GNO stages Kalomiris opera
The Greek National Opera’s (GNO) latest production is one of the most beautiful Greek operas, Manolis Kalomiris’s «The Mother’s Ring,» a story of tenderness and love which takes place at Christmas and will open at the Olympia Theater tomorrow, New Year’s Eve. The performance will be repeated on Sunday and on January 7 and 9. «We put a lot of love into this production. As of this year, the National Opera wants to lay emphasis on Greek creations by including more works by Greek artists in the theater’s permanent repertoire,» said National Opera artistic director Loukas Karytinos at a recent press conference. «This is without doubt one of the masterpieces of modern Greek music and can be very successful abroad,» added maestro Vassilis Christopoulos, who will be conducting the National Opera Orchestra. The opera is set in a Greek village on Christmas Eve. Young Yiannakis is very ill and his mother tries to encourage him; she decides to sell the family ring, despite a curse proclaiming she should never part from it, in order to pay for her child’s cure. The play is directed by Spyros A. Evangelatos, with sets and costumes by Maria Konomi and choreography by Issidoros Sideris. Well-known mezzo-soprano Markella Hadziano will play the mother and the remaining parts will be played by soloists Yiannis Christopoulos (Yiannakis), Dionyssis Sourbis (Sotiris), Vassiliki Karayianni (Erofilli), Yiannis Yiannissis (Kyriakos), Sofia Kyanidou (Dame) and Efi Dimitrelou (Maid). National Opera, Olympia Theater, 59-61 Academias, tel 210.364.3700.
