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The Symphonic Music of Mikis Theodorakis at the Athens Concert Hall

The Athens Concert Hall presents a concert with the symphonic music of Mikis Theodorakis on Thursday19 January 2012.
Mikis Theodorakis has dedicated a large part of his creative activity to symphonic music. The work of the symphonist Theodorakis is an important point of reference for the planning of the Megaros Musikis: this year's three concerts that will take place in January(19), in February(10) and in April(26) it is only a part of its full presentation, which is planned for the next artistic periods.
The first of the 'symphonic' concerts of the great Greek composer includes the "Piano Concerto no.. 1” and the “Third Agreement” (in its second form) for mezzo soprano, choir and orchestra. The distinguished pianist Elena Mouzala will be accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra and Choir of ERT, under the musical direction of Vladimir Symeonidis.
Co-production: Organization of the Athens Concert Hall & ERT

Info
Location Athens Concert Hall, Christos Lambrakis Hall, Bas. Sophia and Kokkalis, Athena
Date Thursday 19 January 2012 (Start time 20:30)
Information www.megaron.gr
Ticket prices €10.00 – 18,00 – 25,00 – 35,00 (Distinguished Zone)
Special prices: € 6,00 (Students, young people, unemployed, DISABLED), 8,50 (65+, many children). The pre-sale has started

Source : culturenow.gr
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Athens Concert Hall : Dionysis Tsaknis sings Yannis Scaribas

TheAthens Concert Hallintroduces himDionysis Tsakniand the musical performance titled"Self-righteous» which constitutes the composition…
his poemsYannis Scaribas.
The ironic language of Scariba, its fragmented style and unprecedented subject matter, which constitute elements of a modern poetics, inspired the restless creator who composed 12 poems of the collection "Selfish».
These compositions become the subject of a musical-theatrical performance that theDionysis Tsaknispresents in the Palace, with the valuable assistance of the orchestrator and soloist Dimitris Barbagala and his collaborators, as well as the singer Giorgos Merantzas and a group of actor-singers (Apostolis, George and Irini Psychrami, Eleni Karakasi, Eleni Ouzounidou, Konstantina Sarantopoulou). Skaribas himself is embodied by Gerasimos Skiadaresis in texts edited by Giorgos Tsaknis. The ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra is conducted by Andreas Pylarinos. It features a modern band as well as the musicians: Dimitris Barbagalas, guitars and Thomas Konstantinou, Chubs, you suck, rabbit.
The songs "Eavtoulides" are heard in the show, "Crazy", "The Robots", "The Station Master", "The Humpback", "The Ticket", "The Portrait of Elise Maily", “The ship (The Titanic)», "The Snake", "Syrtos Dance", "The Checkerless Waltz" as well as "Oolalum" (which Tsaknis had composed earlier for the needs of his record "What are you doing in my sleep, his father 2007).
The composer who entered this process knowing, loving and understanding the work of the poet, realizing at the same time the difficulties of setting his verses to music – with the frequent overtones, the semantic and syntactic steps and the idiomatic language with a mixture of vernacular and pure – stood intently to listen and render the music that hides each individual poem. In these compositions - which will be heard in the first part of the performance, orchestrated by Tsakni's permanent partner, Dimitris Barbagala.– the lively language of Skariba sounds effortlessly without changes or brutal modernizations. While the interesting use of instruments such as the laguto, the jouras and the tsoombus lead to a distinct sound that at some points flirts with tradition in a not-so-obvious way. In the "theatrical" part of the show – befitting the rich man, full of imagination and images because of Scaribas – the actor Gerasimos Skiadaresis renders self-mockery and irony in an ideal way, the humor but also the melancholy that characterize the poet's verses, while the use of Chorus acts as a counterbalance to the antisocial and introverted skaribi universe. Also worth remembering is, after years, participation of Giorgos Merantzas, with his voice full of tension and emotion adding to the dynamism and excitement.
In the second part of the show, poetry will again have the first floor, with musicalizations of his lyricsTasos Livaditis("I open the door at night"), ofCosta Tripoliti("Wind Clock") and hisManos Eleftheriou("Identity Information") from theDionysis Tsakni. It is performed by a ten-member orchestra made up of classical and artistic Greek music soloists led byDimitris Barbagala.
Info
Location
Athens Concert Hall (Christos Lambrakis room), Bas. Sophia and Kokkalis, Athena
Date
Monday 16 January 2012 (Start time: 20:30)
Information
Tel.: 210 7282333
Ticket prices
€ 14,00 – 25,00 – 35,00 – 50,00 (Distinguished Zone)
Special prices: € 7,50 (Students, young people, unemployed, DISABLED), 9,50 (65+, many children)
Source : culturenow.gr
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BIOGRAPHY : Francis Bacon, Anatomy of a Riddle by Michael Peppiatt

