April 2007, Yiannis Christou
The function of music is to create soul,
by creating conditions for myth,
the root of all soul.
Where there is no soul,
music creates it.
Where there is soul,
music sustains it.
Jani Christou
Chios , 23rd Aug 1968
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Yiannis Christou is one of the leading composers of his generation. He was controversial, highly talented, and greatly admired both in his own country and abroad. And yet although his name remains respected in contemporary music circles to this day, performances of his music are extremely rare.
He was born at Heliopolis, N.E. of Cairo on January 9th, 1926, of Greek parents. He was educated at the English School in Alexandria, and began composing at an early age. In 1945 he travelled to England to study formal logic and philosophy at Kingâs College, Cambridge under Ludwig Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell (he attained an MA in philosophy in 1948). At the same time he studied music privately with H. F. Redlich, the distinguished musicologist and pupil of Alban Berg, and in 1949 travelled to Rome to study orchestration with F. Lavagnino. He also travelled widely in Europe, culminating for a short period in Zurich, where he met and attended lectures in psychology with Carl Jung.
On January 8th 1970, in a car accident a few kilometers outside Athens, the contemporary music world lost one of its most exciting and provocative talents.
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Chronological list of works
First Period (1948-53)
Phoenix Music for orchestra - five movements (1948-49) 1st perf. New London Orchestra, cond. A Sherman, London, Royal Opera House, 5th March 1950
Symphony No. 1 for mezzo-soprano and orchestra (1951) 1st perf. S. Houston, sop. New London Orch. cond. Sherman, Albert Hall, 29th April 1951
Latin Mass for mixed chorus, brass and percussion (1953) see also Symphony No. 2 1st perf. Salonika Chorus, Greek Contemporary Music Group, cond. Y. Mandakas, Athens, Rex Theatre, 26th Sept. 1971
Second Period (1953-58)
Psalms of David for baritone, chorus and orchestra (1953)
The Conception of St. Anne for mezzo-soprano, chorus and orchestra (1955) lost?
La ruota della vita (The Wheel of Life) Trilogy of Operas (libretti: de Paulis)
1 - Una mamma
2 - Savitri
3 - Il trionfo della morte (The Triumph of Death)
Six Songs on Poems by T. S. Eliot (1955-57) for piano and mezzo (orchestrated 1957) 1st perf. A. Gabbai mez. P. Guarino pf., The British Institute, Alexandria, 13th Jan 1956
Gilgamesh (oratorio) (1955-58) lost?
Symphony No. 2 for orchestra and mixed chorus (1954-58)
1st perf. The Symhony Orchestra and Chorus of the Hellenic Radio. Conductor: Miltiadis Caridis. Herod Atticus Theatre, Athens, 4th August 1987
Third Period (1959-64)
Patterns and Permutations for large orchestra (1960) 1st perf. Athens State Orch. cond. A. Paridis, Athens, Rex Theatre, 11th March 1963
Symphony No. 3 (1959-62)
Toccata for Piano and orchestra (1962) 1st perf. G. Pludermacher, RPO, cond. E. Shapira, Oxford Town Hall, 23rd April 1971
Piano Concerto (1962) (score lost - probably became the Toccata above)
The 12 Keys (based on medieval alchemical texts) for mezzo-soprano and ensemble (1962)
The Ship of Death for mezzo-soprano and orchestra (1963)
The Breakdown (opera) (1963-64)
The Testament for mezzo-soprano, flute, contra-basso and piano (1964)
Prometheus Bound for orchestra, tape and actors (1963) 1st perf. Epidaurus 16th June 1963
Greece : The Inner World - Music for the television program, by Robert Graves (1963)
Agamemnon for orchestra, tape and actors (1964) 1st perf. Epidaurus, 27th June 1965
Tongues of Fire for soloists, chorus and orchestra (1964) text - Greek New Testament 1st perf. I. Kolassi-Mez, Gerald English, K. Paskalis, English Bach Festival Chorus and Orchestra, cond. Guarino, Oxford, St. Mary, 27 June 1964
