Love unconquered in Battle

An original song cycle by Christos Pittas, featuring older and new compositions, which were presented with great success in Britain and in Greece. Original Greek poetry by Sappho, Sophocles, Euripides, Kornaros and Chortatsis, among others, coupled with a selection of Petrarchan 16th-century Cypriot love poems from the so-called Rime d’Amore manuscript found and kept at the Marciana Library in Venice.

Christos Pittas
Christos Pittas was born in Alexandria in a family originating from Cyprus. He was raised in Nicosia where he began to study music. At the age of 16 he graduated from the National Conservatory of Cyprus and in the same year (1961) recorded his first compositions for CYBC – a cycle of songs for baritone and piano, based on poetry by Palamas, Drosinis, Lipertis and Pashardis.

In London, where he went to continue his studies in music, the BBC Drama Department commissioned him to compose the music for two theatrical productions, Menander’s “Samia” and Sophocles’ “Electra”. In the years that followed, drama became a steady part of his creative endeavours with music for dozens of theatre productions. In England, most of his compositions for the theatre were commissioned by the BBC Drama Depart- ment, while in Greece and in Cyprus – by the national theatres or by other theatre companies and institutions such as Desmoi, Popular Experimental Theatre and THEPAK.

His productive relationship with the theatre as a composer, took him into other creative paths, which led to the creation of original music compositions worthy for the stage.

A milestone along this path was the Choreo-Dramatic Music Act Idola for orchestra, dancers and solo percussion (London 1984, Queen Elisabeth Hall), which was followed by a series of dramatic compositions such as Spring, Sibylla, Antigone, Heli-Om.

In addition to his “staged music”, Christos Pittas has also composed four Poetic Symphonies for orchestra, choir and vocal soloists (Hamathen, Lumen Tristis, Rime d’Amore and 1973), as well as a large number of compositions for smaller ensembles and vocal and instrumental soloists.

Most of Christos Pittas’ compositions have been performed by orchestras and ensembles such as: the London Chamber Orchestra, the New London Soloists, the BBC Singers, the National Symphony Orchestra of Britain, the New York North & South Ensemble, the Athens State Orchestra, the Cyprus State Orchestra, the ERT National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.

In 2003 he was awarded the Melina Mercouri Prize for his music for the play Phoenician Women by Euripides (translated by Michalis Pieris, directed by Nikos Charalambo us, THOK, 2002), while in 2005, he composed the music for the choruses and songs of THEPAK’s production of Erotokritos.

Performed by:
Margarita Syggeniotou – mezzo soprano
Pantelis Stamatelos – violin
Antonis Hatzinikolaou – guitar

Ticket price: €10
Students/Discounted tickets: €5
Ticket card for all September – October events: €40

For information and reservations:
Monday to Friday 9.30 – 13.30
Tel. 22894531-2
e-mail: [email protected]