Pjetër Dungu
Pjetër Dungu (1908–1989) was an Albanian piano accompanist and composer-arranger of urban folk music. He is known in the history of the music of Albania as the first compiler of Albanian folk songs.[1]
Dungu was born in Shkodër, where he took music lessons from composer Martin Gjoka. He played oboe and trumpet, while studying piano and harmony.
In the 1930s, Dungu gained a reputation as a piano accompanist for urban lyric song, reaching a height around the end of the decade. In 1940, Dungu published Lyra Shqiptare (Albanian Lyra),[2] the first collection of 50 folk melodies. The compilation was published by Instituto Geografico De Agostini, Novara, in Italy. This volume, with the preface by Prof. Kristaq Antoniu, contains; 19 folk songs from Shkodra, 15 folk songs from Korça, 7 folk songs from Kosovo, 5 folk songs from Berat, 2 folk songs from Elbasan, 1 folk song from Durres and 1 folk song from Vlorë.[3] In 1942, he accompanied tenor Kristaq Antoniu on the piano for eight songs recorded for the Columbia Recording Company in Italy.[4] Dungu also conducted an orchestra for seven of Antoniu's recordings.[5]
Other composer-arrangers in Albanian lyric folk music in this period, include Lola Gjoka and Kristo Kono.
References
^ "Music of Albania", ukonline.co.uk
^ "The Origin of Albanian Folk Iso-polyphony" by Vasil S. Tole, worldmusiccentral.org, December 28, 2004
^ "Pjetër Dungu dhe Lyra Shqiptare"
^ "Albanian Urban Lyric Song in the 1930s": Performance & Performers by Eno Koço, Scarecrow Press, 2004, p. 53
^ "Albanian urban lyric song in the 1930s Volumes 1-2 p84-85" by Eno Koço, Scarecrow Press 2004
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