Citizendia

Mikis Theodorakis
(Μίκης Θεοδωράκης)
Mikis Theodorakis in 2004
Mikis Theodorakis in 2004
Background information
Born July 29, 1925 (1925-07-29) (age 82)
Origin Flag of Greece Chios, Greece
Genre(s) 20th century classical music (Greek)
Occupation(s) Composer Politician
Website http://www.mikis-theodorakis.net

Mikis Theodorakis (Greek: Μίκης Θεοδωράκης) (b. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chios (Χίος pronounced ˈçio̞s alternative transliterations Khíos and Híos) is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other At the turn of the 20th century classical music was characteristically late Romantic in style while at the same time the Impressionist movement spearheaded by Claude Debussy A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly July 29, 1925, Greek island of Chios) is one of the most popular Greek composers. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Greek Islands are a collection of over 6000 Islands and Islets that belong to Greece. Chios (Χίος pronounced ˈçio̞s alternative transliterations Khíos and Híos) is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated He is known internationally for his scores in the films, Zorba the Greek(1964), Z (1969), and Serpico (1973). For other uses see Zorba. Zorba the Greek is a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946 Z is a 1969 French language political thriller directed by Costa Gavras, with a screenplay by Gavras and Jorge Semprún, based on Serpico is a 1973 American Crime film directed by Sidney Lumet

Politically, until the late 1970s he identified with the left; in 1990 he became a member of parliament with the centre-right New Democracy party, a move which he has since said he regretted but asserts that was needed in order for the country to come out of the political crisis that had been created due to the numerous scandals. New Democracy ( ND, Greek: Νέα Δημοκρατία Néa Dimokratía) founded in 1974 is the main center-right political party in Greece He continues identifying himself with the left and speaking out against any aggressor and oppressor. See his statements on Palestine Official Web Site or the War in Iraq Official Web Site, or Greece - Turkey - Cyprus Official Web Site. He has consistently opposed oppressive regimes and was a key voice against the Greek Junta 1967-1974. Regime of the Colonels redirects here For the Polish regime of colonels see Colonels' group. He has been mentioned as a candidate for election as President of Greece, but he has refused to be considered. This is a list of the heads of state of Greece, from the foundation of the modern nation state until the present

Contents

Biography

The early years, World War II, and first works

He was born on the island of Chios and spent his childhood years in different provincial Greek cities such as Mytilene, Cephallonia, Pyrgos, Patras, and Tripolis. Mytilene ( Greek: Μυτιλήνη - Mitilíni) is the Capital City of Lesbos, a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea The island of Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek Κεφαλληνία Modern Pyrgos (Πύργος is the capital of the Prefecture of Ilia in Greece. Patras ( Demotic Greek: Πάτρα, Pátra, ˈpatra Classical Greek: Πάτραι, Pátrai, Patrae is Greece Tripoli (Τρίπολη Trípoli, formerly Τρίπολις Trípolis; rarely Tripolitsa, Tripolitza and Tripolizza His father was from Crete and his mother from Asia Minor. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black

Theodorakis' fascination with music began in early childhood; he taught himself to write his first songs without access to musical instruments. In Pyrgos and Patras he took his first music lessons, and in Tripolis, Peloponnese, he formed a one person choir (himself) and gave his first concert at the age of seventeen before a mirror. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula

Later he studied at the Athens Conservatoire under Philoktitis Economidis, and at the Conservatory of Paris where he briefly[1] studied musical analysis under Olivier Messiaen as well as conducting under Eugene Bigot. The Athens Conservatoire (Ωδείο Αθηνών is the oldest Conservatoire in modern Greece Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Olivier Messiaen ( December 10 1908 &ndash April 27 1992 was a French Composer, organist and ornithologist. His time in Paris, 1954–1959, was a period of intense artistic creation for him.

