Youssef Greise

Yousif Greise was born into a rich family in Upper Egypt on December 13, 1899. The mother played piano and the literature-maniac father also loved music. Raised up in such an atmosphere, Yousif Greise inherited from his parents their deep affection for music. Thus, he breathed the fragrance of music at home and learned how to play violin under two of the renowned violinists at this time, Sami el Shawa and Mansur Awadi.

Mastering the basic keys and varieties of eastern violin, he moved to European prominent musicians including the Polish Adolph and the Austrian Sandy Rosdol. He joined the Faculty of Medicine but left without a degree and moved to the Faculty of Law at Cairo University. After graduation, he worked as a lawyer before he could dedicate himself to studying music under the conductor Joseph Hotel. He started his composition career.

In 1930, Greise became member in the Society of Authors and Publishers in Paris. He hosted many of the reputed conductors, composers and singers who came to attend the first International Conference for Arab Music in 1932. His frequent meetings with the world’s great musicians undoubtedly enriched his musical talent.

In 1932, Greise made his debut when he met the audience for the first time with his symphony ‘Egypt’, led by the conductor Joseph Hotel. Thus, the first orchestra symphony by an Egyptian composer was born.

In 1942, Greise took part in founding the Egyptian Society of Music Amateurs with his peers such as Mustafa Musharafa and Hassan Rashid. Yousif Greise, died at 62 on April 7, 1961 in Venice.

Most of his compositions remained unpublished up to now. In the Day of Art in 1981, the state honored and listed him in the Record of Immortals in the Arts Academy.

Style

Nationalism, patriotism, liberalized Romanticism along with genuine eastern spirit tangled together to make up Greise’s style. His compositions, characterized by non-classic Romanticism , appeared as sentimental, romantic and descriptive images as well as they reflected a spirit that suits Egypt’s music fans at the first half of 20th century. He believed this variety of compositions sound real music to the ears of Egyptian listeners.

Tissue

Greise employed the harmonic tissue in his musical compositions. Rarely did he used the polophony tissue, yet he used it in his first symphony ‘Egypt’. His harmonic tissue, however, came traditionally classic. He also tended to use parallel penta and octa forms.

Composition ideas

Greise’s composition ideas were characterized by a deep sense of creativity, yet the Arab features disappeared from his compositions. His compositions were more or less confined to Diton key, but sometimes had other eastern keys such as Nahawand. The rhythm was mostly western, traditional and traditional.

Performance

Solo violin and piano compositions are a major part in Greise’s compositions. He wrote 23 solo piano composition, 14 solo violin 3 solo flute, 6 lyrical compositions with piano and 10 orchestra compositions.

Greise mastered the violin, which was his favourite musical instrument. He knew well how to use its spaces with compositional ideas and vocal spaces.

His orchestra was also traditionally classic in its formation in which a number of instruments were combined to form vocal mixture, dominated by string instruments.

His Works

First: Solo piano compositions

• The Sudanese, 1932
• Nile Boatman, 1932
• La Galerien , 1932
• Good Luck, 1932
• A Boat Burns, 1932
• How Are You,1932
• Truth, 1932
• Little Palestinian, 1932
• Happiness, 1932
• A Night in the Boat,1945

Second: Solo Violin compositions

• The Bedouin No. 1931 of 1932
• The Egyptian Village, No. 22 of 1932
• Dance of the palm valley
• Souvenir, No. 25 of 1932.
• Son of the Valley, 1943
• Bedouin Singing, 1944
• Company of the Nile 1944,
• Desert songs, 1944
• Sphinx and Violin, 1947
• Daughter of Pyramids, 1961

Third: violin and piano compositions

• We Dance, 1928
• Forest, 1929
• On Bank of the Nile, 1931
• The Carrier of Water, 1931
• Greetings to Vienna, 1931
• Dance of Palm Trees, 1932
• In the Desert, 1932
• Murrmering Scarabee, 1944
• Romance, 1945
• The Nile Sings, 1950

Fourth: Solo Flute compositions

• Echo of the Desert, 1944
• Echo of the Valley, 1944
• Echo of the Nile, 1944

Fifth : Solo Cello compositions

• The Man Peasent, 1922

Sixth : Cello and Piano compositions

• The Woman Peasent, 1923

Seventh : Lyrical compositions with piano

• Song of the Valley, 1943.

• Boat of Fate, 1944

• Dance of the Nile, 1944

• Song of the Shaperd, 1944

• The Nile’s Song and Call, 1944

• Dance of the Village, 1944

Eeighth : Orchestral Compositions

• Egypt, Symphony, 1932

• The Carrier of Water, 1932

• Toward Desert Monastery, Symphony, 1934

• The Nile and Rose, Symphony, 1943

• Pharos’ Pyramids, Symphony, 1960