I believe that the overall development of my music owes a lot to the theatre. To textual structures capable of expressing the most complex and powerful human feelings and situations. Such texts, by Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles but also by some contemporary poets and dramatists, initiated and inspired my music explorations.
I believe that the overall development of my music owes a lot to the theatre. To textual structures capable of expressing the most complex and powerful human feelings and situations. Such texts, by Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles but also by some contemporary poets and dramatists, initiated and inspired my music explorations.
1973
With Katerina Mina (Soprano) Vicky Stylianou (Piano) and The Greek Radio National Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. Conductor Andreas Pylarinos
“The symphonic/vocal composition “1973” is based on my song cycle “Exile and November 1973” which I composed when Greece was under a military dictatorship. At the time, I met in Italy with the self-exiled author and poet Vasilis Vasilikos who gave me four small books of his recent poetry. The poems expressed the bitterness and the anguish of the enforced exile but also the determination to resist and confront the junta to its end. I set the poems to music and in April 1974, they were performed by Maria Farantouri at London’s Round House. Years later I returned to these songs and incorporated them in a new composition. The large symphonic/vocal work “1973”. Integral part of this music score is the Electronic Soundtrack in which the voice of Maria Farantouri can be heard singing at the historic first performance of the original song cycle. The EST also contains audio documented sounds from the students uprising in Athens which led to the junta’s fall.”
“Lumen Tristis Is an Orchestral/vocal composition which also forms part of “Hamathen”, the ‘poetic symphony’ by Christos Pittas based on the trilogy of poems by Rois Papangelou written after the 1974 Turkish invasion and consequently the enforced partition of Cyprus. In the seven parts of “Lumen Tristis” a moon wonders and observes over Cyprus. The same moon shining over the one divided island…”
Lumen Tristis
With Angelika Kathariou (Mezzo Soprano) Angelos Simos (Tenor) Vicky Stylianou (Piano) and the Greek Radio National Symphony & Chorus. Conductor A. Pylarinos
Lumen Tristis
With Angelika Kathariou (Mezzo Soprano) Angelos Simos (Tenor) Vicky Stylianou (Piano) and the Greek Radio National Symphony & Chorus. Conductor A. Pylarinos
“Lumen Tristis Is an Orchestral/vocal composition which also forms part of “Hamathen”, the ‘poetic symphony’ by Christos Pittas based on the trilogy of poems by Rois Papangelou written after the 1974 Turkish invasion and consequently the enforced partition of Cyprus. In the seven parts of “Lumen Tristis” a moon wonders and observes over Cyprus. The same moon shining over the one divided island…”
Rime d’ Amore
Extracts, with Alkinoos Ioannides (Troubadour) Katerina Mina (Soprano) Nikos Stephanou (Tenor) Kyros Partsalides (baritone) Vicki Stylianou (Piano/Harpsichord) and the Cyprus State Orchestra (leader Wolfgang Schroeder) conductor: Alkis Baltas.
«“Rime d’ Amore In 2008 Cyprus joined the European Monetary Zone. To celebrate the occasion Christos Pittas was commissioned to compose a large-scale work. He decided to base the new composition on ‘Rime d’ Amore’. The 16th century Petrarchian love sonnets written in the Greek – Cypriot language by an unknown poet. The original manuscripts of these poems were discovered and are kept in the Marciana Library of Venice. The composition is for a symphony orchestra, solo piano &harpsichord and four vocal soloists. Three lyrical voices and a Troubadour.”
““AG” Based on texts by Aeschylus/Josipovici. BBC Production, Dir. John Theocharis.…. “a remarkable entry at this year’s Prix Italia, with fine, original music by Christos Pittas”.”.
AG
With Martyn Hill (Tenor) the London Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Singers. Conductor, the Composer.
AG
With Martyn Hill (Tenor) the London Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Singers. Conductor, the Composer.
““AG” Based on texts by Aeschylus/Josipovici. BBC Production, Dir. John Theocharis.…. “a remarkable entry at this year’s Prix Italia, with fine, original music by Christos Pittas”.”.
FAUSΤ
text by Goethe. BBC Production. dir. David Spencer
with Anne Collis (Church Organ) Irvin Arditti (solo violin) the Tiffin Boys’ Choir, London Chamber Orchestra. Conductor, the composer.
…” the six-hour production of ‘Faust’ with music by Christos Pittas made the work an absorbing opera. The actors became keenly sensitive musicians performing the words of a mighty score. Voices in infinite depth and variety gave us cackling spirits and choruses who took up words as in a relay race, making sounds like a tumbling cascade”.
Oedipus at Colonus (Sophocles)
With Martyn Hill (tenor), Chorus & BBC Instr. ensemble.
…” With strikingly percussive music composed and conducted by Christos Pittas.”
…” the haunting music by Christos Pittas marvellously conjured up the frightening atmosphere of Thebes stumbling towards death”