His symphonic works of this period, a piano concerto, his first suite and his first symphony, received international acclaim. A piano concerto is a work written for Piano and Orchestra.See also Harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano In Music, a suite is an ordered set of Instrumental or Orchestral pieces normally performed in a Concert A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. In 1957 he won the Gold Medal in the Moscow Music Festival. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of In 1959, Darius Milhaud proposed him for the American Copley Music Prize as the Best European Composer of the Year, after the successful performances of his ballet Antigone at Covent Garden in London. Darius Milhaud (darjys mijo (September 4 1892 &ndash June 22 1974 was a French Composer and teacher Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance This article is about the daughter of Oedipus For the daughter of Eurytion see Antigone (daughter of Eurytion. WikipediaWikiProject Opera --> The Royal Opera House is an Opera house and major performing London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Notable works up to 1960

  1. Chamber Music: Trio four piano, violin, cello; Sonatina for piano ; Sonatines n° 1 et 2 for violin and piano ;
  2. Symphonic music: Assi-Gonia (symphonic movement); Symphony n° 1 (Proti Simfonia); Piano Concerto "Helicon"; Suites n° 1, 2 et 3 for orchestre; La Vie et la Mort / Live and Death (for voice and strings); Œdipus Tyrannos (for strings); Piano Concerto (1958);
  3. Ballets: Greek Carnival; Le Feu aux Poudres; Les amants de Téruel; Antigone.

Back to Greek roots — recognition

Mikis Theodorakis sometime after his return to Greece, 1961.
Mikis Theodorakis sometime after his return to Greece, 1961.

Theodorakis returned to Greece and his roots in genuine Greek music, and with his song cycle "Epitaphios" he contributed to a cultural revolution in his country. With his most significant and influential works based on the greatest Greek and world poetry – "Epiphania", "Little Kyklades", "Axion Esti", "Mauthausen", "Romiossini", and "Romancero Gitan"… – he attempted to give back to Greek music a dignity which he said it had lost. In developing his concept of metasymphonic music, he quickly became recognised internationally, and won acclaim as Greece's greatest living composer.

He founded the Little Orchestra of Athens and the Musical Society of Piraeus, and gave many concerts. He became involved in the politics of his home country, and after the assassination of Gregoris Lambrakis in 1963 he founded the Lambrakis Democratic Youth and was elected its president. Gregoris Lambrakis (Γρηγόρης Λαμπράκης ( April 3 1912 &ndash May 27 1963) was a Greek Politician, Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Following the 1964 elections, he became a member of the Greek Parliament, associated with the left-wing party EDA. Because of his radical political ideas, Theodorakis was black-listed by the cultural establishment; at the time of his biggest artistic glory, a large number of his songs were censored-before-studio or were not allowed on the radio stations.

During 1963, he wrote the basic music theme for the Michael Cacoyiannis film "Zorba the Greek" which, since then, exists as a trademark for Greece in the world art. This music is also known as 'Syrtaki dance'; taken and edited by Theodorakis from an old Cretan traditional dance.

Main works of this period

  1. Song cycles: "Epitaphios" (Yannis Ritsos); "Archipelagos", "Politia A & B", "Epiphania" (George Seferis, Nobel Prize 1963), "Mauthausen" (Yakovos Kabanellis), "Romiossini" (Yannis Ritsos)
  2. Music for the Stage: "The Hostage" (Brendan Behan); "Ballad of the Dead Brother" (Theodorakis); "Maghiki Poli (Magical City)"; "I Gitonia ton Angelon" (The Angels' Quarter, Kabanellis)
  3. Film scores: "Electra" and "Zorba the Greek" (Michalis Cacoyannis)
  4. Oratorio: "Axion Esti" (Odysseas Elytis, Nobel Prize 1979)

