Axion Esti (Theodorakis)

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Axion Esti or Άξιον Εστί (German Praise be to Praise ) is an oratorio for baritone, popular singer, speaker, mixed choir, symphony orchestra and popular orchestra (AST 127) by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis based on the work of the same name by the poet Odysseas Elytis . The text tells the history of Greece according to the scheme of the Greek Orthodox liturgy . Mikis Theodorakis described the work as "a Bible of the Greek people". Elytis' text took ten years of work and was published in 1959. Theodorakis received it in Paris in the spring of 1960 and began working on the work there. In just a few days, the material for the oratorio was created, on which Theodorakis then worked for another three years until it was completed in December 1963. The music is shaped by elements of Greek folk music and deliberately kept simple. Dominating the bouzouki , Sanduri , mandolins and guitars .

structure

The work is divided into three parts: Genesis , Passion and Axion Esti , which stand for birth, life, suffering and death and immortality not only of the Greek people, but of humanity in general.

Theodorakis sees the end of Genesis, of creation, “when the poet comes to knowledge and thus to guilt. Guilt leads to passion. The individual belongs to the general public and experiences their sufferings, [...]. ”(According to Guy Wagner.) To praise, Axion esti , the path leads through passion.

Musical meaning

Axion esti represents a turning point in Theodorakis' early work. He himself characterizes it as follows: “The difference is that before I simply tried to fit our national tradition into the framework of Western music by using all technical methods for this purpose I used means and all forms that it left us, from Gregorian chant to Bach to Schönberg, Stravinsky, Bartók and Shostakovich. In doing so, I was just following the example of our national schools. In contrast, with ‹Axion Esti› I tried to sew a tunic that comes from the neo-Hellenic music world. "

Performances

Axion esti premiered in Greece in 1964. Until 1982 it was only performed in Greece and Sweden.

The first performance of the German version in a rework by Dirk Mandel Axion Esti - Praise be to praises took place on May 25, 1982 in the Dresden Philharmonic as part of the Dresden Music Festival . Around 400 participants performed the work in front of around 2500 spectators, who gave a standing ovation at the end. The composer conducted, the soloists were Christian Steyer (bass), Gothart Stier (baritone), Erik Kross (Sanduri), Lakis Karnezis (bouzouki), Friedrich Wilhelm Junge (speaker). The orchestra of the music academy "Carl Maria von Weber" , Dresden played. The following choirs took part: FDJ choir of the Dresden Kreuzschule , children's choir of the Dresden Philharmonic and the Beethoven choir of VEB Elektromaschinenbau Sachsenwerk Dresden . In October 1982, also under the direction of Theodorakis, at the end of the Gewandhaus Festival "Young Artists International", a performance took place in the Gewandhaus Leipzig with Gunther Emmerlich as bass, of which there are both television and audio recordings.

Popularity and success

Theodorakis biographer Guy Wagner writes that the first record of Axion esti was so successful that it exceeded the sales success in Greece that the score for Alexis Sorbas had within two years by five times.

Sound carrier

  • Το Αξιον Εστί, Ρ500 GALP 101 & 70201/2 COLUMBIA, (LP & CD), 1964
  • Theodorakis Axion Esti, Eterna VEB Deutsche Schallplatten Berlin GDR, 2 LP, 1983, 8 27 747 - 748, Axion esti (Praise be to praise) folk oratorio based on words by Odiseas Elitis, Deutsche Nachdichtung: Dirk Mandel, recording of the concert on October 16, 1982 in Great Hall of the New Gewandhaus in Leipzig (GDR-EA on May 25, 1982 as part of the Dresden Music Festival)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Nobel laureate Odysseas Elytis. In: New Time. Mon. October 29, 1979, volume 35 / issue 255 / page 4
  2. ↑ a b Moving oratorio on the invincible power of the people. In: New Germany. May 27, 1982, Volume 37 / Issue 123 / Page 4
  3. ↑ Music from the dialogue with the masses. Interview of the week with the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis on the occasion of the world premiere of four new chants of his “Canto General”. In: New Time. Sat. March 28, 1981, Volume 37 / Issue 74 / Page 7
  4. ↑ a b c d e Guy Wagner: On "Axion Esti" ( Memento of the original from December 5, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. from: Mikis Theodorakis: A life for Greece. , Ed. Phi 1995, published on mikis-theodorakis.net @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / de.mikis-theodorakis.net
  5. ↑ Hansjürgen Schaefer: Music filled with struggle and joy. On the oratorio “Axion Esti” by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. In: New Germany. Wed. November 3, 1982, volume 37 / issue 258 / page 4
  6. ↑ First performance of an oratorio by Theodorakis. Project of the Dresden Beethoven Choir. In: New Time. October 2, 1981, Volume 37 / Issue 233 / Page 4
  7. ↑ Record e.g. E.g .: WorldCat: Axion esti Volksoratorium
    • Sound recordings on Mikis Theodorakis' personal website: Axion esti
    • TV broadcast on October 24, 1982 at 9:50 p.m. in the first program of GDR television (see e.g. TV program in the Berliner Zeitung. Thursday October 14, 1982, volume 38 / issue 241 / page 10). Copies can be found in popular video platforms.

Web links