Mikis (Michael) Theodorakis (, ) (born July 29, 1925,
Greek island of
Chios) is one of the most popular Greek songwriters and composers. Internationally, he is probably best known for his songs and for his
scores for the films ''
Zorba the Greek'' (1964), ''
Z'' (1969), and ''
Serpico'' (1973).
Politically, he identified with the left until the late 1980s; in 1989, he ran as an independent candidate within the centre-right New Democracy party in order for the country to come out of the political crisis that had been created due to the numerous scandals of the government of Andreas Papandreou and helped to establish a large coalition between conservatives, socialists and leftists. In 1990 he was elected to the parliament (as in 1964 and 1981), became a government minister under Constantine Mitsotakis, and fought against drugs and terrorism and for culture, education and better relations between Greece and Turkey. He continues to speak out in favor of left-liberal causes, War in Iraq, and Greek-Turkish-Cypriot relations. He has consistently opposed oppressive regimes and was the key voice against the Greek Junta 1967-1974, which imprisoned him.
He has been mentioned as a candidate for the election as President of Greece, but he has refused to be considered.
Biography
Early years
Mikis Theodorakis was born on the island of Chios and spent his childhood years in different provincial Greek cities such as
Mytilene,
Cephallonia,
Patras,
Pyrgos and
Tripoli. His father, a lawyer and a civil servant was from Galata (
Crete) and his mother from Cesme (
Asia Minor).
Theodorakis's fascination with music began in early childhood; he taught himself to write his first songs without access to musical instruments. In Patras and Pyrgos he took his first music lessons, and in Tripoli, Peloponnese, he gave his first concert at the age of seventeen.
He went to Athens in 1943, and became a member of a Reserve Unit of ELAS. During the Greek Civil War, he was arrested, sent into exile on the island of Icaria and then deported to the island of Makronisos, where he was tortured and twice buried alive.
During the periods when he was not obliged to hide, not exiled or jailed, he studied from 1943 to 1950 at the Athens Conservatoire under Filoktitis Economidis,. In 1950, he finished his studies and took his last two exams "with flying colours". He went to Crete, where he became the "head of the Chania Music School" and founded his first orchestra. At this time he ended what he has called the ''first period'' of his musical writing.
Studies in Paris
In 1954 he travelled with his young wife Myrto Altinoglou to
Paris where he entered the Conservatory and studied musical analysis under
Olivier Messiaen and conducting under Eugene Bigot. His time in Paris, 1954–1959, was his ''second period'' of musical writing and a time of intense artistic creation.
His symphonic works: a Piano concerto, his first suite, his first symphony, and his scores for the ballet: ''Greek Carnival, Le Feu aux Poudres, Les Amants de Teruel'', received international acclaim. In 1957, he won the Gold Medal in the Moscow Music Festival; President of the Jury was Dmitri Shostakovitch. In 1959, after the successful performances of Theodorakis's ballet ''Antigone'' at Covent Garden in London, the French composer Darius Milhaud proposed him for the ''American Copley Music Prize'' - an award of the "William and Noma Copley Foundation", which later changed its name to "Cassandra Foundation" - as the "Best European Composer of the Year". His first international scores for the film ''Ill Met by Moonlight'' and ''Luna de Miel'', directors: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, were also very successful: The ''Honeymoon'' title song became part of the repertoire of The Beatles.
Notable works up to 1960
#Chamber Music: Four String Quartets; Trio four piano, violin, cello; Little Suite for piano; Sonatina for piano; Sonatinas No.1 and No.2 for violin and piano;
#Symphonic music: ''Assi-Gonia'' (symphonic movement; Piano Concerto "Helicon"; Symphony No.1 (Proti Simfonia); Suites n° 1, 2 et 3 for orchestre; ''La Vie et la Mort / Live and Death'' (for voice and strings); ''Œdipus Tyrannos'' (for strings; later for quartet and symphony orchestra); Piano Concerto;
#Ballets: ''Greek Carnival''; ''Le Feu aux Poudres''; ''Les Amants de Teruel''; ''Antigone'';
#Filmscores: ''The Barefoot Battalion'' (
Greg Tallas); ''Ill Met by Moonlight'' and ''Honeymoon'' (
Powell and Pressburger); ''Faces in the Dark'' (
David Eady).