The junta — going underground — imprisonment — banishment

On 21 April 1967 a fascist junta (the Regime of the Colonels) took power in a putsch. Yiannis Ritsos ( Monemvasia May 1 1909 - Athens November 11 1990) was a Greek Poet. Giorgos Seferis (Γιώργος Σεφέρης ( March 13, 1900, or February 29 according to the Julian calendar then in use September 20 The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature Yiannis Ritsos ( Monemvasia May 1 1909 - Athens November 11 1990) was a Greek Poet. Brendan Francis Behan (ˈbiːən) (Breandán Ó Beacháin ( February 9, 1923 – March 20, 1964) was an Irish poet short story Electra (Orig Ilektra) is a Greek film released in 1962 based on the play Electra, written by Euripides For other uses see Zorba. Zorba the Greek is a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946 Odysseas Elytis (Οδυσσέας Ελύτης (November 2 1911—March 18 1996 is a legendary Greek poet,regarded as one of the most important representatives The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. A military dictatorship is a Form of government wherein the political power resides with the Military; it is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy, Regime of the Colonels redirects here For the Polish regime of colonels see Colonels' group. The history of modern Greece began with the recognition of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832 after the Greek War of Independence. Theodorakis went underground and founded the Patriotic Front. The Colonels published Army decree No 13, which banned playing, and even listening to his music. Theodorakis himself was arrested on 21 August 1967 and jailed for five months. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Following his release in 1968, he was banished to Zatouna with his wife Myrto and their two children, Margarita and Yorgos. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Location Zatouna is located south of Lagkada, 4 km west of Dimitsana and approximately 46 km north-west of Tripoli, the prefecture's Later he was interned in the concentration camp of Oropos. Oropos or Oropus (Greek Ωρωπός is a Greek Seaport town and community, on the Southern Euboean Gulf in Attica, opposite An international solidarity movement, headed by such figures as Dmitri Shostakovich, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Miller, and Harry Belafonte managed to get Theodorakis freed. Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ( Russian: ru Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович ( &ndash 9 August 1975 was a Russian Composer WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes Arthur Asher Miller (October 17 1915 &ndash February 10 2005 was an American Playwright and Essayist. Harold George Belafonte Jr (born March 1 1927 is an American musician actor and Social activist. On request of the French politician Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, Theodorakis was allowed to go into exile on 13 April 1970. Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, often referred to as JJSS (13 February 1924, Paris &ndash7 November 2006, Fécamp) was a French Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He arrieved to Paris by a aeroplane rented by a French Reforming Movement policitian Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. The Reforming Movement was a French centrist political group created in 1972 by the alliance between the Radical Party led by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber and Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, often referred to as JJSS (13 February 1924, Paris &ndash7 November 2006, Fécamp) was a French Theodorakis's flight left very secretry from a Onassis owned private airport outside Athens. Flight is the process by which an object achieves sustained movement either through the Air (or movement beyond Earth's atmosphere, in the case of Aristotelis (also Ari or Aristo) Sokratis Onassis (Αριστοτέλης Ωνάσης (January 15 1906 &ndash March 15 1975 was one An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Theodorakis arrieved to Le Bourget Airport where he met Costa Gavras, Melina Mercouri and Jules Dassin. Paris - Le Bourget Airport (Aéroport de Paris - Le Bourget is an Airport located in Le Bourget and Dugny, 12 km north-northeast (NNE Constantinos Gavras (born February 13, 1933, Loutra Iraias, Greece) better known as (Constantin Costa-Gavras (Κώστας Γαβράς Melina Mercouri ( Greek: Μελίνα Μερκούρη, born Maria Amalia Mercouri) ( Athens Greece, October 18, 1920 Jules Dassin, born Julius Dassin ( &ndash) was an American Film director. Theodorakis was immiality hospitalized because he suffred from lungtuberculosis. A hospital is an institution for Health care providing treatment by specialised staff and equipment and often but not always providing for Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common Myrto Theodorakis, Mikis's wife and two sons joined him a week later in France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. They arrieved from Greece to France via Italy by a boat. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest A boat is a Watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water and provide transport over it

Main works under the dictatorship

  1. Song cycles: "O Ilios ke o Chronos" ("Sun and Time", Theodorakis); "Ta Laïka"("The Popular Songs", M. Elefteriou); Arcadies I-X; Songs for Andreas (Theodorakis); "Nichta Thanatou" ("Nights of Death", M. Elefteriou)
  2. Oratorios: "Ephiphania Averoff" (Seferis), "State of Siege" (Marina-Rena Hadjidakis), "March of the Spirit" (Angelos Sikelianos), "Raven" (Seferis, after Edgar Allan Poe)
  3. Film score: "Z" (Costa-Gavras). Edgar Allan Poe (January 19 1809 – October 7 1849 was an American poet, short-story Writer, editor and Literary critic, Z is a 1969 French language political thriller directed by Costa Gavras, with a screenplay by Gavras and Jorge Semprún, based on

