As a composer I have been involved in dozens of drama productionς in Greek as well as in English. This allowed me to explore various possibilities in the relationship between text and music. When working on Greek classical plays, (tragedies or comedies) the boundaries between speech and song, music and text, can be less defined or even disappear altogether
As a composer I have been involved in dozens of drama productionς in Greek as well as in English. This allowed me to explore various possibilities in the relationship between text and music. When working on Greek classical plays, (tragedies or comedies) the boundaries between speech and song, music and text, can be less defined or even disappear altogether
“The Birds” (Aristophanes)
BBC Production – dir. John Theocharis. Sung by Elisabeth Mansfield, Martyn Hill and Choros
“The Birds” by Aristophanes was an ambitious BBC Drama production for Radio 3. The production was directed by John Theocharis, then a Senior BBC Drama Producer, who commissioned me to compose the music. He wanted the music to be a dominant element in a production that he envisaged as a kind of musical. That was my second collaboration with Theocharis in a classical Greek comedy. The previous one, quite a few years back, was “The Girl from Samos” by Menander.
In “The Birds” I had a wonderful cast of actor/ singers to work with. It included Elisabeth Mansfield and the Tenor Martyn Hill. C.P.
“…the songs and dances scored by Christos Pittas were a real delight mixing ancient Greek rhythms with modern tonality”
“Lysistrata” (Aristophanes)
Arts Theatre
Arts Theatre ETHOL production dir. K. Passalis. Sung by Antonis Stephanopoulos & Choros
“Lysistrata” (Aristophanes)
Arts Theatre
Arts Theatre ETHOL production dir. K. Passalis. Sung by Antonis Stephanopoulos & Choros
“…the songs and dances scored by Christos Pittas were a real delight mixing ancient Greek rhythms with modern tonality”
Cretan Renaissance Theatre
“Erofili” (Hortatzis)
Music overture to the 16th century Cretan play
Christos Pittas composed the music for “Erofili”, a National Theatre of Northern Greece production directed by Dimitris Exarchos. Referring to the music in this production the theatre critic Spyros Pagiatakis wrote:
…” The superb music that Christos Pittas composed for this renaissance drama can definitely stand on its own as one of the most potent examples of contemporary Greek music.”
Spyros Pagiatakis – I Kathimerini
“Erofili” was followed a few years later by “Erotokritos” (V. Kornaros) the other emblematic masterpiece of the Cretan Renaissance Theatre. It was produced by THEPAK (the Theatre Workshop of the Cyprus University) and directed by Michalis Pieris who commissioned Christos Pittas to compose the music. The production toured Europe and made quite an impact with audiences and critics alike. After a performance in Athens, the theatre critic Giannis Varveris, referring to the role of music in this production, wrote:
….” With the extensive sung choruses and the superb symphonic creation of Christos Pittas in counterpoint with traditional Cretan music elements, the production was perceived quite like an epic opera”
Giannis Varveris – ‘I Kathimerini’
“Erotokritos”
Christos Pittas composed the music for “Erofili”, a National Theatre of Northern Greece production directed by Dimitris Exarchos. Referring to the music in this production the theatre critic Spyros Pagiatakis wrote:
…” The superb music that Christos Pittas composed for this renaissance drama can definitely stand on its own as one of the most potent examples of contemporary Greek music.”
Spyros Pagiatakis – I Kathimerini
“Erofili” was followed a few years later by “Erotokritos” (V. Kornaros) the other emblematic masterpiece of the Cretan Renaissance Theatre. It was produced by THEPAK (the Theatre Workshop of the Cyprus University) and directed by Michalis Pieris who commissioned Christos Pittas to compose the music. The production toured Europe and made quite an impact with audiences and critics alike. After a performance in Athens, the theatre critic Giannis Varveris, referring to the role of music in this production, wrote:
….” With the extensive sung choruses and the superb symphonic creation of Christos Pittas in counterpoint with traditional Cretan music elements, the production was perceived quite like an epic opera”
Giannis Varveris – ‘I Kathimerini’
A poem is an autonomous microcosm conceived and created by the poet. Often, as I seek ways of expressing myself through composition, a poem can become the starting point of my musical ‘adventure’. The result can be the creation of a new autonomous microcosm which embodies the pre-existing one of the poem. This new poem-music creation could take the form of a complex word and sound format, but it could also result in a simple, sensual ‘tsifteteli’ dance-song (a popular eastern Mediterranean dance format).
Meli kai Gala (Milk and Honey)
Poem by Takis Antoniou
Performed by Vasilis Gisdakis and Dora Petridi
Erotikos Logos
A Song Cycle. The 20 songs are based on poems about Eros and Love written from 600 BC to our time. Sapho, Sophocles and 16th century love poems, to the 20tth century “Erotica” poems by Takis Antoniou and “Erotikos Logos” by Giorgos Seferis. The song cycle concludes with “A Moon-Memory from Palermo”. A music setting of an allegorical poem by Michalis Pieris in which it becomes clear at the end that the sensual lover lying on the ground, mortally wounded, is none other than Cyprus. The song cycle was premiered in September 2020 at the Cypria International Festival. The songs were performed by Vasilis Gisdakis, Amalia Tatsi, Dora Petridi and an instrumental ensemble of six..
Erotikos Logos
A Song Cycle. The 20 songs are based on poems about Eros and Love written from 600 BC to our time. Sapho, Sophocles and 16th century love poems, to the 20tth century “Erotica” poems by Takis Antoniou and “Erotikos Logos” by Giorgos Seferis. The song cycle concludes with “A Moon-Memory from Palermo”. A music setting of an allegorical poem by Michalis Pieris in which it becomes clear at the end that the sensual lover lying on the ground, mortally wounded, is none other than Cyprus. The song cycle was premiered in September 2020 at the Cypria International Festival. The songs were performed by Vasilis Gisdakis, Amalia Tatsi, Dora Petridi and an instrumental ensemble of six.
Love conquers All
Sophocles-496 BC.
Performed by Amalia Tatsi
A Moon-Memory from Palermo
Michalis Pieris
Performed by Vasilis Gisdakis and Amalia Tatsi
Erotikos Logos
Giorgos Seferis
Performed by Vasilis Gisdakis and Dora Petridi