abstracts
Nikos
A. Dontas: Greek
National Opera. From the foundation of the first state-funded opera
company in Greece until 1974
The first state-funded opera company in Greece was
established in 1939, more than a century after the foundation of the
Greek State in 1830. Until this day the company doesn’t own its own
house. Both facts pose questions that need to be answered: Given the
constant presence of foreign touring opera companies in Greek
territory during the 19th century, as well as the positive reception
wherever they performed, why was a state-funded opera company never
established? When this actually happened, why did it take place during
the period of the Metaxas dictatorship, and why was the opera company
created only as part of the Royal / National Theatre? Even after it became an
independent organization, why did the state never decide to provide it
with a self owned venue?
This essay is part of a dissertation on the choices,
the ethics and the parameters which formed the repertory of the Greek
National Opera since its foundation in 1939. The aim of this text is
to detect the factors that contributed to the foundation of the Greek
National Opera and later to the formation of its repertory from 1939
until the 1973-1974 season, the last before the regime revert to
democracy in Greece. The survey focuses on the main object of the
organization, i.e. opera, operetta and musical theatre performances,
which where programmed by the company.
The results of the research seem to point to the fact
that the permanent financial problems of the Greek state where only
of secondary importance to the problems of the company. The basic,
decisive factor was of an ideological nature. During each period,
decisions were dictated by the decision-makers’ desire –or
indifference– to prove that opera is a “popular” art and, hence, the Greek National Opera does not spent the
taxpayer’s money but, on the contrary, serves the people.
Konstantinos G. Sampanis: The Opera Performances in
Cephalonia from the Establishment of “Solomos” Theatre (1837)
until the First Years of “Cephalos” Theatre and the Annexation of
the Ionian Islands to the “Kingdom of Greece” (1864) –
ÉÉ
The first aimed, organized
and complete season of opera performances in the Ionian Island of
Cephalonia was held at Argostoli in 1837 at the “Solomos” Theatre,
which was actually a transformed part of the residence of the nobleman
Alexandros Solomos. For about two decades (1837-1856), opera seasons
were not scheduled on an annual basis. However, from the establishment
of “Cephalos” theatre (1858) until the season of 1863-1864, there
was a remarkable stability and regularity concerning the annual
occurrence. Altogether, from 1837 until the annexation of Cephalonia
to the “Kingdom of Greece” (1864), 17 organized seasons of opera
performances had been launched, while one more season may be
considered as questionable. It is estimated that during the period
between 1837 and 1864 a total of 90-95 opera productions were held, 53
of which are so far completely confirmed, while 14 more are strongly
believed to have taken place based on documentary evidence. There were
performed 40 operas of 11 composers, mainly Donizetti, Bellini and
Verdi. The small population of Cephalonia, as well as the fact that
this island was a minor and peripheral opera “market”, conduced to
the appearance of Italian opera troops mainly of medium or law quality.
They usually consisted, on the one hand, of young and undistinguished
singers, a few of which made a name for themselves during the
following years, but also most of which remained undistinguished, and,
on the other hand, of aged singers, which were very close to the end
of their career. Nevertheless, the public of Cephalonia had the
opportunity to hear some significant singers, of which the most
important were prima donna
soprano Serafina Rubini, baritone Filippo Coliva, bass Luigi Dalla
Santa and comic bass Giuseppe Rossi-Gallieno.
Irena Bogdanović & Walter Puchner: Greek
melodramatic companies and opera singers in Odessa before the First World
War (1880-1914)
The article provides details about Greek opera
performances of early melodramatic companies and opera singers in
Odessa before the Russian Revolution. Significant material from the
Russian and the Greek local press for the Greek opera performances and
solo concerts of several opera singers in this cosmopolitan city of
Tsardom of Russia has been collected during three scientific Greek
theatrological research expeditions in Ukraine, conducted in 2008,
2009 and 2010 under the auspices of the Academy of Athens. In
particular, the article offers valuable information about Greek
musical activity in the region for the years 1880, 1884, 1890,
1896-1903, 1905, 1908-1911, and 1914.
Ioannis
Tselikas: The incidental music of John Knowles Paine for Oedipus Tyrannus and the Birds
One of the most important cultural events that took
place in Harvard in 1881 was the premiere of Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus in Greek. The music for that production was
composed by John Knowles Paine (1839-1906), the first important
American composer and professor, founder of the Harvard Music
Department – the earliest music department in an American university.
Twenty years later, Paine wrote the incidental music for Aristophanes’
Birds for another Harvard
Theater production. Although Paine was fully praised by the audience
and the press, the music was never performed again (nevertheless, the
orchestral prelude to Oedipus
Tyrannus became Paine’s most famous composition and it is
performed often in American concert halls). This paper refers to the
genesis, the reception and the stylistic trends of these two works,
and discusses the possibility of a revival of the two classical plays
with Paine’s original music.
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