From period music to philosophy
From the staging of works by composers Christoph Willi-bald Gluck and Sergei Rachmaninov to a lecture by American architect Neil M. Denari, the Athens Concert Hall’s program for October is rich and varied. One of Gluck’s most important works, the opera «Alceste,» will go on stage October 19 and 22 in the form of a concert, under the direction of Nikos Petropoulos. The opera, which will be presented in the Alexandra Trianti Hall in its French version, is based on Euripides’ ancient tragedy of the same title and was a breakthrough work at the time of its premiere. Talented soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci will sing the title role, joined by tenor Gregory Kunde as Admettus. Prominent Greek opera singers make up the rest of the cast, namely Vassilis Kavagias, Dimitris Platanias, Dimitris Tiliakos, Petros Magoulas and others. Maestro Giorgos Petrou will conduct the Patra Orchestra, which will be performing on period instruments. Just a few days later, on October 21, 22 and 23, the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra – one of the world’s top orchestras as well as Russia’s oldest symphony music ensemble – will perform Rachmaninov’s three piano concertos as well as works by Tchaikovsky, under the baton of Yuri Temirkanov. The orchestra, which was founded in 1882, will be joined by pianists Denis Matsuev, Nikolai Lugansky and George-Emmanuel Lazaridis. Moving on to the lecture series, acclaimed American architect Neil M. Denari will speak on October 1 as part of the Megaron Plus series of events. With a vision that combines architecture, design and the phenomenon of cultural globalization, Denari treats each commission as a new experiment, creating highly functional structures with specialized aesthetics. On October 6, as part of the series of dramatized lectures «Philosophy on Stage,» Athens University philosophy professor Theodossis Pelegrinis will present the work of Arthur Schopenhauer, a thinker with a charming personality who introduced the philosophy of pessimism. On October 12, prominent Byzantinologist Helene Glykatzi-Ahrweiler will lead a discussion on the relationship between Byzantium and ancient Greek thought. Participants will include academics Chryssa Maltezou, head of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice, Sylvain Guggenheim from the Ecole Normale Superieure in Lyon and others. The October 19 lecture by Matthew Josafat, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and head of the Hellenic Society of Group Analysis and Family Therapy, promises to be very interesting. Josafat will discuss «Conscious and Subconscious Factors in the Choice of Partners in Marriage.» October’s program will further feature a musical, the adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s «The Millionairess,» that will go on stage October 6-8 and 10-12. Adapted by Nonika Galinea and Cosmas Vidos, the production stars Galinea and Yiannis Bezos and is directed by Sotiris Hadzakis. It features music by Stamatis Kraounakis with lyrics by Lina Nikolakopoulou. The costumes and sets are designed by Yiannis Metzikoff, while the cast further includes Alexandros Mylonas and Melina Tanagri, among others. Athens Concert Hall, 1 Kokkali & Vas. Sofias, tel 210.728.2333, www.megaron.gr
