Sunday, February 9, 2003 , 3:30 PM
3 Greek Dances
Nikos Skalkottas, 1904-1949
Tsamikos
Cretan Dance
Epirotikos Dance
Mayovotana (Magic Herbs),
A Cycle of Greek Songs, (USA Premier)
Manolis Kalomiris, 1883-1962
Eleni Apostolis,
Soprano
Preluido
A Fay Gave Me Birth
Old Mother Life
The Prince Waited Ready
Lamia, The Black Ogress
Menelaos Leaps Forward
From Distant Kingdoms
Sperm of Hamko
Digenis Akritas
Symphony No. 1 (USA Premier)
Petros Petridis
Allegro
Adagio molto cantabile
Allegretto
Presto
Acknowledgements
Tsamikos
Cretan Dance
Epirotikos Dance
Nikos Skalkottas
1904-1949
Skalkottas was born in Halkis, but his family moved to Athens, so Skalkottas could study violin at the Athens Conservatory. In 1921, he went to Berlin on scholarship, where he first studied violin and then composition with Jarnach and Schoenberg (1924-1931).
Skalkottas gained the respect of many composers in Europe. Economic need forced him to return to Greece where he worked as an orchestral violinist to support his family. He continued to compose, first in the 12-tone system, then in free atonal style, but always in isolation and without any material support. His music has lyricism, reminding one of Berg, can be subtle like that of Webern, and can be rhythmic as that of Stravinsky and Bartok. Skalkottas developed Schoenberg's technique to new dimensions.
Skalkottas has been deeply influenced by Greek folk music, even though much of his output is not instantly recognizable as "folksy" in character. Skalkottas wrote over 150 works, including two symphonic suites, a Symphony in one movement called "The Return of Ulysses", four piano and several other concertos, over 50 chamber works, piano pieces, choral works, cantatas, songs, other vocal works including folk songs.
One of his more popular works is the 36 Greek Dances, which have been recorded by the Ural State Orchestra under Byron Fidetzis. They were composed in 1931-1936, and reviewed in 1949.
The Sinfonietta will perform the first three of the Dances: Tsamikos, Cretikos, and Epirotikos.
The Tsamikos is characterized by a polyphonic texture in which all melodic elements are important. The dissonances which result by the moving parts are characteristic of this piece. The trumpets have gently weaving melodies playing against the main theme of the dance.
The Cretikos is a lively dance whose melodies are used in the famous Cretan limericks. In Crete, the rapid figurations played by the violins in this piece are performed on the Cretan Lyra, a small string-and-bow instrument with a characteristic nasal sound.
The Epirotikos is a manly dance, with the strings playing in unison, the woodwinds doing musical filigrees and the trumpets playing competing, but effective counterpoints.
Notes by George Blytas
Mayovotana (Magic Herbs)
A Cycle of Greek Songs
(USA Premier)
Eleni Apostolis,
Soprano
Manolis Kalomiris
1883-1962
Notes by
Myrto Economides
In 1906 Kalomiris and his bride, Charikleia, moved to Kharkov, Russia, where he taught music at the Oblensky Lyceum and became acquainted with the Russian School of music. That experience inspired him to lay the foundations of a musical tradition based on Greek folksongs and the demotic language, the spoken language of the Greek people and of the progressive writers of his time. One of the writers that Kalomiris especially admired was the great poet Kostis Palamas.
In 1910, Kalomiris settled permanently in Athens where he taught at the Athens Conservatory. In 1919 he founded the National Conservatory with which he was associated until his death.
Kalomiris was elected a member of the Athens Academy and has been honored with many distinctions for his work in establishing a national school of music. He composed many works, including five operas, three symphonies, song cycles for voice and orchestra or voice and piano, a piano concerto, a violin concertino, chamber works and piano works. He also wrote a number of books on music education.
Several of Kalomiris' compositions were influenced by Palamas. The First symphony, Leventia, is dedicated to him, and the second and third symphonies are based on works by Palamas. Finally, the song cycle Mayovotana (Magic Herbs) is also based on poems written by Palamas on the basis of legends, fairy tales, allegories and historical events.
Mayovotana is a collection of tone poems in which the vocal line and the symphonic development -which is more than a simple accompaniment- follow closely the moods and ideas articulated in Palamas' poetry. Surprise, emotion, fear, love and anxiety, are convincingly portrayed in this early work by Kalomiris.
Preluido
A Fay Gave Me Birth
Old Mother Life
The Prince Waited Ready
Lamia, The Black Ogress
Menelaos Leaps Forward
From Distant Kingdoms
Sperm of Hamko
Digenis Akritas
Old Mother Life, is a fairy tale of love and loss: how the Prince braved every danger to secure his Princess and make her his bride, only to have her snatched by a Dragon to places unknown.
