Hadjidakis’s orchestral works
A distinctive feature of the work of Manos Hadjidakis, and one that differentiates him from other great Greek compsers, is that apart from excellent songs, he has also penned numerous orchestral works. Some of his works are orchestral from beginning to end, while in others orchestral parts alternate with songs; this characterizes the works he has written for film and theater, for example. These beautiful compositions are cherished by those who have discovered Hadjidakis’s complete works and are not restricted to his popular songs. Unknown melodies Charmed by Hadjidakis’s orchestral compositions, guitarist Stella Kypreou adapted some of them for guitar and mandolin and, along with mandolin player Vivi Gkeka, recorded them in the album «Erotiki Polyrythmia,» released by MBI. What is interesting about this album, apart from the quality of the music and the interpretations, is that it does not recycle the usual Hadjidakis songs that are already well known, but contains melodies unknown to the wider public. «That was one of the reasons I recorded this album and I hope that these compositions will urge people to look up the complete works they come from,» said Kypreou. «Another reason I did this recording was because I felt it my duty to show what I gained from Hadjidakis, all the years I was next to him.» From her very first efforts in 1979 and until the composer’s death, Hadjidakis collaborated with Kypreou: she played the guitar in his orchestras, when he recorded albums or when he played live. «I was lucky to become acquainted with many of those compositions at the time of their creation and to play them in many concerts, here and abroad,» she said. «But I have been feeling their absence recently. I had to wait for the Orchestra of Colors or the Hadjidakis Music Ensemble to give a concert so that I could play them. I wanted to be able to play them for my own pleasure and that is how this album came about. It took me three years because there were no scores; I had to do it by ear and then make the adaptations for guitar and mandolin.» The mandolin touch When asked why she decided to add the mandolin and not just use the guitar, as one would expect from a guitarist, Kypreou replied that that was how she started and why there are five guitar solos in the album. «Yet the guitar is rather poor and insufficient in rendering the dense melodies of Hadjidakis’s orchestrations. The guitar is an instrument with many other gifts, like sensitivity, but it is not enough. And I didn’t want to use two guitars, which is what people usually do, because that takes away the challenge of seeing what you can do with the instrument by itself. So I added the mandolin and Vivi Gheka, who plays it, gives a very emotive performance.» «It is like drinking water from a fountain, that is how I feel,» said Kypreou when asked how she was affected by the fact that she had seen some of these compositions created and recorded in the studio. «I remember Hadjidakis’s look clearly, or his hand when he conducted, when he gave you the material for the first time and how he did it. These things define you…»
