AMAZING PRESENTATION OF THE OPERA “OLYMPIC FLAME” BY PANAGIOTIS KAROUSOS AT THE OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF GREECE

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Athens, Wednesday, January 29^th. The Hellenic Literary Society with the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece presented successfully the opera "Olympic Flame" of Greek-Canadian composer Panagiotis Karousos in the Old Parliament Building of Greece.
Nathanael Pavlos, president of the Society of Hellenic Literary Society had a speech about the contribution of composer Panagiotis Karousos in the arts and the Society and included the performance to the 80^th years celebrations of the Society that will be during 2014.

The lyric tragedy based on "Trachiniae" by Sophocles impressed the audience. The success of the presentation among the creators fine music composition goes also to the excellent direction of bass Vasilis Asimakopoulos that had the leading roles of Hercules and Hyllus. As Hercules, bass Vasilis Asimakopoulos, gave a strong and impersonal as it should be for a hero who is currently away from the trivial common human emotions at the height of his earthly glory.

Irene Konsta, Vanessa Kalkani

In the role of Hyllus Vasilis Asimakopoulos interpreted with spontaneous musicality the aria «Last night in the darkness", and was very theatrical in the last scene of the suicide of Deianeira. Mr. Asimakopoulos understood completely the importance of Hyllus as a tragic figure. Hyllus the son of Hercules and Deianeira was in front of family issues in dark suspense. The mother killed the father with the poisonous dress.

He doesn’t know what to do; this is the same question in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The difference is while Hamlet never gets the answer, Hyllus gets the answer. That makes Sophocles part of Hyllus even more tragic from all other characters inside the play.
The role of Dejanira performed by soprano Irene Konsta expressively with excellent vocal technique training, She interpreted her passion for Hercules, and with great voice alternations showed the draft of the tragic heroine in Tartarus despair which lead to suicide.

Alcmena, Dejanira, Macaria, Hyllus   

Her Suicide as a natural following of a fatal destiny seems deliberated, but the force of the act puts us many questions.

In the role of Alcmena soprano Nancy Papaconstantinou was fine with nice vocal color. 

V. Asimakopoulos, N. Papaconstantinou, I. Konsta, V. Kalkani

The role of Macaria performed by soprano-coloratura Vanessa Kalkani correctly, and interpreted the composer’s score with great vocal range and beautiful voice. In duet Alcmene and Macaria the two sopranos, Vanessa Kalkani and Nancy Papaconstantinou, did a marvelous performance. The two voices beautifully tied into the music. Also Vanessa Kalkani showed her theatrical talent in the murder of Ioli.
The opera "Olympic Flame" takes us into a romantic musical unbridled emotionalism, ecstatic melodies with internal texture. The strange thing is that while he had the emotional coherence result in a passive aesthetic atmosphere instead to immerse us in a dark spooky tale that anything can happen, everything has stopped.
The melodies are the prison that you can not escape, and suicide is perhaps the only way to escape Deianira leaving behind in these haunting melodies all others.
Instead of the Overture, the musicians interpreted the First Part of the Quartet “Virtue” of Panagiotis Karousos. The excellent musicians were Danae Kioupouroglou, flute, Triantafilos Vavatsikos, violin, Dimitris Sideris, oboe and Maria Mazarakis, cello. The pianist Gulnora Tulyaganova with oboist Dimitris Sideris interpreted wonderfully a transcription of the aria "And now alone" from Prometheus.  

At the end of the opera all artists had a standing ovation.

THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF ATHENS PRESENTS WORKS BY PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY AND PANAGIOTIS KAROUSOS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF CONDUCTOR ELEFTHERIOS KALKANIS

PANAGIOTIS KAROUSOS
Symphony No.4 in C minor, World Premiere "Symphony of the Earth"

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Piano Concerto No.1 (Menelaos Tsiklidis, piano)
Symphony No.6 "Pathétique"

Symphony Orchestra of Athens
Conductor Eleftherios Kalkanis

MONDAY FEBRUARY 17 20:00, 2014
Artspace City of Athens “Anna & Maria Kalouta”

Timokreontos 6A Neos Kosmos

Free Admission

Panagiotis Karousos: Symphony No.4 in C minor, "Symphony of the Earth"
The Greek Canadian composer Panagiotis Karousos wrote his “Symphony of the Earth” in the spring of 2013 in Athens. The work begins in a mysterious atmosphere. The oboe introduce sequentially with the flute a melody taken from the aria of Christ "Love one another" from the composer 's opera “The Light of Christianity”, which culminates with the violins in an ecstatic crescendo. The horns are changing the atmosphere in a more mysterious suspense. The agony intensified in a seismic forte of the full orchestra. The brass insert the theme of the Earth, while the strings holding the slow mysterious atmosphere. The two themes combined in a tragic finale of dark romanticism. The work brought the symbolic impressionism to the mystical ecstasy.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1

The Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

It is one of the most popular of Tchaikovsky's compositions and among the best known of all piano concerti.
The concerto follows the traditional form of three movements:

1) Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito (B flat minor → B flat major)

2) Andantino semplice – Prestissimo (D flat major)

3) Allegro con fuoco (B flat minor → B flat major)

The first movement is initiated with four emphatic B-flat minor chords, which leads to a lyrical and passionate theme in D-flat major. This subsidiary theme never appears again throughout the movement. The main theme of the concerto is a Ukrainian folk theme which is contrasted with a romantic theme. The development section juxtaposes the folk theme with the romantic theme. The primary theme is once again recapitulated in the tonic key and the romantic theme in the tonic major. Surprisingly, the movement does not revert to the tonic minor, but instead leads to a triumphant and optimistic coda. The movement concludes in B-flat major with a drum roll.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, “Pathétique”
The Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's final completed symphony, written between February and the end of August 1893. The composer led the first performance in Saint Petersburg on 28 October of that year, nine days before his death. The second performance, conducted by Eduard Nápravník, took place 21 days later, at a memorial concert on 6/18 November. It included some minor corrections that Tchaikovsky had made after the premiere, and was thus the first performance of the work in the exact form in which it is known today. The first performance in Moscow was on 16 December, conducted by Vasily Safonov. (wiki)

The symphony contains four movements:
1) Adagio – Allegro non troppo
2) Allegro con grazia
3) Presto: Allegro molto vivace
4) Finale: Adagio lamentoso – Andante
Tchaikovsky in his 6th Symphony composed one of his most romantic melodies.

OPERA GALA “From Mozart to Karousos”

                                             

HELLENIC ORCHESTRA ENSEMBLE

Eleftherios Kalkanis conductor

Vasilis Asimakopoulos
bass 

Vanessa Kalkani
soprano

Friday, February 21, 2014, at 7 pm
Literary Society 'Parnassos'  
Concert Hall
8 St. George Karytsi Sq. Athens
General Admission £ 10

Program:

Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart)

Don Giovanni “Deh, vieni, alla finestra” (Mozart)

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Die Zauberflöte “O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn” (Mozart)

Vanessa Kalkani, soprano

Le nozze di Figaro"La Vendetta"(Bartolo's aria) (Mozart)

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Fantasia for Flute (Karousos)

Danae Kioupouroglou, flute

The Song of the Nations “Musique Divine” (Karousos)

Vanessa Kalkani, soprano

The Light of Christianity “Love its other” (Karousos)

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Divertimento “To Apollo” (Karousos)

Olympic Flame "Last night in the darkness" (Karousos)

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Die Zauberflöte “Der Hölle Rach” (Mozart)

Vanessa Kalkani, soprano

Prometheus «Now alone» - «I place hope»(Karousos)

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Concerto for Cello (Karousos)

Don Giovanni “La ci darem la mano” (Mozart)

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass – Vanessa Kalkani, soprano

(Members of the orchestra: Danae Kioupouroglou, flute - Dimitris Sideris, oboe - Maria Mazaraki, cello -Triantafilos Vavatsikos, violin - Gulnora Tulyaganova, piano) 

The Hellenic-American Center of the Arts in collaboration with the Hellenic Literary Society presents at Parnassos Concert Hall a Classical Music Concert to mark the 80^th year’s anniversary of the Society. President of the Hellenic Literary Society, Mr Pavlos Nathanael.

