Eleni Karaindrou: Trojan Women by Euripides

Music for “Trojan Women” by Euripides – Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus (Hellenic Festival August 31, 2001)

1. Voices
2. Lament I
3. Desolate Land I
4. Lament II
5. Hecuba’s Lament
6. Parodos – The Land I Call Home
7. Parodos – Homes Of My Forefathers
8. Parodos – I Wish I’m Given There
9. Cassandra’s Theme
10. Cassandra’s Trance
11. First Stasimon – An Ode Of Tears
12. First Stasimon – For The Phrygian Land A Vast Mourning
13. Andromache’s Theme
14. Andromache’s Lament
15. Terra Deserta
16. Astyanax’ Theme
17. Hecuba’s Theme I
18. Hecuba’s Theme II
19. Second Stasimon – Telamon, You Came To Conquer Our Town
20. Second Stasimon – The City That Gave Birth To You Was Consumed By Fire
21. An Ode Of Tears
22. Desolate Land II
23. Lament III
24. Third Stasimon – In Vain The Sacrifices
25. Third Stasimon – My Beloved, Your Soul Is Wandering
26. Hecuba’s Theme
27. Lament For Astyanax – Oh Bitter Lament, My Bitter Boy
28. Exodos
29. Exodos – Accursed Town
30. Astyanax’ Memory

After highly-successful albums based upon her music for the cinema ­ “Music for Films”, “The Suspended Step of the Stork”, “Ulysses’ Gaze”, “Eternity and a Day” ­ Greek composer Eleni Karaindrou presents work written for the theatre, for a new staging of “Trojan Women”. The large concerns of Euripides’ tragedy have encouraged Karaindrou to employ a broader musical canvas: resources here include a choir, directed by Antonis Kontogeorgiou, and a wide array of folk instruments, to build mythic soundscapes of powerful motional resonance.

”Trojan Women”, directed by Antonis Antypas and with music by Eleni Karaindrou, was premiered at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus on August 31 and September 1, 2001, where fifteen thousand people cheered the performances. The project was then taken on the road in and around Greece, with fifteen further performances, concluding with a presentation in Cyprus.

Artists

Antonis Kontogeorgiou (chorus conductor), Andreas Papas (drum), Andreas Katsigiannis (dulcimer), Socratis Sinopoulos (lyra viol), Socratis Sinopoulos (guitar), Christos Tsiamoulis (flute), Maria Bildea (harp), Panos Dimitrakopoulos (sitar)

Reviews

T. Urbach in FonoForum 7/02: “A strongly vocal characterized folkloristic music that comes across as unpretentious and yet is yet has a strong effect.”