
singer (tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
), influential teacher and performer of traditional Georgian music. He is sometimes referred to as "the voice of Georgia".
Gonashvili was born in eastern Georgia and is considered the best interpreter of songs from the Kartli
Kartli
Kartli is a historical region in central-to-eastern Georgia traversed by the river Mtkvari , on which Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is situated. Known to the Classical authors as Iberia, Kartli played a crucial role in ethnic and political consolidation of the Georgians in the Middle Ages...
and Kakheti
Kakheti
Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...
regions. He was a recipient of many national honours and prizes. The Third Symphony of the Georgian composer Giya Kancheli
Giya Kancheli
Giya Kancheli , born 10 August 1935, in Tbilisi, is a Georgian composer resident in Belgium.Since 1991, Kancheli has lived in Western Europe: first in Berlin, and since 1995 in Antwerp, where he is composer-in-residence for the Royal Flemish Philharmonic....
drew inspiration from Gonashvili's singing, and he was himself the soloist in the first recording of the work (Olympia Records, 1979). He died in 1985, at the height of his fame, as the result of a fall from an apple tree. Hamlet (JARO
Jaro Medien
Jaro Medien GmbH is a German music company founded in 1981. It books eclectic musical acts, as well as publishing and selling recordings.-Artists:* Aquabella* Arkady Shilkloper* Betagarri* Bremen Immigrant Orchestra* Charles...
, 1985) is a collection of his most impressive songs.
External links
- Hamlet Gonashvili (Tbilissi/Georgia). Jaro Medien OnlineJaro MedienJaro Medien GmbH is a German music company founded in 1981. It books eclectic musical acts, as well as publishing and selling recordings.-Artists:* Aquabella* Arkady Shilkloper* Betagarri* Bremen Immigrant Orchestra* Charles...
, 2006.