Eva Quartet — Harmonies

Sometimes you almost forget how good a CD was, when it has been sitting in your collection for quite some time. For me, the Bulgarian vocal group Ера Квартет is one of these rediscoveries of late.

About ten years ago, the big choirs from Bulgaria, then called Le Mystère Des Voix Bulgares, were embraced by Western musiclovers. Sampled, moviesoundtracks, they’d pop up in the most unlikely places. I’ve never been too enthousiastic about them, although they have their moments and I’m sure that it’s very impressive experienced live.

The Ера Квартет consists of four members of the famous choir, currently dubbed Angelite. This is their second release, the first outside Bulgaria. Only four of them is much better to my ears. Also closer to the various local traditions of the countryside unlike the cultivated arrangements of the huge choirs. I’m no purist, but these four have a more delicate power that moves me deeply.

The opening track, Daybreak Dawned, immediately sends the shivers down my spine. The song from the Rhodope mountains is tragic, yet tender. The following song, a medley of Shopski airs features some of the famous tremolotechnique called ‘quavering’, the girls show to have a stunning technique. The material is mostly traditional, sometimes composed within a tradition. The quartet effortlessly swings from the most romantic or sad harmonies to scary dissonants. Although all a cappella they keep the listener interested by taking us on a trip through the Bulgarian regions and timeframes. For instance: a Thracian song called The Sun Shimmers is written in a Turkish/Arabic makam (mode) called ‘huzam’ while Dzyalo Blazheni Este was originally written as early as the 9th century.

Often sad and delicate, often spinechilling, yet sometimes tearing your soul apart with an intensity that you didn’t hold possible for only four voices, the Ера Квартет made an amazing album with Хармонцц. The vocal talents of these four women are definitely that has to be heard to be believed in these times of the studiotrickery of autotuners.