"The May Breeze" | A musical tribute to the poet George Sarantaris | Setting to music – Orchestration: Daphne Alexandri | Concept – Supervision: Lina Nikolakopoulou | Singing: Melina Tanagri, Argyro Kaparou, Thodoris Boutsikakis, Dimitris Nikolo

“The May Breeze” | A musical tribute to the poet George Sarantaris |

The path smells of lilacs and the face of the sun a hope which descends our joy no bitterness has without the sun it is still warm like the nightingale which follows us
 (G. Sarantaris “The nightingale” – “T’aidoni”)
 
On Monday 1th and Tuesday 12th of May, Lina Nikolakopoulou will present a musical tribute to the poet of the ‘30s, George Sarantaris, at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation. 28 poems will be heard, written between 1933 and 1940, set to music by Daphne Alexandri.
 
Song: Melina Tanagri, Argyro Kaparou, Thodoris Boutsikakis, Dimitris Nikoloudis and the Spyros Lamprou Children’s Choir. Accompanied by a seven-member orchestra.
 
The poems from the concert have been selected from the collections: Oi Agapes tou Chronou (1933), Urania (1934), Asteria (1935), Stous Filous Mias Allis Xaras (1940), along with poems which have been published in the magazine Ta Nea Grammata B,C,D.
The poetic tongue of Sarantaris is unrivalled, it is contemporary and it concerns us all.
Oi Pnoes tou Mai (The May Breeze) will most certainly calm this troubled spring.
 
The musicians (in alphabetical order):
Apostolis Vaggelakis – ney, duduk
Thanos Kazantzis – drums
Apostolos Kaltsas – bass
Tasos Katsaris – keyboard, piano
Evangelia Mavridou – keyboard, piano
Costas Nikolopoulos – guitar
Nikos Papaioannou – cello, lute
 
Production Team:
Concept – Supervision: Lina Nikolakopoulou
Setting to music – Orchestration: Daphne Alexandri
Sound: Panagiotis Petronikolos
Lighting: Maria Venetaki
Production organizer: Anastasia Tamouridou | www.e-theama.gr
Production: R-Time
Media Communication of the tribute: Chara Zuma, Angelika Kapsampeli
Biographical Note: G. Sarantaris
 
George Sarantaris was born in Istanbul in 1908. In 1912 his family settled in Bologna, Italy. There he attended Italian schools and later studied law at the University of Bologna and the University of Macerata. In March of 1931 he came to Greece to attend mandatory military service and to work.  He moved amongst the literary circles of Athens and Thessaloniki, being a part of the spiritual development of the ‘30s. In 1940 he fought as low-ranking soldier at the Northern Epirus Liberation Front during the Greco-Italian War. According to an account made by his fellow-soldier, Odysseus Elytis, his health failed him and he fell ill, mostly likely from typhus. On February 26th, 1941, the poet and thinker, George Sarantaris, passed away at the age of 33.
 
INFO:
Oi Pnoes tou Mai (The May Breeze)
Monday 11th & Tuesday 12th of May, 2015, at 21:00
The Michael Cacoyannis Foundation
 Hall: Theatre
Duration: 2 hours
Ticket price: €15 General admission
10 Reduced and Groups (10+ people)