A program of Cavafy songs by Greek, American, and French composers M. Hadjidakis, K. Rekleitis, D. Gompper, K. Tsoupaki, M. Theodorakis, D. Papademetriou, W. Bolcom, R. McFarland, D. Stephanidis, M. Plessas, N. Rorem, A. Evangelatos and C. Boissel. <br>
C.P. Cavafy in Music Tour Dates
4/16 Michigan
4/18 Iowa
4/20 Indiana
4/22 Columbia
4/24 Brown 4/27 Yale
Program for Recital of Songs and Reflections
Part I
1. Dimitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960): I’ve Looked so much from the song cycle 14 Inventions for voice and piano (composed in 1925, published and premiered in 1927, first recorded in 1992).
2. Manos Hadjidakis (1925-94): From the 11-song cycle, 30 for string chamber orchestra, female and male voice, and mixed choir (comp. in NY and Athens; rec. in Athens in 1972).
3. William Bolcom (1938): “The Next Table” from the 7-song cycle Old Addresses for baritone and piano (comp. 2001, prem. 2002, not recorded).
4. Ron McFarland (1928): “Windows” 1st movement of the String Quartet No. 2 (Windows) for strings and soprano, which consists of a suite of 4 songs/movements set to poems by Cavafy (comp. 1985, rec. 1994).
5. Ned Rorem (1923): “Waiting for the Barbarians” from the cycle Another Sleep (comp. 2000, prem. 2002, not recorded), which includes 19 songs for medium voice and piano on texts by 14 authors.
6. Christian Boissel (1951): “Alexandrie”
7. Antiochos Evangelatos (1903-81): 4 Songs on Poems by C. P. Cavafy] for voice and piano (comp. 1963, rec. 1998).
8. Christian Boissel (1951): “Murailles” (1997) both Boisel songs from the 14-movement suite Adieu Alexandrie (1998), based on Cavafy’s poetry, which premiered in 2000 in Liège and Marseille with alto Nena Venetsanou and countertenor Alain Aubain (not recorded).
Part II
9-11. David Gompper (1954): Shades of Love (2003) (tr. Keeley/Sherrard and Rae Dalven) 5 Cavafy poems embedded in a cycle of 3 songs for voice and piano:
1) "To Call Up the Shades"
2) "I Went /One Night"
3) "Return/Far Off"
In the CD Shades of Love: Four Cycles to the Poetry of Constantin Cavafy (2011), which also includes Cavafy cycles by Jeremy Dale Roberts (1934), Katerina Stamatelatos (1951) and Richard Pearson Thomas (1957).
12. Calliope Tsoupaki (1963): (comp. 1999, prem. 2000) from The Face of Love, a song cycle of 9 Greek songs for alto soprano and piano «on unrequited love» composed for singer Nena Venetsanou and included in her Greek CD The Face of Love (2002). This song will be incoroprated in a song cycle for tenor and piano of 9 Cavafy love poems which will be premiered by Marcel Beekman.
13. Mikis Theodorakis (1925): The City (reduction by Pantelis Polychronidis) based on a part of the 3rd movement of his Symphony No. 3 for soprano, choir, and orchestra (completed in 1981, prem. 1982 in Berlin, rec. 1984; song rec. 2003).
14. Dimitris Papadimitriou (1959): (reduction by Pantelis Polychronidis) First song in the song cycle, An Alexandrian Writing on an Alexandrian, which includes 24 pieces (18 songs and 6 instrumental compositions) and has been recorded with orchestra, 8 singers and two narrators (3-record CD 2007)
15. Mimis Plessas (1924): Candles (comp. 1970s) For voice and piano.
16. Kostas Rekleitis (1975): “When They Come Alive” (2011) For orchestra, soprano and female choir; piano reduction by the composer. From Part II of the cantata Cavafy Cycle (2012) for symphony orchestra, 40-member mixed choir, 7 solo voices, and 2 narrators, consisting of a total of 27 Cavafy poems set to music, 18 in Greek and 9 in English translations (Keeley/Sherrard).
17. Demosthenes Stephanidis (1957): "Kavafis im Genaken", based on "Ithaca" (2012, world premiere). For voice and piano.
