Bach's Cantata No 147 for 7string Lyre in the National Library of Greece

In November 2021 I had the privilege to play in the Vallianeio Megaro that belongs to the National Library of Greece. I believe this is the first time nowadays that the 7string Ancient Greek Lyre is presented to play a whole piece of the Baroque era using the chromatic modulations provided by J. S. Bach. It is the result of many hours of practicing having in mind all the depictions of the ancient Greek pottery. I don't claim that the ancient Greeks used to play the lyre as I do, but I feel I am not too far (in any case, whoever knows let present it). The instruments have no limits, the human beings do have. Please, help the lyre live again. It is a magical instrument!

[@SOBIESKI_freedom]

Proof positive that Bach's music can be played on any instrument and still sound like Bach and still sound good. KUDOS!!

[@mrtoast244]

It's crazy what you can do with only 7 notes. Bach really was a Genius.

[@dahawk8574]

7 strings. Which can make far more than 7 notes, as he so eloquently shows here.

[@elisavetagaydamaka7469]

That's not only 7 haha

[@mrtoast244]

@@elisavetagaydamaka7469 I wasn't counting, just assumed the lyre could only play 7 notes

[@AaronGlenn88]

Wow!! Beautiful!! As a pianist and violinist I know that work has so many tones. And the fact you could finesse that lyre to produce the entire work is incredible. Thank you fore sharing your playing!

[@SpiramusPresents]

Sound beyond beautiful not only because of the instrument itself but the mastery of the skillful expressive player as well!!! Thank You!!!!!

[@NikosXanthoulis]

Thank you Spiro!

[@Ruth-xd2xo]

Difficult day today. This brought me peace. Thank you.

[@HarpistAngelina]

My instrument has 47 strings so I can appreciate just how impressive this is! Fascinating.

[@mariatiraski2]

Dear Mr Xanthoulis thank you so much for this wonderful Bach's music rendition on the Lyre ! Pensive, impeccable, innward and inner-order inducive expression and performance, captivating and guiding one in audience to be present with you and the composer in the moment. Furthermore to allow inner thoughts and feelings expand. Thank you again for your eminent cultural input.

[@Jeseppi-Lyre]

Precious. Ethereal. Filled with love and the transcendence of a spiritual soul who loves and understands Bach. Thank you. You touched my soul. ... This is one of the best examples of a profound beauty a true virtuoso is capable of rendering even on the simplest of instruments like the lyre. BRAVO!

[@NikosXanthoulis]

Thank you so much!

[@НатальяТомашевич-в3ф]

Большое спасибо. Мне очень понравилось. Мой кот в восторге. Доброго здоровья и вдохновения музыканту.

[@BrennaCorbit]

I have been playing a replica six string Trossingen lyre for the last few years. I love my instrument and have composed a few pieces on it. Thank you for sharing. It sounds beautiful.

[@BrennaCorbit]

Who made your lyre? Mine was made by a luthier in Poland, but he has dropped out of business due to misfortunate circumstances.

[@Gichanasa]

Sir... maestro Xanthoulis... as a classical guitar player of 30+ years(though an amateur), this arrangement and performance is nothing short of mind-blowing. Would love to learn more about this beautiful instrument. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and artistry with us!

[@NikosXanthoulis]

Dear friend, don't hesitate to contact me [e-mail]

[@DS-yg4qs]

Best lyre player since ancient times. You are great. Play kithara also, please

[@NikosXanthoulis]

@@DS-yg4qs thank you so much! I am on the way to find out how the kithara was played! It is not an easy task....

[@robinlundqvist2565]

I cant describe how impressed I am by this genius of a man!. His playing is pure magic to me

[@NikosXanthoulis]

Thank you Robin!

[@DentelloRomanticComposer1820s]

It's great to hear the sound of this Lyra, it's a wonderful instrument. It was good to find your channel, Mr. Xanthoulis. I remember hearing you in person at a concert you gave here at the University of Tampa at the end of last year. It was an extreme pleasure to hear you talk about ancient Greek music, and it's a pleasure to hear a Bach arrangement for the lyra.

[@NikosXanthoulis]

Thank you so much Fabio!

[@jsguitargeek1432]

Stunning

[@shoshannafachima1306]

Bravo bravissimo🎶❤️🎵

[@chieuvyda]

Simply beautiful!❤🌹

[@efipappap7403]

Αριστούργημα!❤️

[@stevechrisman3185]

Amazing ! All that beauty from 7 strings !

[@Ram-uj8ls]

Bravissimo, bellissimo!

[@rodrigogalliano4609]

beautiful 👋👋👋

[@divacosmalens]

beautiful!

[@rodrigogalliano4609]

Beautiful 👋👋👋

[@yyatsky]

This is AMAZING! Thank you for sharing!

[@kattenihatten]

Amazing! I am hoping to learn how to play the lyre my self one day.

[@destijldelarte]

Εξαιρετικός!

[@ΔημητρηςΜπουκλας-ι6μ]

Εξαιρετικό. Μακάρι κάποτε κι άλλοι Έλληνες να μπορέσουν να εκτιμήσουν τους αρχαίους ήχους. Χαιρετισμούς από Θεσσαλονίκη.

