Theodorakis - Chronology (V)

Paris 1954-1960

by Guy Wagner and Asteris Koutoulas

1954

November  Theodorakis at last is allowed to go to study in Paris with a bursary he received in 1953. He becomes a student of Olivier Messiaen for musical analysis and of Eugène Bigot for conducting at the Conservatoire, while Myrto finishes her studies as a radiologist at the Curie-Institute.

1955

August  Theodorakis presents his Sonatina for piano at the Cortot-Room of the »École Nationale de Musique«.

05.10. After Papaghos' death, King Paul appoints a young politician called Constantin Karamanlis (ERE) as the new Prime Minister. »The next eight years under Karamanlis were to seem calm, but the islands and prisons were still crammed with political prisoners. The seeming democracy is mercilessly crushing all its opponents«. (Olsen)

1956

Theodorakis' first commission for a foreign film: he writes the music for Powell and Pressburger's Ill Met by Moonlight (Night on Crete). He buys his first car, an Opel.

1957

24.02. Creation of the First Suite for Orchestra and Piano with Jean Viguet as a soloist. Theodorakis is a member of the Greek delegation to the Moscow youth festival and in Moscow he receives a gold medal for this work.

December: Death of Philoktitis Ikonomidis. Theodorakis dedicates »Oedipus Tyrannos« to his teacher.

1958

Theodorakis finishes his Piano Concerto and composes the Suites No.2 and 3, the Sonatina for Violin and Piano and the songs of »O Kyklos«. One evening, while Myrto does the shopping, Mikis is sitting in his Opel reading »Epitafios«, a collection of poems by Yannis Ritsos. By the time she gets back he has written music for eight of the poems.

This is the turning point in his career as a composer. In this year, his international prestige is growing rapidly. He is commissioned to do three ballets: »Antigone« for Margot Fonteyn in London, and »Les Amants de Téruel« and »Le Feu aux Poudres« for Ludmilla Tchérina in Paris. They achieve great success at Covent Garden (19.10.1959) and at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt (also in 1959).

Theodorakis is awarded the »Copley Music Prize« as best young composer.

1959

30.11. His daughter, Margarita, is born. The family visits Greece, where Theodorakis renews old contacts and makes new ones.

1960

05.05. Theodorakis' son, Yorgos, is born in Paris.

Two records of »Epitafios«, are issued in Greece, on by the composer Manos Hadjidakis who directs his own orchestra and Nana Mouskouri as the soloist, the other one by Theodorakis with Grigoris Bithikotsis as soloist.

 © Guy Wagner & Asteris Koutoulas, 1996-2002. All pictures © FILIKI & Mikis Theodorakis