Saint George Square 8 (Karytsi Sq.) 10561 Athens, Greece.

Literary Association "Parnassos" Concert Hall. www.Isparnas.gr -  www.eel.org.gr

The Hellenic Literary Society to mark their 80th years with the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece presents the opera OLYMPIC FLAME by PANAGIOTIS KAROUSOS

THE OLYMPIC FLAME
Director Vasilis Asimakopoulos

Opera based on the tragedy of Sophocles “Trachiniae”

Dejanira: Irini Konsta, soprano                                                                                     

Hercules & Hyllus: Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Alkmeni: Nansy Papakonstantinou, soprano

Makaria & Yoli: Vanessa Kalkani, soprano

Danae Kioupouroglou, flute - Dimitris Sideris, oboe - Maria Mazaraki, cello 
Triantafilos Vavatsikos, violin - Gulnora Tulyaganova, piano

Wednesday 29 January at 13:00 pm

National Historical Museum
Old Parliament House of Greece
Stadiou 13, Athens, Greece
Free Admission

The Olympic Flame by Panagiotis Karousos is the second part of the Hellenic Tetralogy: "The Dawn of Civilization" (Prometheus - Olympic Flame - Alexander the Great - The Light of Christianity).
The opera relates to the myth of Heracles and the establishment of the Olympic Games, depicting the greatness of human spirit and foresight of the Greeks. It is clearly proven and accepted that Western civilization reputable evolution is based on the philosophical works of Greek antiquity and that we are all descendants of the civilization and culture of that era.
The composer with the Olympic Flame gives us the fundamental concept behind this ancient Greek ritual of touch.
The flame as delivered on stage during the Olympic Games is basically a commemoration to the ancient Prometheus act that was stolen from the gods by the Titan and handed over to the people - the flame of knowledge, from which was born the culture and civilization.
In Greek antiquity was a religious ritual designed to bring people closer to the Gods.
The second act of the work based on the tragedy "Trachiniae" by Sophocles.
On Trachiniae, the suffering and mortality of people represented by Deianeira, which she is expiated by her tragic death. Nessus the centaur tries to steal Deianira from Heracles. Angry, Heracles shoots him with his arrows dipped in the poisonous blood of the Lernaean Hydra. Thinking of revenge, Nessus gives Deianira his blood-soaked tunic before he dies, telling her it will "excite the love of her husband".

Deianira, remembering Nessus' words, gives Heracles the bloodstained shirt. However, it is still covered in the Hydra's blood from Heracles' arrows, and this poisons him, tearing his skin and exposing his bones.
At the end of the opera, Prometheus comes after the sacrament of reconciliation with Zeus, and in an apotheosis, Heracles rises to Olympus. It is the reconciliation of people with the God in times of demigods.
The Olympic Flame is an important work of Greek mythology and philosophy, which contributes to the global modern culture.
Panagiotis Karousos has composed music of romantic exaltation inspired by the Ancient Greek beauty (Kallos), as the central idea of the Ancient Greek Spirit, with suffused high lyricism and exuberant romantic fervor. After presenting the premiere of the opera in Canada "Olympic Flame" was evaluated as a work of a genius mind of melodies, comparable to the great works of the classical repertoire.

The opera premiered in Montreal, Canada at the majestic Notre-Dame Basilica in 2005 and in New York in 2007. In Greece the opera presented in the Festival of Papagou 2013, and in Aegina Theatrical Festival Summer 2013.

“PROMETHEUS BOUND” BY PANAGIOTIS KAROUSOS AT THE NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF GREECE

WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER, 2013. The National Archeological Museum of Greece in Athens presented for a first time in its history an opera at the “Hall of the Altar”. The opera was "Prometheus Bound" by Panagiotis Karousos successfully presented at the Shadow of the Statues of the largest museum of Greece and one of the most important of the world.

