March of the Spirit & Oedipus Tyrant

POLYDOR 2383023 (1970)

Live recording at the Albert Hall in London. Theodorakis composed the March of the Spirit in the winter of ’69, in the mountainous Zatouna in Arcadia, exiled by the dictatorial regime. In his diary he describes the situation, when in a house arrest, he invites his guards to accompany him: It is snowing outside. I’m alone. The guards are freezing. I call them. It’s warm inside. I give them tsikoudia, walnuts and figs. They take off their greatcoats. I sit at the piano and compose. They look at me goggle-eyed. -Play it again … I take it again from the beginning and move on. I offer them tsikoudia. The snow covered the walnuts. I stop and write on paper. It is getting dark. -Won’t we go to the cafe? … We enter the cafe. -Yannis, I buy drinks for everybody. -What happened to you; Are you marrying anyone? Chronis tells me – I married my music to Sikelianos. -Help raise the sun, says the guard!

Oedipus Tyrant is an ode for String Orchestra, composed by Theodorakis in Paris between 1956 – 1958.

Music: Mikis Theodorakis
Poetry: Aggelos Sikelianos

Maria Farantouri, Antonis Kalogiannis, Yannis Theocharis: singing
London Symphony Orchestra
New Opera London Choir
Male Miners’ Choir of Wales
Conducted by Mikis Theodorakis

March of the Spirit – poetry by Aggelos Sikelianos
I. As I threw the last torch – M. Farantouri
II. Giant Thoughts – Ant. Kalogiannis
III. And I said – G. Theocharis
IV. Come on, help! – M.Farantouri
V. Come on the creators – M.Farantouri
VI. The new Logos – Ant. Kalogiannis
VII. So, as I threw the last torch – M. Farantouri

Oedipus Tyrant

Other Release
POLYDOR 511058-2 (1994)