Exile — resistance

In exile in Paris, Theodorakis found his mistress the singer Fayrouz from Lebanon with which he betrayed his wife who is still under captivity in Greece. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Fronm this relationship he will get two sons that he will simply through out in Paris and falsified their identities. He fought for four years for the overthrow of the colonels and for his own interest he gave thousands of concerts worldwide as part of his struggle for the restoration of democracy in Greece, met Pablo Neruda and Salvador Allende, Gamal Abdel Nasser and Tito, Igal Alon and Yasser Arafat, François Mitterrand and Olof Palme. Pablo Neruda ( July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) was the pen name and later legal name of the Chilean writer and politician Salvador Isabelino Allende Gossens (June 26 1908 – September 11 1973 was President of Chile from November 1970 until his death during the coup d'état of Gamal Abdel Nasser (جمال عبد الناصر Gamāl ‘Abd an-Nāṣir; - January 15 1918 September 28 1970) was the second President Yigal Allon (יגאל אלון born 10 October 1918, died 29 February 1980) was an Israeli politician a commander of the Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini ( Arabic: محمد عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني (August 24 1929 – November 11 François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand ( 26 October 1916 8 January 1996 served as President of France from 1981 to 1995 elected as representative of the Socialist Sven Olof Joachim Palme ( ( 30 January 1927 – 28 February 1986) was a Swedish politician For millions of people, he became a universal symbol of resistance against dictatorship.

Main works written in exile

  1. Song cycles: "Lianotragouda" ("18 Songs for the Bitter Fatherland", Yannis Ritsos); "Ballades" (Manolis Anagnostakis)
  2. Oratorio: "Canto General" (Pablo Neruda)
  3. Film scores: "The Trojan Women" (M. Manolis Anagnostakis ( 10 March 1925 – 23 June 2005) was a Greek poet and critic at the forefront of the Marxist Pablo Neruda ( July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) was the pen name and later legal name of the Chilean writer and politician Cacoyannis); "State of Siege" (Costa-Gavras); "Serpico" (S. Lumet)

Return to Greece — activism — prolific writing

After the fall of the Colonels, Theodorakis returned to Greece on 24 July 1974 to continue his work and his concert tours, both at home and abroad. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. At the same time he participated in public affairs. He was elected several times to the Greek Parliament (1981–1986 and 1989–1993) and for two years, from 1990 to 1992, he was a minister in the government of Constantine Mitsotakis. Constantine Mitsotakis (Κωνσταντίνος Μητσοτάκης or Konstantinos Mitsotakis) (born October 18, 1918) Greek politician He was then appointed General Musical Director of the Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of Hellenic Radio and Television for another two years.

Theodorakis has always combined an exceptional artistic talent with a deep love of his country. He is also committed to heightening international awareness of human rights, of environmental issues, and of the need for peace. It was for this reason that he initiated, together with the renowned Turkish musician and singer Zülfü Livaneli, the Greek–Turkish Friendship Society. Ömer Zülfü Livaneli (b 1946 Ilgın, Turkey) is a popular Turkish folk musician (singer and composer a novelist newspaper Columnist Theodorakis is Doctor honoris causa of several universities, including Montreal, Thessaloniki, and Crete, and was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2000. An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa ( Latin: 'for the sake of the honour' is an Academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature Currently he lives in retirement, publishing on music, culture, and politics. But on important occasions he never hesitates to take a position, as in 1999, opposing NATO's Kosovo war, and in 2003 against the Iraq War. The North Atlantic Treaty The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts in Kosovo: 1996–1999 The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign In 2005, he was awarded the "Russian International St Andrew the First Called Prize" and the "IMC UNESCO International Music Prize".

