MIKIS THEODORAKIS

MIKIS THEODORAKIS

Mikis theodorakis was born in 1925. He is a Greek song writer of 1000 songs  and a composer. He wrote the music for Zorba the Greek, Z and Serpico.He is viewed as Greece's best-known living composer.

In 1954 he travelled with his young wife Myrto Altinoglou to Paris where he entered the Conservatory and studied musical analysis and conducting. 

His symphonic works: a Piano Concerto, his first suite, his first symphony, and his scores for the ballet: Greek Carnival, Le Feu aux Poudres, Les Amants de Teruel, received international acclaim. In 1957, he won the Gold Medal in the Moscow Music Festival.

In 1960, Theodorakis returned to Greece and his roots in genuine Greek music: With his song cycle Epitaphios he started the third period of his composing and contributed to a cultural revolution in his country. His most significant and influential works are based on Greek and world poetry – Epiphania ( Seferis ), Little Kyklades ( Elytis), Axion Esti( Elytis ), Romiossini ( Ritsos ), andRomancero Gitano ( F. G. Lorca) – he attempted to give back to Greek music a dignity which in his perception  had been lost. He developed his concept of "metasymphonic music" (symphonic compositions that go beyond the "classical" status and mix symphonic elements with popular songs, Western symphonic orchestra and Greek popular instruments).

He founded the Little Orchestra of Athens and the Musical Society of Piraeus, gave many, many concerts all around Greece and abroad... and he naturally became involved in the politics of his home country. In May 1963 he founded the Lambrakis Democratic Youth ("Lambrakidès") and was elected its president. Under Theodorakis's impetus, it started a vast cultural renaissance movement and became the greatest political organisation in Greece with more than 50.000 members. Following the 1964 elections, Theodorakis became a member of the Greek Parliament, associated with the left-wing party EDA. Because of his political ideas, the composer was black-listed by the cultural establishment; at the time of his biggest artistic glory, a large number of his songs were censored-before-studio or were not allowed on the radio stations. He was imprisoned by Junta, but later he was elected as a Member of Parliament associated with the left-wing EDA.

During 1964, he wrote the music for the Michael Cacoyiannis film Zorba the Greek, whose main theme, since then, exists as a trademark for Greece. It is also known as 'Syrtaki dance',  inspired from old Cretan traditional dances.

1. Mikis Theodorakis was a

a. poet

b. composer

c. businessman

d. officer

2. He wrote the music for

a. Zorba the Greek

b. Sound of Music

c. Guns of Navarone

d. Great Expactations

3. He studied music

a. In N. York

b. Rome

c. London
d. Paris

A hymn to the Greek culture and nature.