Tribute to the master
«I meet again with an image of my childhood years,» vocalist Maria Farantouri told a news conference ahead of «Four Song Cycles,» a performance tonight and tomorrow at the Athens Concert Hall that will feature works by her decades-long music partner Mikis Theodorakis. The famed composer introduced the talented young singer to the masses as an 18-year-old in the mid-60s with «Mauthausen,» a release that stands as the starting point of what became a lasting and career-shaping collaboration for both. Farantouri, who put forward the idea for the two-day tribute to Theodorakis, will be joined by her younger fellow vocalist Christos Thivaios. «Four Song Cycles» will focus on classic Theodorakis material that became associated with the epic and lofty vocal delivery of Farantouri. The production’s repertoire will include «Odysseia,» «Enas omiros» and «Ballada tou Mauthausen.» Thivaios will accompany Farantouri for the performance’s «Enas omiros» cycle. Farantouri and Thivaios will be backed by the Berliner Instrumentalisten, conducted by Henning Schmied.