Main works after 1974

  1. Song cycles: "Ta Lyrika", "Dionysos", "Phaedra", "Beatrice in Zero Street", "Heretismi" (Greetings), "Mia Thalassa" ("A Sea Full of Music"), "Os archeos Anemos" ("Like an Ancient Wind"), "Lyrikotera" ("The More-Than-Lyric Songs"), "Lyrikotata" ("The Most Lyric Songs"), "Erimia" ("Solitude"), "Odysseia" (2006/2007)
  2. Music for the Stage: "Orestia" (dir. : Spyros Evangelatos); "Antigone" (dir. : M. Volanakis); "Medea" (dir. : Spyros Evangelatos)
  3. Film scores: "Iphigenia" (M. Cacoyannis), "The Man with the Carnation" (N. Tzimas)
  4. Oratorios: "Missa Greca", "Liturgia 2", "Requiem"
  5. Symphonic music and cantatas: Symphonies no 2, 3, 4, 7, "According to the Sadducees", "Canto Olympico", Guita Rhapsody (1996), Cello Rhapsody (1997)
  6. Operas: "Kostas Karyotakis", "Medea", "Elektra", "Antigone", "Lysistrata".

A lifetime's work: synopsis

Songs and song cycles

Theodorakis has written more than 1,000 songs and song-cycles, whose melodies have become part of the heritage of Greek music. "Sto Perigiali", "Kaimos", "Aprilis", "Doxa to Theo", "Sotiris Petroulas", "Lipotaktes", "Stis Nichtas to Balkoni", "Agapi mou", "Pou petaxe t'agori mou", "Anixe ligo to parathiro", "O Ipnos se tilixe", "To gelasto pedi", "Dendro to dendro", "O Andonis", "Protos o Hlios", and many other songs. Protos o Hlios is a song by Mikis Theodorakis, the major Greek Composer and leftist Politician.

His song cycles are based on poems by famous Greek authors, as well as by Lorca and Neruda: "Epitaphios", "Archipelagos", "Politia", "Epiphania", "The Hostage", "Mykres Kyklades", "Mauthausen", "Romiossini", "Sun and Time", "Songs for Andreas", "Mythology", "Night of Death", "Ta Lyrika", "The Quarters of the World", "Dionysos", "Phaedra", "Mia Thalassa", "Ta Lyrikotera", "Ta Lyrikotata", "Erimia", "Odysseia".

Symphonic works

Chamber music

Cantatas and oratorios

Hymns

Ballets

Operas

Music for the stage

Classical tragedies

Modern plays

International theatre

Principal film scores

Reference: Guy Wagner. Brendan Francis Behan (ˈbiːən) (Breandán Ó Beacháin ( February 9, 1923 – March 20, 1964) was an Irish poet short story Max Frisch ( May 15, 1911 &ndash April 4, 1991) was a Swiss Architect, Playwright and Novelist, regarded Martin Walser (born 24 March 1927 in Wasserburg am Bodensee, on Lake Constance) is a German writer Albert Camus ( (7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960 was an Algerian born French Author, philosopher, and journalist who won the Nobel prize Brian Friel (born 9 January 1929) is a playwright and more recently director of his own works from Northern Ireland who now resides in County Donegal William Shakespeare ( baptised Ill Met by Moonlight ( 1957) also known as Night Ambush, is a film by the British writer-director-producer team of Michael Powell Electra (Orig Ilektra) is a Greek film released in 1962 based on the play Electra, written by Euripides For other uses see Zorba. Zorba the Greek is a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946 Z is a 1969 French language political thriller directed by Costa Gavras, with a screenplay by Gavras and Jorge Semprún, based on Serpico is a 1973 American Crime film directed by Sidney Lumet Chairman of the International Theodorakis Foundation FILIKI. List of works based on the research of Asteris Koutoulas.

