CULTURE

Music, letters, imagery unite

Seasoned singer Manolis Mitsias, acclaimed director Pantelis Voulgaris, and artist Alekos Fasianos have combined their talents for an audiovisual performance titled «Ark» at the Herod Atticus Theater this Sunday and Monday, July 17 and 18. A list of repertory golden-oldie Greek tunes sung by Mitsias, a vocalist who has recorded many landmark works in his distinguished career, will be set to a stage production directed by Voulgaris. Fasianos has provided the stage props. «I prefer narrative songs with a detailed story,» Voulgaris told a news conference ahead of the two performances. There is no shortage of such material for «Ark.» Songs culled for the production include «Erotokritos,» «Saturday Night in Kaisariani,» «Thankless,» «Elefsina,» «My Red Apple,» «Little Rallou,» «I’m An Eagle Without Wings,» «Blowing North, Blowing South,» «I Held Onto My Life,» and «Yiannis the Killer,» all renowned for their dense narrative qualities. Power of song «In just three minutes of music, these songs accomplish far more than filmmakers requiring two or more hours,» Voulgaris noted. «This is not going to be a spectacle. It’s an effort to translate the emotions they stir into color, light, and imagery,» added the celebrated director, who was honored by the Museum of Modern Art in New York with a mid-career retrospective back in 1995. Voulgaris, whose films have won international acclaim and numerous awards, establishing him as one of the foremost Greek film directors of his generation, bolstered his reputation further with last year’s «Brides.» This epic project tells the story of hundreds of young Greek women sailing to America for totally unknown new lives with photographs of their respective bridegrooms as the only clue. The narrative texts for «Ark» have been written by Pavlos Ayiannidis, Eleftheria Deko undertook lighting and Costas Papadoukas arranged the songs. Mitsias will be backed by a bouzouki-led orchestra and brass ensemble. Commenting on the production, Ayiannidis remarked: «With this ark of letters, music and imagery, this feature film about the loneliness of love, the Herod Atticus audience is being offered a common view of the expression of Greek song when it is shaped and moulded into a [wider] whole, while at the same time maintaining its independence.» The production is being sponsored by SKAI 100.3 FM, Melodia 99.2 FM, Kathimerini’s «K» magazine supplement, Vimagazino, Tachydromos and state radio’s Trito Programa, or Third Program. Tickets can be purchased at the Hellenic Festival box office, 39 Panepistimiou, tel 210.928.2900.

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