Author Guy Wagner presents new Theodorakis biography
In a comment on master composer Mikis Theodorakis at a recent launch of a new biography of the artist, its writer, the Luxembourger Guy Wagner, noted that Theodorakis’s life was a reflection of 20th-century Greece. Apart from the composer and writer, the launch of «Mikis Theodorakis: A Life for Greece» (Typothito Press), was also attended by friends and associates who have figured in the life and work of Theodorakis, such as singer Maria Farandouri and politician Theodoros Pangalos. Wagner first met Theodorakis in 1973, when the composer’s «18 Lianotragouda tis Pikris Patridas» was performed before audiences in Luxembourg. The two men have maintained close ties over the years, and much of the writer’s work revolves around Theodorakis. Official website Wagner’s coverage of Theodorakis – besides the new biography – includes the construction and maintenance of an official website in English, French and German (www.mikis-theodorakis.net), 170 programs on Luxembourg radio for a total running time of some 200 hours and an extensive discography. Typically jovial and talkative at the book’s launch, Theodorakis noted that his biographer needed to overcome cultural disparity «for a European to understand the psychology of a Greek,» which the composer also associated with the unpredictable nature of his own life’s course. «Guy thought he had met a musician. How was he to know that he’d [also] be meeting somebody who changes from one moment to the next according to conditions?» Theodorakis asked playfully. «How was he supposed to figure out that I, a left-winger, would be talking with [Constantine] Karamanlis?» he added, referring to the country’s former conservative prime minister and president. Theodorakis also had things to say about the current state of the world. «Following September 11, a new era has arrived, one whose course we do not yet know. «It is a difficult period because balances do not exist – the rules of the more powerful are enforced,» the composer remarked. «We witnessed this in Yugoslavia, then Afghanistan, and now in Palestine. What do we do from here on?» It was a message to the two warring sides to resume the peace process. True to his word, Papandreou had taken two olive trees to plant with Cem. In a more practical vein, Papandreou’s Turkish counterpart put more emphasis on fighting terrorism. However, without managing to convince the Israelis, he did manage to spoil the impression that Papandreou had been trying to cultivate among the Greek public with regard to their joint initiative.
