30 January 2019. The renown conductor Faidra Giannelou
directed the Oratorio: “The United Nations – Hope of Mankind” under the name
"The Song of the Nations" by Panagiotis Karousos, with the amazing
opera soloists Irini Konsta and Vasilis Asimakopoulos, the “Graduates'
Choir of Music School Pallini”, the Attiki Educators' Choir “Choremus”,
and the Hellenic Symphony Orchestra of remarkable young musicians.
The stunning concert organized by the Club for UNESCO of
Piraeus and Islands, and dedicated to the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to
Greece, was presented with great success to the crowded theater of the
Municipal Theater of Athens “Anna & Maria Kalouta” to a warm audience,
applauding continuously the artists.
The new conductor, Faidra Giannelou, took over the project
to run the Oratorio: "The Song of the Nations" by Panagiotis
Karousos, a project of a difficult modern neo-romantic writing. Although she
collaborated with the orchestra young musicians and teachers' choir, and she
achieved an amazing result in a short time, preparing the work and interpreting
it with great success.
Soprano Irini Konsta impressed with her big voice full of finesse,
and with her imposing stage presence.
Vasilis Asimakopoulos, a great bass, interpreted the work
with a velvety voice and vocal intensity that often covered the orchestra.
The two outstanding soloists of the concert were
surprisingly also performing the dramatic duet (Prometheus - Io) from the opera
"Prometheus Bound" by P. Karousos.
The talented musicians almost all played soloistically with
great enthusiasm and musicality, especially in the two Overtures of the
oratorio and the opera "Prometheus Bound".
The Attiki Educators' Choir “Choremus, was performed three
choruses from the operas, "Prometheus Bound", "Trachiniae",
and "Alexander the Great", by Panagiotis Karousos.
The "Song of the Nations" or Oratorio: “The United
Nations – Hope of Mankind” by Panagiotis Karousos is an oratorio dedicated to
the United Nations. It was first presented in Montreal, Canada, with the
collaboration of the United Nations Department (ICAO) under the auspices of
UNESCO Canada, and with the funding of the City of Montreal with a great
success in 2003 at the Cathedral Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.
ICAO President Assad Kotaite said after the concert:
"The work of Panagiotis Karousos is a masterpiece of art that brings us
the message of unity and peace, a magnificent hymn dedicated to the United
Nations."
The Oratorio: “The United Nations – Hope of Mankind”
consists of 6 poems representing the 6 official languages of the United
Nations: Russian "The singer" Alexander Pushkin, Chinese "A Day
of Spring" Li Po, Arabic "Divine Music" Khalil Gibran, Spanish
"Canción del gitano apaleado" Federico Garcia Lorca, French “The harp
of the Songs" Lamartine, English "I Hear America Singing" Walt
Whitman.
The work was applauded by the audience that gave the artists
a standing ovation.