Back to Greek roots
In 1960, Theodorakis returned to Greece and his roots in genuine Greek music: With his song cycle ''Epitaphios'' he started the ''third period'' of his composing and contributed to a cultural revolution in his country. With his most significant and influential works based on the greatest Greek and world poetry – ''Epiphania'' (
Giorgos Seferis), ''Little Kyklades'' (
Odysseas Elytis), ''Axion Esti'' (
Odysseas Elytis), ''Mauthausen'' (
Iakovos Kambanellis), ''Romiossini'' (
Yannis Ritsos), and ''Romancero Gitano'' (
Federico García Lorca) – he attempted to give back to Greek music a dignity which in his perception it had lost. In developing his concept of "metasymphonic music" (symphonic compositions that go beyond the "classical" status and mix symphonic elements with popular songs, Western symphonic orchestra and Greek popular instruments), he quickly became recognised internationally, and won acclaim as "Greece's greatest living composer".
He founded the ''Little Orchestra of Athens'' and the ''Musical Society of Piraeus'', gave many, many concerts all around Greece and abroad... and he naturally became involved in the politics of his home country. After the assassination of Gregoris Lambrakis in May 1963 he founded the ''Lambrakis Democratic Youth'' ("Lambrakidès") and was elected its president. Under Theodorakis's impetus, it started a vast cultural renaissance movement and became the greatest political organisation in Greece with more than 50.000 members. Following the 1964 elections, Theodorakis became a member of the Greek Parliament, associated with the left-wing party EDA. Because of his political ideas, the composer was black-listed by the cultural establishment; at the time of his biggest artistic glory, a large number of his songs were censored-before-studio or were not allowed on the radio stations.
During 1964, he wrote the music for the Michael Cacoyiannis film ''Zorba the Greek'', whose main theme, since then, exists as a trademark for Greece. It is also known as 'Syrtaki dance'; inspired from old Cretan traditional dances.
Main works of this period
#Song cycles: ''Epitaphios'' (
Yannis Ritsos); ''Archipelagos'' (Songs of the Islands), ''Politia A & B'' (Songs of the City), ''Epiphania'' (
Giorgos Seferis,
Nobel Prize 1963), ''Mikres Kyklades'' (
Odysseas Elytis), ''Chrysoprasino Fyllo'' (Golden-green leaf), ''Mauthausen'' (
Iakovos Kambanellis), ''Romiossini'' (
Yannis Ritsos), ''Thalassina Feggaria'' (Moons of the Sea)
#Oratorio: ''To Axion Esti'' (
Odysseas Elytis,
Nobel Prize 1979), cf. Theodorakis on ''Axion Esti''
#Music for the Stage: ''The Hostage'' (
Brendan Behan); ''Ballad of the Dead Brother'' (Theodorakis); ''Omorphi Poli'' (Beautiful City); ''Maghiki Poli'' (Magical City); ''I Gitonia ton Angelon''(The Angels' Quarter,
Iakovos Kambanellis)
#Film scores: ''
Phaedra'' (
Jules Dassin), ''
The Lovers of Teruel'' (
Raymond Rouleau), ''
Five Miles to Midnight'' (
Anatole Litvak), ''
Electra'' and ''
Zorba the Greek'' (
Michalis Cacoyannis), ''To Nisi tis Afroditis'' (Harilaos Papadopoulos)
During the dictatorship
On 21 April 1967 a
right wing junta (the
Regime of the Colonels)
took power in a putsch. Theodorakis went underground and founded the "Patriotic Front" (PAM). On 1 June, the Colonels published "Army decree No 13", which banned playing, and even listening to his music. Theodorakis himself was arrested on 21 August, and jailed for five months. Following his release end of January 1968, he was banished in August to
Zatouna with his wife Myrto and their two children, Margarita and Yorgos. Later he was interned in the
concentration camp of
Oropos. An international solidarity movement, headed by such personalities as
Dmitri Shostakovich,
Leonard Bernstein,
Arthur Miller, and
Harry Belafonte demanded to get Theodorakis freed. On request of the French politician
Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, Theodorakis was allowed to go into exile to
Paris on 13 April 1970. Theodorakis's flight left very secretly from an
Onassis owned private airport outside
Athens. Theodorakis arrived at
Le Bourget Airport where he met
Costa Gavras,
Melina Mercouri and
Jules Dassin. Theodorakis was immediately hospitalized because he suffered from lung
tuberculosis.