Dr. George Kakavas, archeologist and director of the museum gave a salute to the composer and performers of the event: “Tonight we host the opera "Prometheus Bound" by composer Panagiotis Karousos, based on Aeschylus’ tragedy in the translation of John Gryparis.

The core of Prometheus Bound is a subject of an unstoppable fighting force against its legal authority, and even at the phase of its recent prevalence.

The two persons at the beginning of the work appear with obvious differences.

On one side is the abruptness of the State, performing uncritically. The other is Hephaestus, contributing for the will and power of Zeus.
Prometheus is the personification of resistance against authorities’ power, in the discretion of all acts contrary to the humankind. Zeus decides to destroy mankind and Prometheus disagrees. Catalytic, absolute, in a good conscience rebel, purveyor on the side of humanity and the weak, acting as a leader, standing, with full knowledge of the consequences, at his side, giving generously to the humans the most valuable "gift" of Gods, The Fire of Knowledge, source of life, evolution, progress .

Accept thus the punishment silent and the inevitable suffering that has consciously chosen”.

The creator of the work Panagiotis Karousos offered the performance to the Soul of the Statues of the Museum, and said: “The statues wanted to hear the music”.

All artists did masterful performances in the fine direction of Vasilis Asimakopoulos.

Audience applauded the opera and performers to this musical evening at the museum.  

Prometheus: Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass
Io - Athena: Irini Konsta, soprano
Ocean - Hermes: Anastasios Stellas, tenor
Violence - Amphitrite: Maria Lyberakou, soprano
Oceanide: Viki Virvili, actor
Dance Okeanides: Priestesses theatric group
Danae Kioupouroglou, flute
Dimitris Sideris, oboe
Gulnora Tulyaganova, piano
Choreography: Viki Virvili
Production and Costume Design: Hellenic American Center of the Arts
Salutation: Dr. George Kakavas, archaeologist and director of the EMA
Presentation: Dr. Alexandra Christopoulou, archaeologist

PROMETHEUS BOUND BY PANAGIOTIS KAROUSOS AT THE NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM in Athens

in collaboration with the Hellenic American Center of the Arts  

present Panagiotis Karousos’ opera
PROMETHEUS BOUND
Wednesday, 27 November 2013 at 18:30pm

After its historical presentation in Epidaurus the opera "Prometheus Bound" of Greek Canadian composer Panagiotis Karousos comes to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens in the “Hall of the Altar” at the Shadow of the Statues of the largest museum in Greece and one of the biggest of the world.

MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF GREECE
NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

PROMETHEUS BOUND 
by P. Karousos 
Music and libretto by Panagiotis Karousos

Lyric drama based on Aeschylus tragedy

Directed by Vasilis Asimakopoulos
Participants:
Prometheus: Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass
Io - Athena: Irini Konsta, soprano
Ocean - Hermes: Anastasios Stellas, tenor
Violence - Amphitrite: Maria Lyberakou, soprano
Oceanide: Viki Virvili, actor
Dance Okeanides: Priestesses theatric group
Danae Kioupouroglou, flute
Dimitris Sideris, oboe
Gulnora Tulyaganova, piano
Choreography: Viki Virvili
Production and Costume Design: Hellenic American Center of the Arts
Salutation: Dr. George Kakavas, archaeologist and director of the EMA
Presentation: Dr. Alexandra Christopoulou, archaeologist

National Archaeological Museum of Athens
Patission 44, Athens
For free admission passes please call: 213 2144891 
www.namuseum.gr

