Dionysios Rodotheatos

Dionysios Rodotheatos ( Greek Διονύσιος Ροδοθεάτος , * 1849 in Ithaka ; † 1892 in Italy ) was a Greek conductor, composer of the Younger Ionian School and one of the first Greek symphonists .

Rodotheatos was born in Ithaca and grew up in Corfu , where he began studying music with the 'father' of the Ionian School, Nikolaos Mantzaros , which he, like his first teacher and many of his students, at the San Pietro di Majella Conservatory in Naples over the years Followed up from 1864 to 1871. After a long stay in Corfu, he went to Milan to continue his studies at the local conservatory, which he supplemented with trips to Austria and Germany. There are no records of his teachers in Milan; the report that Alberto Mazzucato , the director of the Conservatory, encouraged him to print his first opera, suggests that he was also one of his teachers. However, the printing and performance of this work, a three-act melodramma entitled Roberta de Cherandini, failed because of the high cost of its production. In 1875 Rodotheatos returned to Corfu, where he taught counterpoint and harmony, published works of almost all genres and in 1875 became a member of the board and 'vice director of the musical department' of the Corfiot Teatro San Giacomo . His works have also been performed in Athens and Italy. Because of "madness" he was taken to an unknown madhouse in Italy, where he died in 1892.

Rodotheatos is considered a pronounced melodist. With the exception of the three symphonic works, most of his compositions have been lost. In addition to works for piano and choral music, he wrote several Italian-language operas as well as symphonic music. There are also numerous marches and other works for wind orchestra. He was also the author of the first Greek-language theory of harmony ( Pragmatia theoritiki ke Praktiki peri armonias , Πραγματεία Θεωρητικὴ καὶ πρακτικὴ περὶ ἁρμονίας ), which appeared in Corfu in 1886.

Works

• Oitona, opera in one act based on Oithona , one of the 'Chants of Ossian ', 1875/76. Another opera of unknown title, which premiered in Trieste in 1881 , has been lost.
• Atalia, symphonic poem in seven movements
• Lo Cid, symphonic poem in six movements
• Allegorikes idees ( Ἀλληγορικές ἰδέες ), rhapsody for orchestra
• Funeral march for the death of Viktor Emanuel II for wind orchestra
• Ymnos pros tin Patrida ( Ὕμνος πρὸς τὴν Πατρίδα , 'Hymn for the Fatherland') for four solo voices, mixed choir and piano
• Dithyrambos for three-part male choir
• Epiklisis is tin Eleftherian ( Ἐπίκλησις εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν , 'Invocation to Freedom') for male choir and piano
• Elvira, Polka Mazur for piano
• Ermelinda, Polka Mazur for piano

literature

• Takis Kalogeropoulos: Dionysios Rodotheatos , in: Lexiko tis Ellinikis mousikis , Athens 1998–99 ( online at wiki.musicportal.gr)
• Christina Vergadou-Mavroudaki: Greek composers of the Ionian Islands in Italian musical life during the 19th century, 2002 ( manuscript online (PDF) , 81 kB)

Web links

• Ioannis Fulias: Notes on Lo Cid (2008)