Myrto Theodorakis, Mikis's wife and two children joined him a week later in
France. They arrived from
Greece to France via
Italy on a boat.
Main works under the dictatorship
#Song cycles: ''Ta Laïka'' (''The Popular Songs'', Manos Elefteriou); ''O Ilios ke o Chronos'' (''Sun and Time'', Theodorakis); ''Songs for Andreas'' (Theodorakis); ''Arcadies I-X''; ''Nichta Thanatou'' (''Nights of Death'', Manos Elefteriou);
#Oratorios: ''Ephiphania Averoff''
Giorgos Seferis, ''State of Siege'' (Marina = Rena Hadjidakis), ''March of the Spirit'' (
Angelos Sikelianos), ''Raven'' (
Giorgos Seferis, after
Edgar Allan Poe);
#Film score: ''
Z'' (
Costa-Gavras).
Resistance in exile
While in exile, Theodorakis fought during four years for the overthrow of the colonels. He started his world tours and gave thousands of concerts on all continents as part of his struggle for the restoration of democracy in Greece.
He met Pablo Neruda and Salvador Allende and promised them to compose his version of Neruda's Canto General. He was received by Gamal Abdel Nasser and Tito, Yigal Allon and Yasser Arafat, while François Mitterrand, Olof Palme and Willy Brandt became his friends. For millions of people, Theodorakis was the symbol of resistance against the Greek dictatorship.
Main works written in exile
#Song cycles: ''18 lianotragouda tis pikris patridas'' (''18 Short Songs of the Bitter Land'',
Yiannis Ritsos), ''Ballades'' (
Manolis Anagnostakis), ''Tis exorias'' (''Songs of the Exile'')
#Oratorio: ''
Canto General'' (
Pablo Neruda)
#Film scores: ''
The Trojan Women'' (M. Cacoyannis); ''
State of Siege'' (Costa-Gavras); ''
Serpico'' (
Sydney Lumet)
Return to Greece
After the fall of the Colonels, Mikis Theodorakis returned to Greece on 24 July 1974 to continue his work and his concert tours, both in Greece and abroad. At the same time he participated in public affairs. In 1978, through his article ''For a United Left Wing'', he had "stirred up the Greek political life. His proposal for the unification of the three parties of the former United Left – which had grown out of the National Liberation Front (N.L.F.) – had been accepted by the Greek Communist Party which later proposed him as the candidate for mayor of Athens during the 1978 elections." (Andreas Brandes) He was later elected several times to the Greek Parliament (1981–1986 and 1989–1993) and for two years, from 1990 to 1992, he was a minister in the government of
Constantine Mitsotakis. After his resignation as a member of Greek parliament, he was appointed General Musical Director of the Choir and the two Orchestras of the Hellenic State Radio (
ERT), which he reorganised and with which he undertook successful concert tours abroad.
In addition to opposing policies and actions of the state of Israel, in 2003 Theodorakis was quoted by Greek media as saying that the Jews themselves are "at the root of evil", resulting in accusations of anti-semitism by the Simon Wiesenthal Center and others. In a response the following month on his web site, Theodorakis denied the allegations: "I was always on the side of the weak, of those struggling for the Justice of People. And among them were the Israeli People.".
One of the first acts of the Government of Constantine Mitsotakis, minister of which was Mikis Theodorakis, was the recognition of the State of Israel (21 May 1990).
Theodorakis has always combined an exceptional artistic talent with a deep love of his country. He is also committed to heightening international awareness of human rights, of environmental issues, and of the need for peace. It was for this reason that he initiated, together with the renowned Turkish author, musician, singer, and filmmaker Zülfü Livaneli, the Greek–Turkish Friendship Society.
