oberonsghost

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Posts posted by oberonsghost

  1. Posted · Report post

    The Australian Premiere of "Axion Esti" was held last night as part of the 33rd Festival of Sydney to celebrate Miki Theodorakis' 90th birthday later this year.

     

    The concert, at the City Recital Hall, was sold out. 

     

    https://instagram.com/p/1klBkuw33c/

     

    Axion Esti was performed by the Millennium Choir and a 35-piece symphony orchestra conducted by Greek-Australian conductor George Ellis. Soloists were Vasilis Lekkas and Tino Stylianou with the narration read in English by actor Tony Nikolakopoulos. At the end of the show, there was an encore of «Της δικαιοσύνης ήλιε νοήτε» and Lekkas almost brought the house down with a rendition of «Σαράντα παλικάρια»

     

    Mr Theodorakis sent the following letter, which was read out at the beginning of the performance.

     

    «Η απόφαση της Ελληνικής Ορθόδοξης Κοινότητας ΝΝΟ να τιμήσει την επέτειο των 90 μου χρόνων με την παρουσίαση του «Άξιον Εστί» με συνκινεί βαθύτατα και σας εθχαριστώ.

    Η συμμετοχή τοθ συνεργάτη και φίλου μου Βασίλη Λέκκα αποτελεί μια επί πλέον εγγυήση για την ποιότητα της συναυλίας και μου δίνει μεγάλη χαρά.

     

    Σας εύχομαι ευημερία και πρόοδο κας σας θεωρώ ένα πολύτιμο τμήμα του Ελληνισμού και έναν πολύτιμο Πρέσβυ της αγαπημένης μας Παρτίδας, που μέσα από τις αιώνιες δυσκολίες εξακολουθεί να παράγει Πολιτισμό.»

     

    :)

    ... This entire concert has now been uploaded onto YouTube (running time, 79 minutes) 

     

    1 person likes this

  3. Posted · Report post

    The Australian Premiere of "Axion Esti" was held last night as part of the 33rd Festival of Sydney to celebrate Miki Theodorakis' 90th birthday later this year.

     

    The concert, at the City Recital Hall, was sold out. 

     

    https://instagram.com/p/1klBkuw33c/

     

    Axion Esti was performed by the Millennium Choir and a 35-piece symphony orchestra conducted by Greek-Australian conductor George Ellis. Soloists were Vasilis Lekkas and Tino Stylianou with the narration read in English by actor Tony Nikolakopoulos. At the end of the show, there was an encore of «Της δικαιοσύνης ήλιε νοήτε» and Lekkas almost brought the house down with a rendition of «Σαράντα παλικάρια»

     

    Mr Theodorakis sent the following letter, which was read out at the beginning of the performance.

     

    «Η απόφαση της Ελληνικής Ορθόδοξης Κοινότητας ΝΝΟ να τιμήσει την επέτειο των 90 μου χρόνων με την παρουσίαση του «Άξιον Εστί» με συνκινεί βαθύτατα και σας εθχαριστώ.

    Η συμμετοχή τοθ συνεργάτη και φίλου μου Βασίλη Λέκκα αποτελεί μια επί πλέον εγγυήση για την ποιότητα της συναυλίας και μου δίνει μεγάλη χαρά.

     

    Σας εύχομαι ευημερία και πρόοδο κας σας θεωρώ ένα πολύτιμο τμήμα του Ελληνισμού και έναν πολύτιμο Πρέσβυ της αγαπημένης μας Παρτίδας, που μέσα από τις αιώνιες δυσκολίες εξακολουθεί να παράγει Πολιτισμό.»

     

    :)

    1 person likes this

  5. Posted · Report post

    This is John Shand's (reviewer for the Sydney Morning Herald) review of the Sydney Concert, and what a night it was. The article appeared here: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/the-greek-project-bewitching-synthesis-takes-the-road-less-travelled-20140605-zryc2.html

     

    The Greek Project

    City Recital Hall, June 4

    Reviewed by John Shand

    In layering jazz into traditional and contemporary Greek music, Charles Lloyd and Maria Farantouri miraculously avoid creating another anaemic cultural fusion (to join the worldwide infestation). The triumph is how remarkably intact and separate the two elements remain while intertwining, like two lovers whose individual identities are not erased by a romance.w


    Farantouri's sonorous contralto draped itself across the melodies with a bewitching lightness of phrasing. Dolour and joy could mingle, so on Requiem she sounded simultaneously like a widow singing at her husband's funeral and a mother at her son's birthday.Of course they could not begin to intertwine were there no commonality, and that may be best described as a deep sadness couched in beauty. Also common was the absence of histrionics in conveying that sadness, these artists being rarities who express truthful rather than exaggerated emotions.

    Lloyd played flute and tarogato (including in an exotic exchange with Eric Harland's drumming on Ramanujan), but mostly it was his tenor saxophone that sprawled across the music's foreground. He daubed a blues with big, braying colours and breathily combined with Farantouri's voice onPrayer.

    Socratis Sinopoulos' bowed lyra could be sweet or rasping, and to hear it improvise against a jazz rhythm section made one giddy with the resonances of jazz's African ancestry connecting with the roots of European civilisation.

    Harland was wondrous throughout, brilliantly controlling his instrument's dynamics in a challenging room, and applying extraordinary virtuosity in the service of an agile imagination.

    Bassist Reuben Rogers was sometimes a little low in an otherwise glorious mix, but not enough to lose the litheness he brought to the music, which became a lurching swagger when he soloed on the blues.

    Unfortunately Lloyd's regular pianist, Jason Moran, was unavailable to multiply the sparks on this tour. Takis Farazis was more restrained, offering gorgeous, water-like piano playing in one solo introduction.

    A rousing Yanni Mou closed the night, and the lips of many expatriate Greeks were mouthing the words.

     

    :)

    1 person likes this

  14. Posted · Report post

    I'm looking forward to the update, and if there is anything that I can do to assist, please let me know.

    From my perspective, I use a Macintosh and would like the photo section, with its index to work on my Mac....

    Also, sometimes I think it would be useful to have an instant chat function, so we can "talk" to eachother in real time.

    :blush:

  17. Posted · Report post

    More clips from Tuesday's concert:

    Οι ελεύθεροι κ´ωραίοι

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbZb3T-cw2o

    Παραπονεμένα λόγια

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPo9mFlzzYg

    Την πόρτα ανοίγω το βράδυ

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-IfqprH4r4

    Στην αλάνα

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4QS7u-3Lt4

    Πρινκιπέσσα (με Μελίνα)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7oUcbNq7E8

    :)

  25. Posted · Report post

    Thank you, too.

    Μία απορία μόνο έχω (εκτός topic): τόσες εβδομάδες που βλέπω το site της συναυλίας για την αγορά εισιτηρίων όλο τις ίδιες θέσεις δίνει. Δεν έχει αγοράσει κανείς εισιτήριο;

    I didn't like the tickets the on-line engine was offering, so I went to the agency in person....from what I saw three weeks ago, when I got my tickets...there have been lots of sales....will I see you in Sydney?