Eleni Karaindrou gives music to ‘The Weeping Meadow’
In the last 21 years, director Theo Angelopoulos and composer Eleni Karaindrou have fused their respective creativity by collaborating in poetic films such as «Eternity and a Day,» «Ulysses’ Gaze» and «The Suspended Step of the Stork,» among others. The award-winning director’s new feature «The Weeping Meadow» marks their seventh collaboration so far, and the film’s soundtrack has just been released by ECM Records. Known as a perfectionist, whose free spirit and talent have earned her worldwide critical acclaim, Karaindrou has over the years built an impressive resume based on works for cinema and theater as well as recordings and concerts. «I wish to thank Theo for this great journey toward self-knowledge,» said Karaindrou at a celebratory press conference at the Athens Concert Hall yesterday. Two years ago the composer joined Angelopoulos at Lake Kerkini, where the director had set up a sensational set, re-creating an entire village of 200 houses. In this first installment of a cinematic trilogy, the film follows the story of a family leaving Odessa for Greece in 1919. Taking her cue from the story’s underlining theme of uprooting, the composer began working on the soundtrack’s principal theme before shooting began, focusing on the lead character, a young accordion player. The result was deep, earthy tunes, emanating from the accordion’s nostalgia, the epic grandeur of the horn and the tearful, almost fairy-like touches of the harp. «The Weeping Meadow» opens at the Berlin Festival on February 12, while its music will be presented by Karaindrou and the Camerata Orchestra under the baton of Alexandros Myrat in a world premiere in Rome on April 28. In Greece, the first live performance will take place in November this year. Also present at the press conference was Manfred Eicher, founder and general manager of ECM, who talked about the possibility of the prestigious Munich-based record label expanding its activities in Greece. Besides Karaindrou, ECM also works with violinist Leonidas Kavakos, pianist Vassilis Tsambropoulos and vocalist Savina Yiannatou.