From 1981, Theodorakis had started the ''fourth period'' of his musical writing, during which he returned to the symphonic music, while still going on to compose song-cycles. His most significant works written in these years are his ''Second, Third, Fourth'' and ''Seventh Symphony'', most of them being first performed in the former German Democratic Republic between 1982 and 1989. It was during this period that he received the Lenin Peace Prize. He composed his first opera Kostas Kariotakis (The Metamorphoses of Dionysus) and the ballet Zorba the Greek, premièred in the Arena of Verona during the Festival Verona 1988, a ballet which has a tremendous success worldwide. During this period, he also wrote the five volumes of his autobiography: ''The Ways of the Archangel'' (''Οι δρόμοι του αρχάγγελου'').
In 1989, he started the ''fifth period'', the last, of his musical writing: He composed three operas (lyric tragedies) ''Medea'', first performed in Bilbao (1 October 1981), ''Elektra'', first performed in Luxembourg (2 May 1995) and ''Antigone'', first performed in Athens' Megaron Moussikis (7 October 1999). This trilogy was complemented by his last opera ''Lysistrata'', first performed in Athens (14 April 2002): a call for peace... With his operas, and with his song cycles from 1974 to 2006, Theodorakis ushered in the period of his ''Lyrical Life''.
Theodorakis is Doctor honoris causa of several universities, including Montreal, Thessaloniki, and Crete, and was nominated by the Greek people for the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2000.
Now he lives in retirement, reading, writing, publishing arrangements of his scores, texts about culture and politics. On important occasions he still takes position: in 1999, opposing NATO's Kosovo war and in 2003 against the Iraq War. In 2005, he was awarded the ''Sorano Friendship and Peace Award'', the Russian ''International St.-Andrew-the-First-Called Prize'', the insignia of ''Grand Officer of the Order of Merit'' of Luxembourg, and the ''IMC UNESCO International Music Prize'', while already in 2002 he was honoured in Bonn with the ''Erich Wolfgang Korngold Prize'' for film music at the International Film Music Biennial in Bonn (cf also: Homepage of the Art and Exhibition Hall Bonn). In 2007, he received a ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' at the distribution of the ''World Soundtrack Awards'' in Ghent.
A final set of songs entitled: ''Odysseia'' was composed by utilizing poetry written by Costas Kartelias for lyrics. Created in 2007, Theodorakis achieved the distinction of producing one of the largest works by any composer of any time.
2010-2011: Calling for revolution
In December 1, 2010, Mikis Theodorakis founded "Spitha: People's Independent Movement", a non-political movement which calls people to gather and express their political ideas. The main goal of "Spitha" is to help Greece stay clear off it's economical crisis.
Anti-Semitism
According to the
Los Angeles Times, "in the course of a (2011) television interview" Theodorakis "openly conceded that he was an anti-Semite."
In early 2011, Theodorakis made comments on Greek television that were reported as being antisemitic. According to the Jerusalem Post, Theodorakis said, that "[e]verything that happens today in the world has to do with the Zionists. American Jews are behind the world economic crisis that has hit Greece also." In addition, Theodorakis blasted Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou for establishing closer relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was guilty, he said, of "war crimes in Lebanon and Gaza." On May 31, Mikis Theodorakis gave a speech among 10.000 Greeks in the centre of Athens, criticising the Greek government for the loan debt it has taken from the International Monetary Fund. It was also the first time he called everyone to revolutionize.
Main works after 1974
#Song cycles: Ta Lyrika; Dionysos; Phaedra; Beatrice in Zero Street; Radar; Chairetismoi (Greetings); Mia Thalassa (A Sea Full of Music); Os archaios Anemos (Like an Ancient Wind); Lyrikotera (The More-Than-Lyric Songs); Lyrikotata (The Most Lyric Songs); Erimia (Solitude); Odysseia;
#Music for the Stage: ''
Orestia'' (dir.:
Spyros Evangelatos); ''
Antigone'' (dir.:
Minos Volanakis); ''
Medea'' (dir.: Spyros Evangelatos)
#Film scores: ''
Iphigenia'' (M. Cacoyannis), ''
The Man with the Carnation'' (
Nikos Tzimas)
#Oratorios: ''Liturgia 2; Missa Greca (Thia Liturgia); Requiem'';
#Symphonic music and cantatas: Symphonies no 2, 3, 4, 7; According to the Sadducees; Canto Olympico; Guitar Rhapsody; Cello Rhapsody; Trumpet Rhapsody;
#Operas: "The Metamorphosis of the Dionysus" (
Kostas Karyotakis);
Medea;
Elektra;
Antigone;
Lysistrata.
