Topic

TO WHICH EXTEND THE FOLK/TRADITIONAL MUSIC OF

GREECE PLAYS A ROLE IN THE CLASSICAL GREEK
MUSIC AFTER 1930?

By Maria Dorri
main teacher: Natasja
Morozova
Thesis supervisor: Desiree
 Introduction

1st subquestion: How can the folk/traditional Greek

music be defined

2nd subquestion: What is the role of the violin within

Greek folk/traditional & classical music of
Theodorakis, Skalkottas, Kalomiris & Hatzidakis

3rd subquestion: How can this background

informations help me to understand and play the
Skalkottas Greek dances
 introduction

• Greece (Hellas & Ellada)

- southern Europe

- Balkan country

- largest coast line in Europe

- highest mountain: Olympus

- shares borders with

Albania, FYROM, Bulgaria &
Turkey
 introduction

- Greece: birthplace of philosophy, democracy, literature,

drama, historiography, political sciences, Olympic games

- three empires that influenced Greek music: Ottoman,

Roman, Byzantine

- kantadhes ~ Italy (Roman)

Oriental sounds (Ottoman)
church music ( Byzantine)

- important musicians of classical Greek music:

M.Callas, D.Mitropoulos, Y,Xenakis, M.Theodorakis,
M.Kalomiris, M.Hatzidakis & N.Skalkottas
 1st sub: How can
the Greek
folk/traditional
music be defined?

- Roots of Greek folk music in

Ancient Greece

- Two main musical

movements: akritic & klephtic

- Greek folk/traditional music

has important role
performed in special occasions
as weddings, baptisms,
carnival, Christmas & Easter,
festivals

- The folk/traditional music is

 Regions of
Greece
Thrace: Zonaradikos
- Thrace: Northern part
of Greece
Close to Balkan music
Instruments: mostly
use of Brass and Gaida
famous dance:
‘zonaradikos’ dance
(belt dance) in 6/8

- Macedonia: Macedonia: Syrtos of

Minorities moved in Macedonia
Macedonia: Vlahs,
Greeks from Asia,
Turks, Gypsies, Jews
Instruments: Brass &
Gaida
famous band: Halkina
Goumenissas
 - Epirus: Prominent
instrument; clarinet Polyphonic music of
Other instruments: Violin, Epirus
defi & laouto 4 vocal parts: patri,
Clarinet: descending giristi, isokrati, klosti
glissandi,
chromatisism,ascending
leaps of a seventh
categorized in monophonic &
polyphonic music Monophonic
monophonic: lament, table music of epirus
songs or rhythmic dance
songs
polyphonic: vocal singing
unaccompanied & it has a
pentatonic structure

-Thessaly: similarities with Thessaly

Epirus
 - Central Greece
instruments: violin,
klarino, laouto Tsamikos dance
main dances: tsamikos &
kleftikos

- Peloponnese: heroic
songs
lament
Main dances: Kalamatianos of
kalamatianos Peloponnese
differents from north
Greece: tritonic,
tetratonic, chtomatic
modes

-Aegean & ionian

Ionian kandadhes
islands: nisiotika songs
more light character
Ionian islands: western
harmony, influenced by
Italy
 Aegean islands: most
important instrument is
violin Ballos dance from
cyclades
other instruments:
klarino,sandouri &
tsabouna
dances: sousta & ballos (in
2/4 meter), ikariotikos

-Creta island: south,

ikariotikos
biggest island
instruments: most
important~Cretan lyra
characteristics songs: Cretan dances
mantinades
dances: sousta & pentozali
- Pontus & Cyprus:
instruments: Pontian Pontus dance
lyra in Pontus &
bouzouki in Cyprus

- rebetiko: urban
dance songs come
from Asian minor

Cyprus

Rebetiko
of the violin within Greek
folk/traditional &
classical music of
Theodorakis, Skalkottas,
Kalomiris & Hatzidakis?

- In 1900’s Greece got influenced by Russian

school and other schools in Europe
- Creation of National school

- Manolis Kalomiris: the founder of National

school
- Mikis Theodorakis: student of Messien, famous
composer all over Europe & important for Greece
- Manos Hatzidakis: academy award winner,
famous for his music for movies
- Skalkottas: favorite student of Schonberg,
twelve tone system in Greece for the first time
 Kalomiris:
Concertino for
Skalkottas: The sea Hatzidakis:
solo violin &
-folk ballet Gioconda’s
orchestra
-11 parts smile
-first movement
-the violin is not always -10
virtuoso
present having the major instrumentals
5/8 folk meter
role songs
-second movement
-a monologue
imitating of floyera
of a lonely
chromatic scales
woman
-third movement
the violin has
festive character
an important
role in the
 Theodorakis:
Aksion esti
-based on a poet
-the violin has a
secondary role
generally in the
piece
help me to understand &
play the Skalkottas
dances?

- Skalkottas brings new idea in Greece

-5 Dances ~Epirotikos, Kretikos, Tsamikos,

Arkadikos, Kleftikos

- Dahlhaus ~ modes, style, melodic & rythmic

patterns the color of ethnic music

- Papaioanou brings the 13 criteria of Greek

characteristics-here characteristics of 5
dances
. Sounds from the Greek environment, use of
small intervals, use of tropical scales,
traditional melodic & rhythmical patterns,