The Papess Joanne comes to the Stavros Niarchos Hall 154 years after the release of the “antichristian and malevolent” novel of Emmanouel Rhoides, for three performances. On the occasion of the organization’s 80th anniversary, the Greek National Opera has been commissioning Greek composers to write new operas, aiming to create a “Greek” operatic repertoire. The libretto, based on the subversive and notorious novel of the same title, bears the stamp of acclaimed writer Vangelis Hadjiyannidis, while the music is composed by the multi-awarded composer and university professor Yiorgos Vassilandonakis.
Papess Joanne, a child prodigy, a restless and unconventional spirit, a woman who committed hubris and was punished for it, but then got a much-needed catharsis in God’s hands; a fictional character or a real person, is the center of Rhoides’ novel and through her, writes about women and unleashes harsh criticism against the representatives and practices of the church. The emblematic heroine and her road to glory and eventually disgrace, as well as the people who are always angry, passionate, and ready to be carried away, constitute the perfect operatic subject. Yiorgos Vassilandonakis, who lives and works in the USA, has written music for orchestra, chamber ensembles, electronic and multimedia music, opera and many works for the cinema and theater; Rhoides’ complex world was a creative challenge for the composer, which led to a genius parallel musical narrative which serves a dramatic structure and develops along with the inner world of the characters.
The new opera’s direction has been assigned to one of the most prestigious theater directors of the young generation, Dimitris Karantzas, who has also been a nominee for the 16th Europe Theatre Prize. Papess Joanne will be portrayed by the talented Greek soprano Chrissa Maliamani, who, despite her young age, has already been cast as the protagonist in several performances. The roles of Frumentius and Floros, Joanne’s lovers, will be played by the renowned baritone Dionysios Sourbis.
Performance Dates: March 8, 15, 22 2020.
Apokries is what the Greeks call ‘carnival’ and they’ve been celebrated in Athens since 1834 when the city became Greece’s capital. Until that time, carnivals typically only took place on select islands like Zakynthos and other locations like the famous carnival in Patra. However, when Athens became the center of Greece, the city’s lifestyle adopted many elements of this culture including carnival, masquerade balls, and wearing masks and costumes, which all became an indisputable part of celebrating Apokries! Today, carnival is celebrated all over Greece over 4 weeks, culminating on the weekend before Ash Monday.
During Otto’s reign, western culture was successfully combined with the typical Greek way of celebrating with the promotion of original, creative, and innovative festivities that drew everyone’s attention and attracted visitors from abroad. People gathered together, paraded through the streets and plunged into a celebration of singing and dancing for a party that lasted well into the night. Men and women gradually moved from European-styled costumes and embraced more authentically Greek styled masks and costumes; participating in various competitions and dance activities, they enjoyed folk spectacles, especially with characters like Karagkiozis - the most famous character in Greek folklore.
During the interwar period, Plaka became the epicenter of carnival celebrations; from 1931 on, festivities took on a larger form and were celebrated throughout most of the city’s picturesque streets. For many decades, Plaka remained in the spotlight and was considered a top destination for carnival goers from all over the world. Even today, Plaka, the prominent historic center of Athens, continues to dress in its festive best during Apokries! Children and adults in costumes walk around the old city laughing together, heading to Plaka to attend a great party or participate in creative carnival activities. Over the last years, the Municipality of Athens has been organizing numerous events which include musical acts and all kinds of performances, including of course, the traditional shadow theater.
Johann Strauss junior’s Die Fledermaus is the work with which the Greek National Opera will celebrate its 80th anniversary. This is not a random choice, as the famous operetta was the inaugural work of the Greek National Opera that premiered on the stage of the National Theatre on March 5, 1940. Die Fledermaus has been timelessly loved by its audience as a comic opera with an imaginative plot and exceptional music themes that go beyond the stereotypes of the Viennese opera.
Die Fledermaus is an operetta in 3 acts that portrays a luxurious and dizzying world where splendor and mirth, flirting, intrigue, and misunderstandings rule. Everything takes place during a wild night at the end of which the misunderstandings are finally resolved and it is revealed that the whole evening is nothing more than an elaborate prank. This production, directed by Alexandros Efklidis, transfers the action of the work to the bourgeois living rooms of Athens and the cabanas of the Asteras Vouliagmenis Resort, during the ’60s.
Johann Strauss junior (his father, Johann Strauss senior, was also a composer) is considered to be “The Waltz King”. Despite his father’s objections, by the age of 30, Strauss junior managed to gain more fame than his father and even the popular operetta composer Jacques Offenbach. He composed Die Fledermaus in 1874 and in 1894 the renowned composer and conductor Gustav Mahler produced it at the Hamburg Opera House, raising the artistic status of Strauss’ work and confirming that he believed in his talent as many other great musicians did including Brahms, Wagner, and Ravel.
The production will be conducted by Yorgos Ziavras, while the soloists include Yannis Kalyvas, Nikos Kotenidis, Dimitris Paksoglou, Eleni Calenos, Anna Stylianaki, Artemis Bogri and many more. The chorus will be conducted by Agathangelos Georgakatos.
Athens Concert Hall
Directed by Giannis Houvardas, the latest production of John Gabriel Borkman, the second-to-last play by the great Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, comes at the Athens Concert Hall, at Alexandra Trianti Hall. Ibsen’s penultimate play paints a devastating picture of selfish ambition. It is a towering masterpiece of analytical drama, a story of massive selfishness in which Ibsen describes the power of greed to wreck lives and contribute to one’s downfall.
Ibsen, born into an affluent merchant family who lost everything when he was around 7 years old, masterfully explores the role and status of women in society, the promises of liberalism, the moral conflicts and dilemmas that occur as a result of financial disaster, as well as the concept of social mechanisms. It is a work where Ibsen introduces themes such as the constant desire for accumulating money and power and the cost of individualism to the greater community. It is an eloquent demonstration of the downfall that results from our inability to let go of personal desires.
With a career spanning more than 45 years, Giannis Houvardas directs Ibsen for the third time and chooses Nikos Hatzopoulos, Reni Pittaki, and Lydia Photopoulou to portray the demanding lead roles.