The Prince Waited Ready, describes how the Prince (presumably a different one) lays ambush to slay the ogress that ravaged the children of his land, only to discover "in the pale gleam of the twilight that she was his own beloved, sweetheart, so pure and so fair".
In A Lamia, another ogress sent the storyteller to fetch her diamond ring that had fallen in a deep, bottomless well. He could not find it. Should he climb up and face the Lamia, or sink into the hell-pit below?
In the fifth song, Menelaus Leaps Forward, Menelaus tries to kill the faithless Helene. But he cannot resist the love potion the she has made from Magic Herbs, and under her spell he falls once more.
The sixth song, almost autobiographical and written in the first person, describes how the poet welcomed a gallant young horseman and his lovely bride, hailing From Foreign Kingdoms and ages past, into his castle; and how he taught them the language of Love in his own language of a poet.
The seventh song, Sperm of Hamko, is based on history. It portrays Ali Pasha, the son of Hamko and ruthless tyrant of the City of Ioannina, who for two generations had oppressed Epirus. The song describes the tyrant in his harem and the anxiety he suffered at the thought that a village, the legendary Souli, had managed to remain free through a combination of heroism and topographic inaccessibility. In the song, Ali Pasha cannot sleep because Souli was still free.
The last song, Digenis Akritas, is based on a Greek legend about a hero who defies death. Digenis Akritas represents the spirit of the men and women of Greece (Di-genis), and provides a triumphant closure to the song cycle.
Mayovotana were composed during the Balkan Wars of 1911-1913 in the course of which Greece liberated its northern provinces, Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace, from the Ottoman Empire.
Notes By George Blytas
in D minor, Op. 70
(USA Premier)
Allegro
Adagio molto cantabile
Allegretto
Presto
Petros Petridis
1892-1977
In 1958 Petridis replaced Sibelius in the French Academy and in 1959 he became a member of the Athens Academy.
Petridis' principal works are the opera Zephyra, the ballet Tradesman, five symphonies, two piano concertos, a violin concerto, the oratorio St Paul, and other symphonic and vocal works. Most of his works reflect the influence of the folksongs of his native land, Asia Minor, where Greek populations had flourished for over thirty centuries until they were ethnically cleansed in 1922. Some of his works also show the influence of the trends in European composition during first decades of the 20th century. Thus the Kleft Dances show influences of Stravinsky.
The First Symphony, written in 1926-1928, a few years after the uprooting of the Greek populations of Asia Minor, is subtitled "the Greek Symphony". The prominent use of clarinet and flute reflects the influence of Greek folk music. The use of English horn in plaintive melodies express a longing for a Greek world lost. Its mournful Second Movement suggests a dirge. The third movement, with its almost heroic use of brass, suggests events of epic proportion, yet it is uplifting and optimistic. The last movement is a loosely constructed rondo punctuated by brilliant woodwind cadenzas and leading to a big, sonorous ending.
The First Symphony is being performed in the musical edition prepared by Maestro Byron Fidetzis.
Notes by George Blytas,
Based on research by Byron Fidetzis
I have wanted to present an all Geek-music concert for sometime, but logistics and other difficulties have kept me from undertaking such a project. So I must express my gratitude to Mr. James Petheriotes for encouraging me to proceed with this project and for providing a major part of the financial support needed.
Obtaining unpublished music by Greek composers is not easy. In that regard, I must express my gratitude to Maestro Byron Fidetzis for facilitating access to the First Symphony by Petros Petridis, a work which he has both edited and recorded masterfully. Maestro Fidetzis is Musical Director of the State Orchestra of Athens and of the Symphony Orchestra of the City of Thessaloniki, as well as President of the Kalomiris Society. With his excellent recordings, Mr. Fidetzis has championed Greek Classical music and has received numerous honors for his pioneering work.
One of the motives for doing this work was my desire to perform a work by Manolis Kalomiris who, for a brief period of my life, was also my mentor. For this I must thank the Manolis Kalomiris Society, the National Conservatory, and especially Ms. Myrto Economides, musicologist, archivist and Secretary of the Manolis Kalomiris Society. Ms. Economides facilitated my research of the Kalomiris works, provided the music we are performing today, and has encouraged the project all along.
I must also thank Mr. Anthony Kouzounis, Mr. Petro Yuanidis, and Mrs. Anna Mavromati of Houston, and Mr. Aki Vlahos, Mrs. Mary Vlahos and Mrs. Anna Mourouka of Athens for helping with this project.
For co-sponsoring this event, I want to thank the Houston Chapter of the American Hellenic Educational And Professional Association and The Hellenic Professional Society of Texas .
Finally, and most importantly, I must thank the members of the Houston Sinfonietta, and especially our talented young soloist, Eleni Apostolis.
THANK YOU ALL!
George Blytas
printed concert program
by Anna Mavromati