The People do not Die (2021)
The People do not Die for mezzo-soprano and piano, based on a poem by Kostas Varnalis (2021), ca. 10'. Second prize in the composition competition organised by the Greek National Opera and the Union of Greek Composers on the theme “1821, the Greek Revolution and poetry set to music” in the voice and piano category.
COMPOSITION BLOG
6/1/19192 min read
The People Do Not Die, for mezzo-soprano and piano (2021), ca. 10'
based on a poem by Kostas Varnalis
The work The People Do Not Die, for mezzo-soprano and piano, is based on the poem of the same name by Kostas Varnalis (1884–1974). The poetic text is included in the poet’s posthumous collection Free World. Through its content, it bridges the passing of time whilst referring, from the very first line, to Dionysios Solomos’s Freedom and the Virtue of Andreas Kalvos.
Varnalis seeks to highlight the unfulfilled longing, as well as the continued relevance, of the ideals and struggles of 1821 in the postmodern period of the second half of the 20th century, as these, Freedom and Virtue, return to the land of 1821, weeping in each other’s arms.
The work begins with a distinctive rhythmic-melodic motif which serves as a connecting thread throughout the work, linking together musical environments that are, from an aesthetic point of view, quite different. The musical conceptual framework is shaped by a contemplative, minimalist aesthetic which gives rise to a dense and polyphonic composition. Strong rhythmic elements, phonetic clusters and climaxes emphasise the dramatic yet dynamically optimistic character of the poem, allowing the voice to narrate the poetic text at an accelerating pace, at a defined or undefined pitch.
Second prize in the composition competition organised by the Greek National Opera and the Union of Greek Composers on the theme ‘1821, the Greek Revolution and poetry set to music’ in the voice and piano category.
Anna Tselika (mezzo-soprano)
Nikos Vassiliou (piano)
23 September 2022, 8.30 pm
Alternative Stage of the Greek National
Stavros Niarchos Hall, Alternative Stage
Anna Tselika (mezzo-soprano), Nikos Vassiliou (piano)