Mikis Theodorakis

Mikis Theodorakis was born on July 29,1925, on the Greek island of Chios. Fascinated by music as a child, he wrote his first songs without access to musical instruments. In Pyrgos and Patras he took his first music lessons, and in Tripolis, he formed a choir and gave his first concert at 17.

Active in the resistance movement during World War II and later during the Greek Civil War, Mikis went on to study at the Athens Conservatory in the class of Philoktitis Economidis and at the Conservatoire of Paris. His time in Paris was a period of intense artistic creation.

His first symphonic works, Concerto for Piano, First Suite, First Symphony, were internationally acclaimed. In 1957 he won the Gold Medal in the Moscow Music Festival. In 1959, Darius Milhaud proposed him for the American Copley-Music Prize as the Best European Composer of the Year after the performances of his ballet Antigone at Covent Garden.

His most important works up to 1960 included: Trio for piano, violin, violoncello; "The Feast of Assi-Gonia" (symphonic); Symphony No.1 ("Proti Simfonia"); "Greek Carnival" (ballet); Sonatine for Piano; Suites No.1, 2 and 3 for Orchestra; Sonatines No.1 et 2 for violin and piano; "Antigone" (ballet); Life and Death (for voice and strings); "Oedipus Tyrannos" (for strings), Concerto for Piano.

Many others may have sung his songs, but when the master himself does so, it has nothing more to do with "song" or "art" but simply with Mikis alone. Suddenly you hear the message, fragmentary and elemental. Suddenly you learn that the songs have a history, that in the beginning was the Word.

Mikis, clear and without frills, is the title of this very personal CD, where Theodorakis sings his compositions with his own voice. In his own unaffected way he interprets the songs about special and everyday themes.

— Courtesy Calabash Music