The Biography of Francis Bacon,one of the most important creators of the 20th century, released by Mikri Arktos publications, under the title Anatomy of an Enigma.
 Francis Bacon is one of the most charismatic and enigmatic authors of the 20th century. His paintings, immediately recognizable, they still defy interpretation and fuel controversy. Bacon was also a rare figure. Generous but cruel, straightforward character but also a skilled manipulator of others, cheerful and desperate, lived a life of extreme contradictions, full of achievements and triumphs, misfortunes and personal tragedies.

Little Bear is delighted to present to art lovers the revised edition of Michael Peppiatt's excellent biography of Francis Bacon,  entitled Anatomy of an Enigma translated by Spyros Tsougos, filling a bibliographic gap in the study of the work and life of the famous painter. Peppiatt uses new material entrusted to him by Bacon himself, but was not included in the first edition, and comes from their long discussions over many years, especially when the artist was working in Paris. So, we perceive in depth both the straits, personal relations of Bacon, his beliefs about art and his views on life as well as the, often, his caustic comments about his contemporaries.

"The biographer's powers of understanding and interpretation are revealed in Michael Peppiatt's account of the life and work of his friend Francis Bacon […] His account of Bacon's artistic career is confident, it is entertaining and provokes the reader's fruitful thought".
 "Bacon said that in a portrait he sought to capture all the pulse of a man. This expressive portrait of him achieves the same".
David Sylvester, Independent on Sunday
Michael Peppiatt : Michael Peppiatt is a writer, art critic and historian. He graduated from the University of Cambridge 1964, and initially worked at the magazine

The Observer as art critic. He then went to Paris as an editor at Réalités magazine. He remained in the French capital until 1969, and collaborated during this time as artistic editor at Le Monde newspaper. In his mid-teens 1970, covered cultural events across Europe for The New York Times and The Financial Times while also working as a Paris correspondent for various art magazines (Art News and Art International). The 1985, o Peppiatt becomes publisher of Art International, which is reissued in Paris.
The 1994 returns to London and writes the biography of Francis Bacon (1909-1992), with whom they had been close friends for thirty years. Bacon's Biography was selected as a "Book of the Year" by the New York Times and has been translated into many languages, while it is still regarded as the most complete and definitive record of the life and work of the great painter.

Peppiatt has curated many exhibitions, mainly retrospective, around the world: of the London School, by Francis Bacon, του Alberto Giacometti, by Christian Schad and Antoni Tapies. The 2005 he was awarded a PhD by the University of Cambridge for his publications on 20th century art.
He is a member of the Society of Writers and the Royal Society of Literature.
Info
Information
Biographies:
Translation: Spyros Tsougos
ISBN: 978-960-8104-31-0,15x21cm Bound, 512 p,L Price 31,00 euro
Editions: Little Bear. December 2011
Source : culturenow.gr
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THEATER : "Ivan and the dogs" with Aris Servetalis in Thessaloniki

