Bringing a great Greek composer into the limelight
That Greece boasts of a rich folk music tradition is well known, that it has a considerable classical tradition as well is less well known. The problem with the latter is that the works of Greek classical composers do not travel abroad, and thus languish in obscurity. Efforts, however, are currently being made to bring some of them into the limelight, as this year is dedicated to Manolis Kalomiris, a major representative and founder of what is known as the National School of Music. The tribute to the composer, who died 40 years ago, was announced by the minister of culture, Evangelos Venizelos, at a recent press conference. Kalomiris was the first Greek composer to work on great symphonies and song cycles. Equipped with an immense passion for both music and language, Kalomiris found himself working alongside leading authors of his day, such as Kazantzakis, Palamas and Sikelianos. Essentially, this year’s events will complement the annual Kalomiris festival which began on Samos – the composer’s birthplace – in 1997. The tribute commences with an international conference on «Manolis Kalomiris, 1883-1962, 40 Years On.» Beginning tomorrow, and running to Sunday, the conference will be held at the Athens Concert Hall and will be accompanied by two concerts featuring works by the Greek composer. On April 15, part of the composer’s Symphony No. 1 «Levendia» will be performed in New York, while other Kalomiris pieces will be included in a Goethe Institute tribute to Greek composers in German-speaking countries. Up to December, various Kalomiris works will be interpreted in Athens (at the Concert Hall and the Herod Atticus Theater), Samos and Thessaloniki. Other plans for the near future include erecting a Kalomiris bust in the center of Athens; the incorporation of Symphony No. 1 into the Cultural Olympiad series of events; an exhibition of his educational works at the National School of Music as well as an exhibition at the Technopolis center of the Municipality of Athens. Furthermore, the Athens State Orchestra will interpret a number of his works in Spain. The FTSE/ASE-40 index of mid-caps shed 0.12 percent and small-caps 0.02 percent. (Reuters)
