Dora Giannakopoulou
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In "Archipelagos",
as well as in the wonderful poems of "Mikres Kyklades"
by the Nobel Prize Laureate of 1979, Odysseas Elytis, are reunited
songs, which are related to Greek islands.
So, it is the
folklore of the islands which forms the basis of very personal and
at the same time very authentic musical creations. The poems of
"Cyclades Minor", written in 1963 go back to a
public call of Theodorakis to the Greek poets to create original
poems which could be set to music by him or other composers.
Odysseas Elytis answered almost
immediately to that appeal, because Theodorakis had already set
to music a text from him entitled: "Between Syros and Tzia",
which has entered into "Archipelagos".
Elytis sent Theodorakis seven poems which sound natural and simple,
which are full of joy and innocence, and Mikis wrote here one of
its most intimate and happiest song cycles.
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It reflects the creative joy, which
characterises Theodorakis's whole work of the 60's: The composer was happy
having left the Paris' avant-garde and having gone back his Greek roots.
With an almost unbelievable creativity he gave an original contemporary
music to the Greek people and layed the foundation of a "cultural
revolution" through which Greece became known in the world music
and Greek poets widely celebrated by the audience.
The seven songs of "Mikres Kyklades" sing of sun, sea
and love, the beauty of nature and the strength of simple life. Elytis
language is wonderful, and in their simple intensity the melodies of Theodorakis
became quickly famous. Everyone knows "Marina"or "The
Little North Wind". They remained as fresh as in the evening
of their creation on 23 December 1963 in the tavern "Symposio",
where they were sung by Dora Giannakopoulou, accompanied on the guitar
by Notis Mavroudis.
One decade later, in 1972, the poet published these songs in his book
"Ta Ro tou Erota" together with all the poems, which
were ment to be set to songs. In the prologue of the book he noted :
"The angels sing; and those who are in love sing too. Behind every
uplift and every yearning, a guitar is longing to take the words and carry
them from mouth to mouth. This is a brilliant thing to do. It is the pleasure
to offer joy and pleasure to others, it is what keeps us alive. For that
very reason, apart from my poems, I wrote a number of songs without underestimating
their value. Besides, either with simple songs or with more complex poems,
one tends !o express the very same things he / she is fond of; from then
on, it's all up !o the listeners.".
© Guy Wagner, 2002
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