 The successful show directed by Giorgos Oikonomou with Aris Servetalis and presented until January 1st in Athens, also goes up in Thessaloniki and brings to life the true story of little Ivan from 5 until 15 January 2012.
The performance inaugurates the reopening of the AVLAIA theater.
"And so the money ran out and there was no way
to buy food.
They tried everything to find money and buy food but nothing was done because the money was all gone.
So moms and dads tried to find things they could get rid of, things they ate, things they drank or things that needed warmth.
They searched their homes for such things.
The dogs left first."
How does one survive in the violent and inhospitable landscape of a city that has been fatally affected by the recession; "Ivan and the Dogs" is a gripping story of survival that brings to life the grim streets of 19th-century Moscow 1990 through the eyes of a child.
"I won't talk about the orphanage.
Those were the worst days.
They take me to church.
They tell me I have a soul.
It is something bright that is within me and is a part of it
God, but when I look at it, this part of God,
it has a tail and a clawed foot and a black wet snout"
True story: Moscow, winter of 1996. Terrified and abused by his brutal stepfather, a four-year-old boy runs away from home and miraculously survives by joining a pack of dogs. After three unsuccessful attempts by the police, he is finally 'arrested' 1998 and is locked up in an asylum. Then it is adopted. In his dreams Ivan Mishukov is still running on the edge of town with his dogs.
In the performance directed by Giorgos Oikonomou, Aris Servetalis narrates and experiences in the first person and in the first person the story of Ivan's childhood. He is the protagonist of a story that, although completely true, it was written with the materials of the most extreme fairy tale: the risk, the courage, the violence, the despair, the overthrow, the panic, the hope, the pursuit, the friendship, adulthood, love and peace. He is a modern Mogli, a four-year-old boy in the Moscow jungle of his decade 90 where the angst for survival is immense and hope is nil. Little Ivan moves in a landscape where homeless alcoholics are the protagonists, the nouveau riche gangsters, juvenile prisoners, the fear, cold and hunger. He leaves one night alone from the nightmare of his home to plunge into this landscape of complete destitution. He runs away to escape. And there next to a pack of dogs he will finally find harmony.
Writer Hattie Naylor was born in London and was studying painting when the BBC accepted her entry for the Young Playwrights Festival with her play The Box. Since then she has won many national and international awards for her radio plays. He lives in Bristol and has written about theatre, the opera and the cinema.
Ivan and the Dogs premiered at the Drum Theatre, in Plymouth, in September 2010 and has been performed with great success in London and New York. The 2011 is nominated for an Olivier Award.
The translation of the work is signed by Giorgos Kalamandis, directed by Giorgos Oikonomou, the scenery and costumes by Kostas Velinopoulos, music by Nikos Portokaloglou, lighting by Yiannis Drakularakos.
Aris Servetalis in the role of Ivan
Info
Location Theater Avlaia, HANTH square (Tsimiski side), Thessalonica
Premiere date Thursday 5 January 2012
Representations: Every day except Monday, time 21:00. Duration: 1.05’
Information Tel. 2310423925
Ticket prices 15 €, student 10 €
Source : culturenow.gr
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"The Magic Violin": Opera for children too

The children's opera of Nikos Xanthoulis "The Magic Violin", comes to the National Opera to enchant young and old alike8 January 2012.
A musical fairy tale about the power of music and true love that will impress children's souls. A comparative story that brings the message of optimism and joy, even in the most difficult conditions.
Composer Nikos Xanthoulis wrote music with the aim of appealing to all ages and especially to "young ears", while Marivita Grammatikaki inspired the libretto, from a personal experience: A gray day with dark thoughts of bankruptcy, crisis, loss a busker passed in front of her playing the violin. This was the reason for writing this work.
The director of the show Lena Georgiadou notes: "This is a 'fairytale' story", structured with the characteristics of a tragedy, where everyone, "good" and "bad" do not obey traditional conventions, where the past and the future, logic and imagination, they cease to be treated as contradictory, and all together act as a poetic depiction of a world so old, as well as today's.
The story

Once, in a gray state,  there lived a king who hated beauty, colors and songs and forbade all citizens to sing and rejoice. He even imprisoned his daughter for singing one day when she was enchanted by a gypsy's violin, who accidentally entered the state. The king was frightened as soon as he heard the song and ordered to imprison all those who sang along with the gypsy, as well as to throw away his violin. Only one madman stayed out of prison and hid the violin.

The king now lives alone, companionship with the madman of the state. Hearing the violin awakens memories that fill him with sadness. It wasn't always like that. The death of his beloved queen filled him with pain. For the first time he reveals that he is afraid of pain. He believes that he who is not happy is not sad, therefore it does not hurt.
But the words of the madman and the music of the magic violin, the queen's gift to the gypsy, they awakened the goodness he had buried within him. The Apparition of the Queen and the Magical Tunes of the Violin, solve the magic. That's how everything changed.

Note by composer Nikos Xanthoulis
I loved Asterix since I was little. At first I was fascinated by the images, later the stories and when I was older I was crazy about his humor. When I found that a work of art can speak to both children and adults, I was captivated by the idea that I could do something like that with music. But the problem is always the text. "Give me a good libretto and I will find the music" said Verdi.

The opportunity came with the libretto competition for a musical fairy tale that we co-organized in the Educational Programs of the National Opera together with the National Book Center in November 2010. My good friend Marivita Grammatikaki made with a few sentences a draft of a fairy tale entitled The Magic Violin on which young students from all over Greece would compete in writing a libretto. The competition was held and the first prize was won by a student from Thessaloniki, Raphael Ketsetsidis. Joseph Vallet composed the work that was presented with great success at the 2nd Student Opera Festival, which was organized some months later.

Some time later, the European Organization OPERA EUROPA organized the European Opera Days in cooperation with most of the opera theaters of Europe [European Opera Days] at 7 and 8 of May 2011 titled "Young Ears" [Young Ears]. The translation of the theme was not accidental. People of any age who are open to new hearings have "young ears".. The National Opera House asked me to compose a work for all ages, a project that can be approached by an adult, but also a young viewer. I chose the Magic Violin without a second thought. I got lucky with Marivita Grammatikaki's libretto. We worked with great joy with all partners and with the people of the National Opera to be by our side in all difficulties. But the most beautiful thing... is to see the children's smiles after the show.

