Duration
90'’Seats
1000Venue
CEREMONY HALL OF THE ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKIProduction of Greek Opera House – Alternative stage
Songs of Kostas Giannidis arranged for period orchestra
The alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera presents a tribute concert to the multifaceted work of the great composer Giannis Konstantinidis/Kostas Giannidis (1903-1984) on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his death.
A composer who is “twofold”, yet not divided! He served the ‘classical’ music, musical theater, and ‘light’ song genres with the same consistency, knowledge and inspiration. As a leading figure in all these genres, he was the creator of the song Pame san allote… We trace his journey from the cosmopolitan ambience of Smyrna to the cabarets of Berlin, moving through the musical theaters of Athens and the 78 RPM records of the “golden decade” of the 1930s, through the difficult years of the Occupation and into the post-war “new order”.
Etsi ein’ i zoi, mikro mou, panta etsi ein’ i zoi/ki opoios den ti zei pikra metanoei…
The heroes of his songs dance waltz-hesitation and waltz-musette, tango, swing, Charleston, samba, rumba, and bolero… Among the top performers are Sofia Vembo, Danai, Kakia Mendri, and Stella Greka. Their busts smell of roses…
Ma omos prosekse na mi tsimpitheis ki apo t’ angkathia tou na mi matotheis!
Honoring the 40th anniversary of the death of Konstantinidis/Giannidis, we recall ‘the refrains that persist.’ A selection of his beloved songs that resist the “retro” label and return with their timeless power and truth, for new generations to discover.
The selection of songs, the texts and the artistic direction of the performance were undertaken by Lampros Liavas, Professor at the University of Athens, to whom the composer bequeathed his archive, which is preserved in the Department of Music Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.