During his career, Thanos Mikroutsikos wrote some of the most important contemporary Greek songs, which became hugely successful and moved performers and audiences alike. At the same time, he was prolific as a composer of music for the theatre, where his work was perhaps less known but particularly wide-ranging. In tonight’s performance, we will have the opportunity to listen to songs of his that were originally composed for theatre performances and were loved by audiences, going on enjoy success beyond the theatre stage. Among them are the “Theme of Peace” from Aristophanes’ play of the same name directed by Spyros Evangelatos, the much-sung “Zero” from the play Sunday of the shoes by Lakis Lazopoulos, “Anna don’t cry” from the play An Evening with Bertold Brecht by Jules Dassin –sung by Maria Dimitriadi in what to this day remains a memorable rendition– and Cavafy’s wonderful poems Return and January 1904, which Mikroutsikos set to music for Henri Rons’ performance The Old Man of Alexandria, staged in 1982 in Belgium. Mikroutsikos collaborated with many directors, among which Giorgos Michailidis, Alexis Damianos, Giorgos Remoundos, Giorgos Kimoulis and Themis Moumoulidis, on Greek and foreign plays, throwing his personal ‘spotlight’ to illuminate their performances in a very special way. The orchestra is conducted by Thymios Papadopoulos, the man Mikroutsikos used to call “my alter ego”.
Co-produced by
Cricos
Megaron the Athens Concert Hall