A few words about the work and its creator
Prometheus Bound by Panagiotis Karousos World Premiered in Montreal, Canada in 1994 and represented in French until 2000. In 2008 presented in New York and Washington in English under the direction of maestro Grant Gilman. In Greece Prometheus presented at the Municipal Theatres of Cholargos, Argostoli, Lixouri, Ithaca, and Chalcis, at the Concert Hall "Parnassos" in the Old Parliament House, at the Theatre Veakio of Piraeus, at the Municipal Theater of Athens, at the Ancient Agora of the Acropolis archaeological site, and at the Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus.
Prometheus is the first work of a Greek Tetralogy named “The Hellenic Tetralogy: The Dawn of Civilization”, focusing on the flame as the Ancient Greek Spirit. Prometheus’s flame also is the mystical theme in the second work “The Olympic Flame”, the third work “Alexander the Great” represents the civilizing expansion of the spirit, and finally in the “Light of Christianity” the ancient flame transformed to the purgatory flame.
The second part of the Hellenic Tetralogy, the "Olympic Flame", was presented in 2005 with huge success at the Basilica Notre-Dame de Montreal, featuring singers from the Opera of Montreal with the Symphony Orchestra Laval-Laurentides under the direction of maestro Andre Gauthier. In 2007 Panagiotis Karousos presented the Olympic Flame in New York in English with performers from the opera of New York under the direction of maestro Grant Gilman. In 2007 the choir of the Olympic Flame was selected and presented at Hague by the Symphonic Orchestra and Choir Gunst wat'n Kunst under the direction of Maestro Rafail Pilarinos. Panagiotis Karousos presented successfully all his operas in North America, especially Alexander the Great have been presented in Montreal, Chicago, New York, North Carolina and Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has also been awarded by the Federal Government of Canada for his works Liberty Symphony, Piano Concerto and the City of Montreal for the symphonic work “Montreal Suite”.
The composer Panagiotis Karousos uses in his music compositions the Pythagorean theory of harmony of the spheres. According to the Pythagorean teaching, the sounds of celestial bodies compose a secular music, because the distances and velocities of the planets and fixed stars are governed by the same numerical reasons that producing and arranging sounds.

“PROMETHEUS BOUND” BY PANAGIOTIS KAROUSOS AT THE ANCIENT AGORA OF CLASSICAL ATHENS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2013. The opera "Prometheus Bound" by Panagiotis Karousos presented successfully at the Ancient Agora of Athens during the events European Heritage Days under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports.
The Ancient Agora of Classical Athens (aka Forum of Athens in older texts) is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus and on the west by the hill known as the Kolonus Agoraios, also called Market Hill.

After the mythical presentation of the opera "Prometheus Bound" of Greek Canadian composer Panagiotis Karousos Epidaurus showcases the opera in the space of Ancient Republic. It was an other historical moment for Greek opera, art and music.

The lyrical work based on the tragedy "Prometheus Bound" by Aeschylus in translation of Grypari continuously represented in many important sites of Greece.

In the role of Prometheus bass Vasilis Asimakopoulos gave an outstanding performance with a mysterious and touching presence that pleased the audience.

The direction that made also by Vasilis Asimakopoulos was based on ancient tragedy, enriching prose with the singing.

The roles of Io and Ocenide performed by soprano Maria Lyberakou, the roles of Ocean and Hermes performed by tenor Anastasios Stellas, and the roles of Violence and Goddess Athena performed by soprano Marimel Chrysi.

Flutist Danae Kioupouroglou and pianist Vivi Klisoura accompanied the performers.

Production and costumes were from the Hellenic American Center of the Arts.

The agora was probably laid out in the center of the city as a public space in the 6th century BC, though Laurence Baurain-Rebillard has suggested that it dates to the 7th century. Earlier, a more primitive agora may have existed elsewhere in Athens. The final site was located at the intersection of three existing roads with the Panathenaic 

Way, the main road in Athens. It was organized by Peisistratus, who removed private houses from the agora, closed wells, and made it the center of Athenian government. He also built a drainage system, fountains and a temple to the Olympian gods. In the 5th and 4th century BC there were temples constructed to Hephaestus, Zeus and Apollo. The museum is housed in the Stoa of Attalos, and its exhibits are connected with the Athenian democracy.