Political views

Theodorakis is well known for his left-wing views, which he has expressed openly (including, notably, during the junta dictatorship). He has campaigned for numerous human rights and peace causes, such as in the Cyprus dispute, the tensions between Turkey and Greece due to the Aegean dispute, NATO attacks against Yugoslavia, the kidnapping and treatment of Abdullah Öcalan, or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Cyprus dispute is a territorial conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and also Republic of Cyprus and Turkey over Cyprus, an Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Maritime and areal zones of influence Several of the Aegean issues deal with the delimitation of both countries' zones of influence in the air and on the sea around their respective The North Atlantic Treaty See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian Abdullah "Apo" Öcalan ( born April 4 1948 is the founding leader of the Kurdish party Kurdistan Workers Party

On Jews

On November 11th 2003, Mikis Theodorakis held a press conference to present his new book “Pou Na Vro Tin Psychi Mou” (Where will I find my soul?). After the conference, Theodorakis, in a private exchange of views, said that Greeks and Jews "are two peoples without kin, but they (the Jews) had fanaticism and self-knowledge and managed to prevail. "We, the Greeks, are very calm and did not turn aggressive like them is because we have more history. They (the Jews) only have Abraham and Jacob, who were shadows, while we have Pericles. Imagine what would happen in Greece if we were as aggressive as the Jews. " Theodorakis added "Today it is possible to say that this small nation is at the root of evil. It is full of self-importance and evil stubbornness. "[2].

His comments caused uproar in Israel and among Jews in Greece, prompting complaints from the Israeli embassy in Athens to the Greek Government. Israel's Foreign Ministry issued a public protest: "The Israeli public is utterly repulsed by Theodorakis's anti-Semitic comments. " The statement expressed regret that the comments were spoken by someone of Theodorakis's stature. "We do not believe that the comments reflect the position of the Greek government, and therefore expect Greek leadership and cultural figures to denounce them".

Following a public outcry, Theodorakis published the following official statement:

"My opinion of the Israeli people, as on all things, has always been known and I am frankly at a loss as to why such a great commotion was made this time, as if it was heard for the first time. Maybe some people judged this to be the right time to launch an attack on me. I was always on the side of the weak, of those struggling for the Justice of People. And among them were the Israeli People. I sang their suffering as well as I could. I was always in favor of the peaceful coexistence of peoples. And I showed this in practice, when, among other things, I undertook a mediatory role between Alon and Arafat in the incidents of 1972. But, precisely for these reasons, I am totally opposed to Sharon’s policy and I have stressed this repeatedly, just as I have repeatedly condemned the role of prominent American Jewish politicians, intellectuals and theorists in the shaping of today’s aggressive Bush “policy”. Only through a conscious effort can anyone confuse the Israeli People, for whom I have shown my respect and wonder in practice and these negative phenomena which are what truly blacken the image of Israel and play a genuine “anti-Semitic” role. It is these which are on the side of Evil, the root of Evil, as I stated recently.
"Personally, I am happy because I know that there are many Israelis all over the world and within Israel who agree with me and are striving for the true Justice of their People and can coexist with the Justice of other People as well, who are struggling for Peace in their region and the whole world. I am happy that we have been together in these joint struggles for decades now. And I know that they know me well through these struggles and they are not waiting for the mud of some in order to get to know me.
"But perhaps this is the aim of those who suddenly “discovered” my ideas and slander me as an alleged “anti-Semite. ”
Athens, 12 November 2003

For all details: Official Web Site

During an interview for Ha'aretz, August 2004 (see external link), Ari Shavit asked about this and Theodorakis answered thus:

"I must clarify, I didn't say that Jews are the root of evil. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. (הארץ "The land" referring to the Land of Israel) founded in 1918 is Israel 's oldest Daily newspaper. I said that they are at the root of evil. Jews want to feel that they are victims. They want to console themselves by saying: We are in the right, we are victims again, let's build another ghetto. This is a masochistic reaction. There is a masochistic mentality in Jewish tradition. I am sure that when Jews of the diaspora speak amongst themselves, they feel satisfaction. They think - now, when we are so close to the world's biggest nation, no one can harm us. We can do whatever we like. This is why their claim about renewing antisemitism is not only sick. It is devious. It allows the Jews to do whatever they will. It serves as an excuse politically as well as psychologically. (. . . ) There is no antisemitism in Europe today. "
Later in the interview Theodorakis says that the force behind the existence of the Jews is "Your feeling that you are the children of god. That you are a chosen people. " Shavit then asks, do the Jews appear patronizing and aggressive to you? Do they control the music establishment, global economy, mass media, America's foreign policy? To each of these questions Theodorakis replies individually with a "Yes". When asked if, by his account, the great nation of America is actually ruled by Jews, Theodorakis says "Yes".

