The composition of Melisma was inspired by a recording the composer heard of a famous taximi - a slow non-rhythmic improvisatory piece in Greek traditional music - by Tassos Chalkias, one of Greece's prominent folk clarinetists. The work presents an extended, free-flowing melody adorned by intricate ornamentation, after the manner of the taximi. This is similar to the klezmer style of clarinet playing, no note being permitted to stay in pitch for any length of time, instead being subject to almost continuous pitch shifts and timbral modulation.
Born in Greece, educated in the United States and a Canadian citizen since 1985, composer Christos Hatzis (b.1953) is becoming widely known as a leading figure in contemporary classical music. His works are performed and broadcast throughout the world, and their frequent combination of a powerful spiritual foundation with an immediately accessible appeal has made a deep emotional impact upon audiences and performers alike.