Composition and music direction Nikos Xanthoulis
Author – Lyricist Marivita Grammatikakis
Directed by Lena Georgiadou
Sets – Costumes Chrysanthi Psaropoulos
Lighting by Ioannis Pantelias
Choreography – Kinesiology Themistocles Pavlis
Direction of children's choir Rozi Mastrosavva
Horace (King) Alexandros Stavrakakis – George Roupas
Procas (Sneak) Pavlos Maropoulos – Zafeiris Koutelieris
Ed (Crazy) Panagiotis Athanasopoulos – Kostis Rasidakis
Rosa (Princess) Artemis Bogri – Gina Foteinopoulou
Amir (Romany) Nikos Stefanou – Thanasis Evangelou
Evita Hassapoglou dances
Members of the Children's Stage Orchestra of E.L.S. and the ROSARTE children's choir
 Source : culturenow.gr
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"Amen Amen": A musical performance by Stavros Xarhakos

TheState Theater of Northern GreeceandAcropolis Theatrepresent the production “Amen Amen“, a musical performance based on rebetiko song, directed by himStavros Xarchakos.
The premiere will be given onFriday 30 December 2011in theRoyal TheatreinThessalonica.
The rebetika songs of the vision for a better life, the rebetikas of denying dreams, the rebetikas of the eternal nostalgia of beauty, the rebetikas of the sanctity of desire, the rebetikas of defiance of terror, the rebetika songs of challenging fate and restless struggle with death.
The “aman” that comes out of the soul meets the “Amen” a prayer. In the straight line that unites the Byzantine organ with the rebetiko and with the Little Asian song, love travels, the passion, the lust, the nostalgia, the fate, the death, dreams for a better life, deprivation of liberty and refugee status. This is how Stavros Xarchakos listened to these sounds of the past and staged a musical performance entitled “Amen Amen”. A spectacle-listening with old and new compositions, a folk stage as overwhelming as a liturgy.
Each of the two parts is divided into three sections. There are songs of grace, of Teke and the East.
COEFFICIENTS
 
Direction: Stavros Xarchakos
Sets-costumes: Ersi Drini
Paintings: GeorgeStathopoulos
Lighting: Grigoris Karatinakis
Audio Direction: Nikolaos Routos
Production Department: Fanis Kirkinezos
Production Supervisor – Assistant Director: Pandora Xarhakou
They interpret: Zacharias Karounis– Elita Kounadis– Costas Mantzopoulos– Nana Binopoulou–Kate Dali– Maria Sultatou–Kostas Tsigos.
The musicians are playing:
Vamvakousis Aristos(Bouzouki), Vastor Achilles(Piano), Drogaris Vassilis(Accordion), Zakkas Iraklis(Bouzouki, Baglamas, Good), Cavalieratos Stavros(Contrabass), Margonis Sotiris(Violin), George Pehlivanoglou(Classical Guitar), George Nidriotis(Bouzouki, Jura, Baglama),Pappos Manolis(Bouzouki), Sambaziotis Nikos(Acoustic Guitar), Sideridis Diamantis, (Bouzouki, Jura, Baglama, Chubs), Khalil Evgenios(Bouzouki, Jura, Baglama).
For 20 only performances inThessalonica. Subsequently, they will follow 20 performances at the Acropolis Theatre, in Athens.
 Source : culturenow.gr
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The legendary Black Sabbath at the Rockwave Festival