A lifetime's work: synopsis
Songs and song cycles
Theodorakis has written more than 1,000 songs and song-cycles, whose melodies have become part of the heritage of Greek music:
Sto Perigiali,
Kaimos,
Aprilis,
Doxa to Theo,
Sotiris Petroulas,
Lipotaktes,
Stis Nichtas to Balkoni,
Agapi mou,
Pou petaxe t'agori mou,
Anixe ligo to parathiro,
O Ipnos se tilixe,
To gelasto pedi,
Dendro to dendro,
Asma Asmaton,
O Andonis...
His song cycles are based on poems by famous Greek authors, as well as by
Lorca and
Neruda: Epitaphios, Archipelagos, Politia A-D, Epiphania, The Hostage, Mykres Kyklades, Mauthausen, Romiossini, Sun and Time, Songs for Andreas, Mythology, Night of Death, Ta Lyrika, The Quarters of the World, Dionysos, Phaedra, Mia Thalassa, Os Archaios Anemos, Ta Lyrikotera, Ta Lyrikotata, Erimia, Odysseia.
Theodorakis released two albums of his songs and song cycles on
Paredon Records and
Folkways Records in the early seventies, including his ''Peoples' Music: The Struggles of the Greek People'' (1974).
For a complete discography, see the Official Homepage of the composer.
Symphonic works
1952: Piano Concerto "Helikon"
1953: First Symphony ("Proti Simfonia")
1954–1959: 3 Orchestral Suites
1958: Piano Concerto
1981: Symphony No 2 ("The Song of the Earth"; text: Mikis Theodorakis) for children's choir, piano, and orchestra
1981: Symphony No 3 (texts: Dionysios Solomos; Constantine P. Cavafy; Byzantine hymns) for soprano, choir, and orchestra
1983: Symphony No 7 ("Spring-Symphony"; texts: Yannis Ritsos; Yorgos Kulukis) for four soloists, choir, and orchestra
1986–1987: Symphony No 4 ("Of Choirs") for soprano, mezzo, narrator, choir, and symphonic orchestra without strings
1995: Rhapsody for Guitar and Orchestra
1996: Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra
2008: Rhapsody for Trumpet and Orchestra (orchestrated by Robert Gulya)
2010: "Andalusia" for Mezzo and Orchestra
Chamber music
1942: Sonatina for piano
1945: Elegy No 1, for cello and piano
1945: Elegy No 2, for violin and piano
1946: To Kimitirio (The Cemetery), for string quartet
1946: String Quartet No 1
1946: Duetto, for two violins
1947: Trio, for violin, cello and piano
1947: 11 Preludes, for piano
1947: Sexteto, for piano, flute and string quartet
1949: Study for two violins and cello
1952: Syrtos Chaniotikos, for piano and percussion
1952: Sonatina No 1, for violin and piano
1955: Little Suite, for piano
1955: Passacaglia, for two pianos
1959: Sonatina No 2, for violin and piano
1989: Choros Assikikos, for violoncello solo
1996: Melos, for piano
2007: East of the Aegean, for cello and piano
Cantatas and oratorios
1960: Axion Esti (text: Odysseas Elytis)
1969: The March of the Spirit (text: Angelos Sikelianos)
1971–82: Canto General (text: Pablo Neruda)
1981–82: Kata Saddukaion Pathi (Sadducean-Passion; text: Michalis Katsaros) for tenor, baritone, bass, choir and orchestra
1982: Liturgy No 2 ("To children, killed in War"); texts: Tassos Livaditis, Mikis Theodorakis) for choir
1982–83: Lorca, for voice, solo guitar, choir, and orchestra (based on ''Romancero Gitano'', text: Federico Garcia Lorca, translated by Odysseas Elytis)
1992: Canto Olympico, for voice, solo piano, choir, and orchestra (texts: Dimitra Manda, Mikis Theodorakis)
Hymns
1970: Hymn for Nasser
1973: Hymn for the Socialist Movement in Venezuela
1973: Hymn for the Students. dedicated to the victims of Polytechnical School in Athens (18.11.)
1977: Hymn of the French Socialist Party
1978: Hymn for Malta
1982: Hymn of P.L.O.