Ari Shavit asked: So today's globalized capitalism is controlled very much by the Jews? and Theodorakis answered:

"Since we speak frankly, I will tell you something else. The Jewish people control most of the big symphonic orchestras in the world. When I wrote the Palestinian national anthem, the Boston Symphony was planning a production of my work. It is controlled by Jewish people. They didn't allow the concert to go on. Since then I cannot work with any great orchestra. They refuse me. " "Wherever there are Jews. Wherever there are orchestras controlled by Jewish people, they boycott my work. "

On 9/11

In an article in Eleftherotypia (14 April 2002):

September 11th was characterized by an incredibly high degree of organization and technological means—higher I'd say than that possessed by the current superpower, the US. Eleftherotypia ( Greek: Ελευθεροτυπία meaning "free press" is a daily Newspaper published in Athens (Greece Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul . . . As far as physical perpetrators are concerned there is still no tangible evidence and that’s why no arrests have been made. There were only moral perpetrators, who have been sought in Afghanistan—but it would be hard to convince anyone of their level of technological and organizational capabilities.

On Religion

On 29 March 2007 (www. in. gr), he stated: "We have two great institutions in Greece. The President of the Democracy and the Head of the Greek Orthodox Church. I rebel when I see that there are people who do not respect these institutions. When you talk about the President or the Archbishop you should wash your mouth first. " And, later on: "We must have roots. We must be proud of our generation, of our nation. Of the exquisite marriage of hellenism with the essence of Christianity. All these people don't know what Greek Orthodox means. They say that the Secret School (Kryfo Scholeio) never existed. But in the churches the priests read the Gospels, which were written in Greek. "

On German Music

"Germany never had great composers, . . . except these 20-30 composers of classical music": Interview on Greek TV (NET) with Nassos Athanassiou.

Controversy with the Greek Ministry of Culture

On November 2006, the decision of the Greek Ministry of Culture to cut the funding for most of Theodorakis' 17 upcoming concerts at the Benaki Museum provoked the composer's angry reaction. List of Ministers for Culture and Science 1971–1985 List of Ministers for Culture and Athletics 1985–present See also The Benaki Museum, established and endowed in 1930 by Antonis Benakis in memory of his father Emmanuel Benakis is housed in the Benakis family mansion in downtown In a public statement, Theodorakis criticized the government for its decision, announced his decision to withdraw his concerts from Ministry's funding. Moreover, the composer declared that "during the last years, in our country, there is a dominant negative environment in all sectors of our national life, which day by day becomes worse" and he added that his aim was always to "show the essense of Greekness (of being Greek)" as a tool of resistance against globalization. Theodorakis' statement provoked both support[3] and criticism towards his expressed opinion, within the Greek media.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Jean Boivin, 'Messiaen's Teaching at the Paris Conservatoire: A Humanist Legacy', in Siglind Bruhn, Messiaen's Language of Mystical Love (New York, Garland, 1998), p. Zorbas ("Zorba's dance" is a song by Mikis Theodorakis, the leading Greek composer For other uses see Zorba. Zorba the Greek is a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946 Eimaste dyo eimaste treis eimaste xilioi dekatreis! (in English We are two we are three we are one thousand and thirteen! is a song by Mikis Theodorakis, the Leftist 10
  2. ^ Konstandaras, Nikos. Greeks and Jews. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place
  3. ^ Nikolaos Mottas, About Mikis Theodorakis. The disgracefulness of the State, Makedonia Newspaper (Greek).


Bibliography

External links

Bibliography - His own published written works

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