[@NikosXanthoulis]

Ευχαριστώ πολύ!

[@davidgalien]

Bravo. ❤

[@dongkhamet1351]

Hat's off to genius!

[@Shtuhtefup]

This is insane work. I am beyond impressed and even more interested in you and your work!

[@NikosXanthoulis]

Thank you so much!

[@hh4826]

Incredible

[@frogmouth]

So impressive

[@NikosXanthoulis]

Thank you Jennifer!

[@damongeo840]

Θὰ γίνῃ τὸ ἐθνικόν μας ὄργανον ξανά.

[@Carlos-qz7ul]

I'll never hear the Greek lyre with the same 👂👂. Everything is top level here ! By the way, what is this beautiful wood the lyre is made of? Lemon 🍋 tree?

[@KatErina-ii6ru]

Probably similar to what King David played guarding his sheep and worshiping the Lord ❤

[@theresonancenook]

Now i know this song only has 7 tones basically... And i had NO CLUE ABOUT THAT!!!

[@Montcalf091]

It has much more than that, he uses harmonics to get more notes from 7 strings

[@lathamgreen]

Harmonics?

[@NikosXanthoulis]

Yes!!!

[@Qidonaoriginal0808]

Is giving ‘go to sleep’ tone

[@penguindrum264]

Is there another tuning mechanisms at the base of the instrument?

[@NikosXanthoulis]

No, just pressing the string below the bridge.

[@Ruth-xd2xo]

So to play an accidental you press the string below the bridge, thereby changing the pitch? And I see in another comment you mention harmonics. How are these played on the lyre? I play the violin.@@NikosXanthoulis

[@NikosXanthoulis]

@@Ruth-xd2xo it is exactly the same: you play them with the thumb and the index

[@michellethiesen7972]

Is it a hard instrument to learn? It doesn't look like a very complex instrument. I'm hoping to find an one that's easy to learn by myself.

[@NikosXanthoulis]

It depends on the music you want to play

[@Goth108]

Where can I buy a lyre like this, but minus the gut strings, bones(?) and the likes?

[@chrysalifourfour]

You want a vegan lyre? Why?

[@Goth108]

@@chrysalifourfour because I prefer to go nonviolent ways when possible, simply? Not sure why I need to explain the obvious? No animal products unless animals are harmed and killed. The same animals having family bonds, friends and enemies just as we do. The same animals experiencing emotions much stronger than we are mentally even capable of. The same animals being farmed to be killed at millions a day. I just don't like supporting that, when having options to avoid that. So yes, a vegan, but still historically relevant lyre would be pretty neat for me. Does anyone make such, by chance?

[@chrysalifourfour]

@@Goth108 I wouldn't presuppose that the guts and bones are extracted violently. It's much likelier that they are sourced from diseased animals, not farmed ones for what ultimately is a tiny fraction of animal usage. Furthermore, other materials (wood, synthetics) are very much inappropriate for instrument making, they don't quite resonate the same way, not to mention the historical unauthenticity this would infer. You could of course commission someone to build one for you, but I doubt it would sound nice, or make a dent in the carnage of the animal industry.

[@DaneJarl]

He's doing something VERY difficult, he's playing 20 notes on a Lyre with 7 strings(notes), using harmonics. If you got this Lyre.. you'd quickly find yourself limited to the kinds of noises you could make. Just something to be aware of.

[@Goth108]

@@chrysalifourfour we are not talking of some random instrument built by some passionate hippie for some special people of choice, but of mass production of thousands of instruments for even more individual people all wanting to have the same each. You won't find things "sourced from already diseased animals anyway" in any industrial context whatsoever, how is any manufacturer of any noteworthy means supposed to work this way in first place? Manufacturers of musical instruments place orders at slaughterhouses, just like your next butcher, and get things from purposely killed animals the same way the next butcher gets pieces of mass produced, heavily abused, killed, rotten and conserved animals for sale. If it wasn't for this exact way, you and me wouldn't be discussing this topic in first place, as we wouldn't be able to expect any mass production of any musical instrument in first place then. Makes sense, right? Plus, personally I dislike obvious bits of dead animals on things I like to use for the same reason I dislike seeing corpses of dead people or their parts used on or for anything, is that allowed pretty please, to have something like a taste? When I play gut strings I sure enjoy how they feel and sound, however, I also envision how the animals the gut strings are coming from would live a free and happy life if it wasn't for special kinds of human assholes happily walking over their dead bodies, and feel pretty sad and discomforted then. And the lyre in the video apparently is built up on a skull, that's just visually disgusting already. Still, it would be nice to have this specific type of instrument built without appalling choices of materials, as it obviously is a very challenging and fun instrument which sounds pretty good in trained hands, as we can hear. So allow me to hope to locate and be able to afford a vegan lyre allowing for the same playing technique and being just as historically accurate minus the animal abuse, please, as that'd be pretty cool for me. And yes, I could likely find someone custom building this for me, but that's expensive and based on a lot of error then. Someone with better financial and historical means than me needs to figure this out and make it happen, so I could possibly own the thing too then.

[@mikeyaz123]

am i the only one hearing pokemon music at 1:01???