1991: Hymn of the Mediterranean Games
1992: "Hellenism" (Greek Hymn for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games of Barcelona)
Ballets
1953: Greek Carnival (choreography: Rallou Manou)
1958: Le Feu aux Poudres (choreography: Paul Goubé)
1958: Les Amants de Teruel (choreography: Milko Sparembleck)
1959: Antigone (choreography: John Cranko)
1972: Antigone in Jail (choreography: Micha van Hoecke)
1979: Elektra (choreography: Serge Kenten)
1983: Sept Danses Grecques (choreography: Maurice Béjart)
1987–88: Zorba il Greco (choreography: Lorca Massine)
Operas
1984–85: Kostas Karyotakis (The Metamorphosis of Dionysos)
1988–90: Medea
1992–93: Elektra
1995–96: Antigone
1999–01: Lysistrata
Music for the stage
Classical tragedies
1959–60: Phoenician Women (Euripides)
1960–61: Ajax (Sophocles)
1965: Trojan Women (Euripides)
1966–67: Lysistrata (Aristophanes)
1977: The Suppliants (Aeschylus)
1979: The Knights (Aristophanes)
1986–88: Oresteia: Agamemnon, Choephorae, Eumenides (Aeschylus)
1987: Hecuba (Euripides)
1990: Antigone (Sophocles)
1992: Prometheus Bound (Aeschylus)
1996: Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)
2001: Medea (Euripides)
Modern plays
1960–61: To Tragoudi tou Nekrou Adelfou (Ballad of the Dead Brother), Musical Tragedy (text: Mikis Theodorakis)
1961–62: Omorphi Poli (Beautiful City), revue (Bost, Dimitris Christodoulou, Christofelis, et al.)
1963: I Gitonia ton Angelon (The Quarter of Angels), Music-drama (Iakovos Kambanelis)
1963: Magiki Poli (Enchanted City), revue (Mikis Theodorakis, Notis Pergialis, Michalis Katsaros)
1971: Antigoni stin Filaki (Antigone in Jail), drama
1974: Prodomenos Laos (Betrayed People), music for the theatre (Vangelis Goufas)
1975: Echtros Laos (Enemy People), drama (Iakovos Kambanelis)
1975: Christophorus Kolumbus, drama (Nikos Kazantzakis)
1976: Kapodistrias, drama (Nikos Kazantzakis)
1977: O Allos Alexandros ("The Other Alexander"), drama (Margarita Limberaki)
1979: Papflessas, play (Spiros Melas)
International theatre
1961: Enas Omiros (The Hostage), drama (Brendan Behan)
1963: The Chinese Wall, drama (Max Frisch)
1975: Das Sauspiel, tragicomedy (Martin Walser)
1979: Caligula, drama (Albert Camus)
1978: Polites B' Katigorias (Second-Class Citizens), drama (Brian Friel)
1980: Perikles, tragedy, (William Shakespeare)
1994: Macbeth, tragedy (William Shakespeare)
Principal film scores
1960: Ill Met by Moonlight (Director: Michael Powell)
1960: Honeymoon (Luna de miel) (Director: Michael Powell, Choreography: Leonide Massine)
1960: Faces in the Dark (Director: David Eady)
1961: Shadow of the Cat (Director: John Gilling)
1961: Phaedra (Director: Jules Dassin)
1961–62: Les Amants de Teruel (Director: Raymond Rouleau)
1961–62: Five Miles to Midnight (Director: Anatole Litvak)
1961–62: Electra (Director: Mihalis Kakogiannis)
1964: Zorba the Greek (Director: Mihalis Kakogiannis)
1967: The Day the Fish Came Out (Director: Mihalis Kakogiannis)
1969: Z (Director: Constantin Costa-Gavras)
1971: Biribi (Director: Daniel Moosman)
1972: State of Siege (Director: Constantin Costa-Gavras)
1973: Serpico (Director: Sidney Lumet)
1974: The Rehearsal (Director: Jules Dassin)
1976: Actas de Marousia (Director: Miguel Littin)
1977–78 Iphigenia (Director: Mihalis Kakogiannis)
1980: The Man with the Carnation (Director: Nikos Tzimas)
See the complete list on the Official Homepage of Mikis Theodorakis
Reference: Guy Wagner. Chairman of the International Theodorakis Foundation FILIKI.