Fourth Period (1965-66)
The Persians for instruments, tape and actors (1965) 1st perf. London, Aldwych Theatre, 20th April 1965
Mysterion - an oratorio for narrator, three choruses, tape, orchestra and actors (1965-66) 1st perf. Athens 13th June 1974
The Frogs after Aristophanes (1966) 1st perf. Athens, Herod of Atticus Theatre, 19th July 1966
Praxis for 12 for 11 strings and one pianist/conductor (1966) 1st perf. Accademia Musicale Napoletana Chamber Orch, cond. Guarino, Athens, Zappeion Building, 18th April 1966
Fifth Period (1966-68)
This period can be regarded as a preparation for his sixth and final period. It consists of a unified cycle which Christou called Protoperformances or Re-enactments
Oedipus Rex (Sophocles) Film Score 1967-68
Re-enactment of an Event for instrumental ensemble (1966)
Stoning I (Lapidation I) for instrumental ensemble (1966)
The Ship ritual music based on ancient Egyptian customs for instrumental ensemble (1966)
Walk I for instrumental ensemble (1966)
Advertisement for instrumental ensemble (1966)
The Strychnine Lady for solo viola, five actors, IE, tapes, toys and a red cloth (1967) 1st perf. Rhoda Lee Rhea, Hellenic Week of Contemporary Music Ens. cond. D. Agrafiotis, Athens, Hilton Hotel, 3rd April 1967
Continuity for instrumental ensemble (1967)
Anaparastasis II (the ritualization of eating) for instrumental ensemble (1967)
Clock for one actor and instrumental ensemble (1967)
Dream for instrumental ensemble (1967)
Aspirin for one actor and instrumental ensemble (1967)
Water Music for electronic music and instrumental ensemble
Piano I for one pianist-actor (1968)
Lecture I for one male speaker and tapes (1968)
Lecture II for one pretty female speaker and instrumental ensemble (1968)
Stoning II (Lapidation II) for film (optical sound) (1968)
Piano II for one pianist-actor (1968)
Anaparastasis IV (The Screaming Mother) for two actresses (1968)
Consecration without music (1968)
Prosodion with or without music (1968)
Pattern for instrumental ensemble (1968)
Pattern and Antipattern for singer-actor and instrumental ensemble (1968)
Piano III for one pianist-actor (1968)
Dissociation for instrumental ensemble (1968)
The Death of Calchas for two actors and instrumental ensemble (1968)
Have you cut of her hands? for instrumental ensemble (1968)
Pendulum for instrumental ensemble (1968)
Anaparastasis III : The Pianist for actor, instrumental ensemble and tapes (1968) 1st perf. Grigoris Semitcolo, Studio fur neue Musik, cond. Antoniou, Munich, Musikhochschule, 12th Nov. 1968
Walk II for instrumental ensemble (1968)
Music Evoked for one actor (1968)
Anaparastasis I astronkatidhanykteronomighyrin (I have become familiar with the nightly concourse of the stars) for baritone, viola and instrumental ensemble (1968) 1st perf. Spyros Sakkas, Studio fur neue Musik, cond. Antoniou, Munich, Musikhochschule, 12th Nov. 1968
Praxis and Metapraxsis for solo pianist (based on Toccata of 1963) (1968)
Silent Praxis for instrumental ensemble (1968)
Let me try, too for two actors-musicians Sins for a group of actors
Moving my arms in an unusual way for instrumental ensemble (1968)
Epicycle (1968) variable instrumentation 1st perf. Zouzou Nicoloudi Dance Group and others, Athens, Hilton Hotel, 20th Dec 1968
Early Works
Fantasia for piano (lost?) 1943 1st perf: H. Hickman, Cairo, Oriental Hall, 26th Jan. 1944
Sonata for two pianos (lost?) 1st perf. J. Christou, Gina Bachauer, Alexandria, Cinema Royal, 4th June 1944
Everyone sang a poem for soprano and piano (1944)
Prelude and Fugue for two pianos (1944)
Allegro quasi una fantasia [Fantasia] in E flat major for piano (1944)
Untitled piece for ensemble and two pianos (date unknown)
