CYSO

FEAT. CYPRIOT COMPOSERS

Christodoulos Georgiades:

Concerto for piano no. 2 (World premiere) - Third movement

My first Concerto for piano and orchestra was written in 2005 and performed a few years later. Now comes the second one, which I composed in 2013. Both are relatively of short duration and without a cadenza – the point in a concerto where the soloist is given the opportunity to showcase his musical and, above all, his technical skills.

As a composer and pianist, it is quite obvious to me when a musical work contains too much “filling” material. This happens when the musical material and the basic ideas are “thin” and poor, which obliges the composer to resort to superficial and unnecessary fillings in order to complete his work. For this reason, I prefer conciseness with substance, rather than a work with endless “fillings”!

The third movement is a dance – a vivid Kalamatianos – in which there is a back and forth exchange of musical material between the piano and the orchestra. Various brief episodes follow, where I intentionally “overturn” the traditional rhythmic pulse of the Kalamatianos for the sake of contrast. Eventually, the piano brings back the introduction previously presented by the orchestra, and together now, they prepare the big rising climax for the Finale. The initial Kalamatianos returns with enthusiasm and is now celebrated by the orchestral tutti together with the piano. And, feeling rather dizzy, everyone surrenders to a Mediterranean feasting!

This work is dedicated to my son Anthimos, and his English wife, Lucy.

Nicos Vichas:

Cyprus Suite

The Cyprus Suite is based on Cypriot traditional dance melodies. These traditional melodies remind me of my childhood so felt the need to write them down and give them a new form. The piece comprises the following movements:

Psintri vasilitzia mou (Presto)
Kambos (Largo)
Roulla mou Maroulla mou (Allegro, Largo, Allegro)
Psintri vasilitzia mou (Presto) Finale

“Kambos” (Field) is based on a melody of my own invention which expresses the beauty of my country’s landscape, despite the pain and misfortunes of its people.

Solon Michaelides:

String Quartet

Composed in 1934, the quartet is based on the Cypriot traditional Wedding Song's main theme. Solon Michaelides compositions are frequently based on sounds and melodies from Cyprus. In a way, his compositions are maybe the first international appearance of the 'Traditional' Cypriot music culture in western classical musical.

Constantin Papageorgio:

‘Peut – etre’ for Wind Trio

‘Peut – etre’ (English meaning: ’Maybe’ or ‘Perhaps ’is a miniature for Wind Trio (Flute, Oboe & Clarinet) composed at 2005. The work starts and finishes with a solo Clarinet monologue in a questioning slow manner. The successive use of chromatic descending sequences written interchangeably for all the three instruments is probably the most characteristic element of the work.

Savvas Savva:

Adagio for strings

Adagio for strings is the first movement of a Trilogy for strings and oboe, written in tribute to a friend who was prematurely lost in a car accident. This particular movement can be performed independently of the Trilogy, as a piece in its own right, without the oboe.

ABOUT

The Cyprus High Commission in the UK celebrates the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus with a series of online cultural events in collaboration with Cypriot and British academic and cultural institutions, showcasing Cyprus’s cultural heritage as well as contemporary Cypriot culture. Join us for a week of concerts, performances, webinars, interviews, panel discussions, live streamings and film premieres.