List of works based on the research of Asteris Koutoulas, published in ''O Mousikos Theodorakis''.
Scores
Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra
March of the spirit (Oratorio, Full Score)
Axion esti (Oratorio Full Score)
Zorbas Ballet (Suite - Ballet, Full Score)
Carnaval (Suite - Ballet Full, Score)
Adagio (Full Score) & Sinfonietta (Full Score)
Epiphania Averof (Cantata)
Canto Olympico (Oratorio)
Les Eluard
Ο κύκλος
20 τραγούδια για πιάνο και αρμόνιο
Η Βεατρίκη στην οδό Μηδέν
Μια θάλασσα γεμάτη μουσική
Τα λυρικώτερα
Τα λυρικώτατα
Τα πρόσωπα του Ήλιου
Φαίδρα
Λιποτάκτες
Θαλασσινά φεγγάρια
Ασίκικο πουλάκη
Romancero Gitano (για πιάνο - φωνή)
Τα Λυρικά
Ταξίδι μέσα στη νύχτα
Μικρές Κυκλάδες
Διόνυσος
Επιφάνια
Επιτάφιος
Μπαλάντες. Κύκλος τραγουδιών για πιάνο και φωνή
Χαιρετισμοί. Κύκλος τραγουδιών για πιάνο και φωνή
Ένα όμηρος
(for the whole list see
Schott Music)
See also
Zorbas
Eimaste dyo, eimaste treis, eimaste xilioi dekatreis!
Important international available CD releases
Mikis Theodorakis & Zülfü Livaneli - Together (Tropical)
Mikis Theodorakis - First Symphony & Adagio (Intuition/Schott)
Maria Farantouri - Poetica/ Songs by Theodorakis (Peregrina)
Mikis Theodorakis - Mikis (Peregrina)
Mikis Theodorakis - Symphony No. 4 (Intuition/Schott)
Maria Farantouri - Asmata/ Songs by Theodorakis (Peregrina)
Mikis Theodorakis - Requiem/ For soloists, choir and symphonic orchestra (Intuition/Schott)
Mikis Theodorakis - Symphonietta & Etat de siege (Intuition/Schott)
Maria Farantouri & Rainer Kirchmann - Sun & Time/ Songs by Theodorakis (Lyra)
Mikis Theodorakis - Mauthausen Trilogy/ In Greek, Hebrew and English (Plaene)
Mikis Theodorakis - Carnaval & Raven/ For mezzo and symphonic orchestra (Intuition/Schott)
Mikis Theodorakis - Resistance/ Historic recordings (Intuition/Schott)
Mikis Theodorakis - First Songs (Intuition/Schott)
Mikis Theodorakis - Antigone, Medea, Electra/ 3 Opera Box (Intuition/Schott)
Mikis Theodorakis - The Metamorphosis of Dionysus/ Opera (Intuition/Schott)
Mikis Theodorakis - Rhapsodies for Cello and Guitar (Intuition/Schott)
Mikis Theodorakis - East of the Aegean/ For Cello and Piano (Intuition/Schott)
Mikis Theodorakis & Francesco Diaz - Timeless (Wormland White)
Selected Bibliography
Jean Boivin, ''Messiaen's Teaching at the Paris Conservatoire: A Humanist Legacy'', in Siglind Bruhn, ''Messiaen's Language of Mystical Love'' (New York, Garland, 1998), 5-31: 10
George Giannaris: ''Mikis Theodorakis. Music and Social Change'', Foreword by Mikis Theodorakis. G. Allen, London, 1972
Gail Holst: ''Myth & Politics in Modern Greek Music'', Adolf M. Hakkert, Amsterdam, 1980
Mikis Theodorakis: ''Journals of Resistance''. Translated from the French by Graham Webb, Hart-Davis MacGibbon, London, 1973
Mikis Theodorakis: ''Music and Theater'', Translated by George Giannaris, Athens, 1983
Asteris Koutoulas: ''O Mousikos Theodorakis'' / Theodorakis the Musician (in Greek). "Nea Synora - A. A. Livami, 1998. ISBN 960-296-216-7
Guy Wagner: ''Mikis Theodorakis. Mia Zoi yia tin Ellada''. Typothito - Giorgos Dardanos, 2002. ISBN 960-402-008-0 (The biography exists also in French: ''Mikis Theodorakis. Une Vie pour la Grèce''. Editions Phi, Luxembourg, 2000; and in German: ''Mikis Theodorakis. Ein Leben für Griechenland''. Editions Phi, Luxembourg, 1995)
George Logothetis: ''Mikis Theodorakis: the Greek soul'', translated from the Greek by Phillipos Chatzopoulos, Agyra editions 2004, ISBN 960-422-095-0. The Chinese version has been published by Shanghai Baijia Publishing House in 2008, ISBN 978-7807038610.