Thegreater musical wave, which still sweeps here and there 16 years, comes to officially confirm the great and long-awaited …
news that the: legendary Black Sabbathwill appear inGreece on Sunday July 1st 2012.
At 11.11.11 the legendary onesBlack Sabbathannounced that they are reuniting!
TheBlack Sabbath, with their original and authentic composition- the original line up- that is, the: OZZY OSBOURNE(voice), TONY IOMMI(guitar), GEEZER BUTLER(bass) and BILL WARD(drums)- announced that they will appear as headliners at the most famous and largest European festivals in 2012.
This is the reunion of the decade!
Their tour starts on Friday 18 May in Moscow and will bring Black Sabbath to the world audience, even in countries where they have never played before or others, who have been visiting for over three decades.
In Greece they will find it Sunday 1 Julyin theROCKWAVE FESTIVAL, TERRAVIBE PARK, ATHENA
The BLACK SABBATHis the band that invented themetal music. This line up gave birth, popularized and imposed heavy metal. The band's first self-titled album, Black Sabbath, changed the face of music forever. They took the hard music of their time, the hard blues, they changed their face, and turned them into something new that was later called heavy metal music.
TheBLACK SABBATH, this period, with their original and most successful form they record their first studio album after 33 entire years, produced by the legendary RICK RUBIN, which will be released worldwide in the fall 2012.
All musicians have been influenced by themBLACK SABBATHand have referred to them with their statements. Among them the great performer Henry Rollins: “BLACK SABBATH's music is the ultimate driving force. Any self-respecting band worth their weight in napalm wishes they had written 'War Pigs'. The critics never got it, but the fans loved it, they understood it and it still moves them. All of their music has lost none of its dynamism and spark over time. In fact now it resonates louder… I salute the mighty BLACK SABBATH now and forever.”
TheBLACK SABBATH, the fathers of heavy metal music, with more than 70 millions of records sold worldwide, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees (they entered it 2006), the Grammy winners, they will be in Greece at the Rockwave Festival and will offer us moments of great emotion! Greek fans will witness a concert of epic proportions! A historic comeback, a night for true rock fans not to be missed!
Along with themBlack Sabbathher
 
will appear:
 
Machine Head
The musical road-paving machine puts on its wheels and returns to Greece, with perhaps his best album 2011, Unto the Locust, which manages to stand worthily next to the landmark record of their career, The Blackening.
With the furious guitars of the unbeaten duo Flynn-Demmel we are driven... Into glory we will ride! With their caustic debut album Burn my eyes they showed us what it means to get the blood pumping by sweeping the amps with hellish riffs!
TheMachine Headthey started where thrash metal was created and spread, following in the footsteps of bands like Metallica and Slayer. Dark ones, barbarians, extreme but at the same time accessible and modern, marked a younger generation of artists and are considered by fans as the "saviors of heavy metal". They are the most promising band of the 21st century. Maybe even the millennium.
The musical wave of New Metal will take them from the Bay Area of ​​California straight to our very own RockWave!
Paradise Lost
The beloved emperors of European doom/goth metal, they come back to our country stronger with their brand new album Tragic Idol to prove once again how masterfully they combine the melancholic atmosphere with the strong and hard sound.
They are the British metal elite who always have a complete aesthetic proposal in their live performances, which combines austerity with dynamism, lyrics and melodies that compete for first place, unfolding the darkest aspects of the mind.
The assembly has been driven to the top of the metal fixture, treating each new record as a fresh start, like a journey into the unknown on unexplored paths and always manages to leave an indelible mark on the evolution of music.
The Greek public will once again bow to the shadowkings, Paradise Lost!
Planet of Zeus
Our very own stoner band that has been very successful in Greece and abroad in recent years. The raw, their honest and constantly evolving stage presence, has secured them a loyal hardcore underground following. With the necessary dose of testosterone, their live performances are electrifying, heavy and headbanging give and take. Considered by many to be the next big band... They just have to prove it on the Rockwave scene.
Lucky Funeral
Lucky Funeral was formed on 2007. Starting out as a stoner band, now they combine an alloy of metal influences, grunge, sludge, and have already released two full length albums. They have performed over 120 live appearances within four years of existence and have shared the stage with major bands of the area.
This is a first taste of the Rockwave Festival line up 2012
ROCKWAVE! The most dynamic festival, the one that marked the summers of all of us, the reference point for music lovers everywhere, the circle in a calendar, the smile reading a press release. Always a pioneer, sometimes bright and sometimes dark, richer and bolder than ever ROCKWAVE will be here again this year, faithful to the appointment with his audience.
He carries passionate artists on his back, legendary bands and above all wonderful music that balances all together on one board.
ROCKWAVE! A musical wave that comes from afar and will take us even further. A promise that is always kept, an expectation that does not go unfulfilled, a relationship that grows stronger, an adventure that never ends...
 
Info
Location
Rockwave Festival, TERRAVIBE PARK, Athena
Date
Sunday 1 July 2012
Ticket prices
The first 3.000 Sunday tickets 1 July 2012 they cost 45 € The next ones 3.000 tickets cost 50 €. After they are sold out the ticket will cost 58 €. The ticket at the BOX OFFICE will cost 65 €
Ticket sales
From Wednesday 14 December 2011. TICKET HOUSE
Athena: Ticket House, University 42 (inside the gallery)
tel.: 210 3608 366 Online sales or credit card purchases, 24 hours/hour:
www.ticketpro.gr  | www.tickethouse.gr  
Source : culturenow.gr