Asteris Kutulas: ''Mikis Theodorakis. A Life in pictures'' (in German), Coffee-table book with 1 DVD & 2 CDs. Schott Music, Mainz 2010, ISBN 978-3-7957-0713-2
Bibliography - published written works by Theodorakis
Books in Greek by Theodorakis
Για την ελληνική μουσική (About Greek music)
Το τραγούδι του νεκρού αδελφού
Το μανιφέστο των Λαμπράκηδων
Ζητείται αριστερά
Δημοκρατική και συγκεντρωτική αριστερά
Οι μνηστήρες της Πηνελόπης
Περί τέχνης (Essays and articles about art)
Πού πάμε; (Where are we going?, Gnosis Publishing House, Athens 1988)
Ανατομία της μουσικής (Anatomy of the Music, 1983)
Οι δρόμοι του αρχάγγελου Ι-V (Mikis Theodorakis, Paths of the Archangel (Autobiography), Kedros Publishing House, Athens 1986-88)
Αντιμανιφέστο (Antimanifest, Gnosis Publishing House, Athens 1998)
Μελοποιημένη Ποίηση Ι -III (Poetry & textes of his musical works)
Πού να βρω την ψυχή μου... A' - Γ' (Where can I find my soul (Essays & Articles), Livanis Publishing House, Athens 2002)
Να μαγευτώ και να μεθύσω
Μάνου Χατζιδάκι εγκώμιον (About Manos Hatzidakis, Ianos Publishing House, Thessaloniki 2004)
I had three lives (Poetry by Mikis Theodorakis in English, Translated by Gail Holst)
References
External links
Official Web Site
Official Site (Schott Music) with non-proprietary audio files, discography, recent performances and news
Lilian Voudouri Library
Alexia - Mikis Theodorakis MySpace page
Nicolas Mottas, ''Mikis Theodorakis: A Legend for Greece'' - ''American Chronicle'', July 28, 2009.
Mikis Theodorakis speech against International Monetary Fund and greek government, May 31 2011
Category:1925 births
Category:Living people
Category:20th-century classical composers
Category:21st-century classical composers
Category:Greek classical musicians
Category:Greek composers
Category:Greek exiles
Category:Greek film score composers
Category:Greek MPs 1981–1985
Category:Greek prisoners and detainees
Category:Lenin Peace Prize recipients
Category:Opera composers
Category:People from Chios
ar:ميكيس ثيودوراكيس
bg:Микис Теодоракис
ca:Mikis Theodorakis
da:Mikis Theodorakis
de:Mikis Theodorakis
el:Μίκης Θεοδωράκης
es:Mikis Theodorakis
eo:Mikis Theodorakis
fa:میکیس تئودوراکیس
fr:Míkis Theodorákis
ko:미키스 테오도라키스
hr:Mikis Theodorakis
id:Mikis Theodorakis
it:Mikis Theodorakis
he:מיקיס תאודוראקיס
la:Michael Theodoraces
lb:Mikis Theodorakis
hu:Mikisz Theodorakisz
mk:Микис Теодоракис
nl:Mikis Theodorakis
ja:ミキス・テオドラキス
no:Mikis Theodorakis
pl:Mikis Theodorakis
pt:Míkis Theodorákis
ru:Теодоракис, Микис
sk:Mikis Theodorakis
sl:Mikis Theodorakis
sr:Микис Теодоракис
sh:Mikis Theodorakis
fi:Mikis Theodorakis
sv:Mikis Theodorakis
tr:Mikis Theodorakis
uk:Мікіс Теодоракіс
zh:米基斯·提奥多拉基斯
