Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( el, Μιχαήλ "Μίκης" Θεοδωράκης ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films ''

Zorba the Greek ''Zorba the Greek'' ( el, Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά, , Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) is a novel written by the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek int ...

'' (1964), '' Z'' (1969), and ''

Serpico ''Serpico'' is a 1973 American neo-noir biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino in the title role. The screenplay was adapted by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler from the book of the same name written by Peter ...

'' (1973). He composed the "

Mauthausen Trilogy The "Mauthausen Trilogy", also known as "The Ballad of Mauthausen" and the "Mauthausen Cantata", is a cycle of four arias with lyrics based on poems written by Greek poet Iakovos Kambanellis, a Mauthausen concentration camp survivor, and music wr ...

", also known as "The Ballad of Mauthausen", which has been described as the "most beautiful musical work ever written about the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

" and possibly his best work. Up until his death, he was viewed as Greece's best-known living composer. He was awarded the

Lenin Peace Prize The International Lenin Peace Prize (russian: международная Ленинская премия мира, ''mezhdunarodnaya Leninskaya premiya mira)'' was a Soviet Union award named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a pane ...

. Politically, he was associated with the left because of his long-standing ties to the

Communist Party of Greece The Communist Party of Greece ( el, Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας, ''Kommounistikó Kómma Elládas'', KKE) is a political party in Greece. Founded in 1918 as the Socialist Labour Party of Greece and adopted its curren ...

(KKE). He was an MP for the KKE from 1981 to 1990. Despite this however, he ran as an independent candidate within the centre-right

New Democracy New Democracy, or the New Democratic Revolution, is a concept based on Mao Zedong's Bloc of Four Social Classes theory in Chinese Communist Revolution, post-revolutionary China which argued originally that democracy in China would take a path ...

party in 1989, in order for the country to emerge from the political crisis that had been created due to the numerous scandals of the government of

Andreas Papandreou Andreas Georgiou Papandreou ( el, Ανδρέας Γεωργίου Παπανδρέου, ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics, known for founding the political party PASOK, wh ...

. He helped establish a large coalition between conservatives, socialists and leftists. In 1990 he was elected to the parliament (as in 1964 and 1981), became a government minister under

Konstantinos Mitsotakis Konstantinos Mitsotakis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Μητσοτάκης, ; – 29 May 2017) was a Greek politician who was 7th Prime Minister of Greece from 1990 to 1993. He graduated in law and economics from the University of Athens. Hi ...

, and fought against drugs and terrorism and for culture, education and better relations between Greece and Turkey. He continued to speak out in favour of leftist causes, Greek–Turkish–Cypriot relations, and against the War in Iraq. He was a key voice against the 1967–1974

Greek junta The Greek junta or Regime of the Colonels, . Also known within Greece as just the Junta ( el, η Χούντα, i Choúnta, links=no, ), the Dictatorship ( el, η Δικτατορία, i Diktatoría, links=no, ) or the Seven Years ( el, η Ε ...

, which imprisoned him and banned his songs.

Early life

Theodorakis was born on the Greek island of

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...

and spent his childhood years in provincial Greek cities including

Mytilene Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of ...

Cephallonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...

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, Pyrgos, ... Σύρος και Αθήνα (1929), Γιάννενα (1930- 1932),Αόλι (1933-1936), Πάτρα (1937-1938), Πύργος (1938-1939), Τρίπολη and

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

. His father, a lawyer and a civil servant, was from the small village of Galatas on

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

and his mother, Aspasia Poulakis, was from an ethnically Greek family in

Çeşme Çeşme () is a coastal town and the administrative centre of the district of the same name in Turkey's westernmost end, on a promontory on the tip of the peninsula that also carries the same name and that extends inland to form a whole with the ...

, in what is now Turkey. He was raised with Greek folk music and was influenced by

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

; as a child he had already talked about becoming a composer. His fascination with music began in early childhood; he taught himself to write his first songs without access to musical instruments. He took his first music lessons in PatrasTheodorakis: Οι δρόμοι του αρχάγγελου Ι / The Ways of the Archangel, Autobiography, Volume I, p. 72 sq. and Pyrgos,Theodorakis, op. cit., p. 82 sq. where he was a childhood friend of

George Pavlopoulos George Pavlopoulos ( el, Γιώργης Παυλόπουλος; 22 June 1924 – 26 November 2008) was a Greece, Greek poet, relatively unknown outside Greece, but admired within his own country by fellow poets such as Giorgos Seferis, George Sefe ...

, and in Tripoli,

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...

,Theodorakis, op. cit., Chapter II, p. 95 sq. he gave his first concert at the age of seventeen. He went to Athens in 1943, and became a member of a Reserve Unit of

ELAS The Greek People's Liberation Army ( el, Ελληνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός (ΕΛΑΣ), ''Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós'' (ELAS) was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberat ...

. He led a troop in the fight against the British and the Greek right in the

Dekemvriana The ''Dekemvriana'' ( el, Δεκεμβριανά, "December events") refers to a series of clashes fought during World War II in Athens from 3 December 1944 to 11 January 1945. The conflict was the culmination of months of tension between the c ...

. During the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος �όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...

he was arrested, sent into exile on the island of

Icaria Icaria, also spelled Ikaria ( el, Ικαρία), is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, 10 nautical miles (19 km) southwest of Samos. According to tradition, it derives its name from Icarus, the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology, who was be ...

and then deported to the island of

Makronisos Makronisos ( el, Μακρόνησος, lit. ''Long Island''), or Makronisi, is an island in the Aegean sea, in Greece, notorious as the site of a political prison from the 1920s to the 1970s. It is located close to the coast of Attica, facing the ...

, where he was tortured and twice buried alive. During the periods when he was not obliged to hide, not exiled or jailed, he studied from 1943 to 1950 at the Athens Conservatoire under Filoktitis Economidis. In 1950, he finished his studies and took his last two exams "with flying colours". He went to Crete, where he became the "head of the Chania Music School" and founded his first orchestra.

Studies in Paris

In 1953, Theodorakis married Myrto Altinoglou. The following year, they travelled to Paris, where he entered the Conservatory and studied musical analysis under

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex; harmonically ...

and conducting under Eugene Bigot. His symphonic works: a

Piano concerto A piano concerto is a type of concerto, a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for a piano player, which is typically accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuoso showpiec ...

, his first suite, his first

symphony A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning com ...

, and his scores for the

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

: ''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 1959, after the successful performances of Theodorakis's ballet ''

Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., & Roma ...

'' at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

in London, the French composer

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

proposed him for the ''American Copley Music Prize'' – an award of the "William and Noma Copley Foundation", which later changed its name to "Cassandra Foundation" as the "Best European Composer of the Year". His first international scores for the film ''

Ill Met by Moonlight ''Ill Met by Moonlight: The Abduction of General Kreipe'' is a non-fiction partly-autobiographical book written by W. Stanley Moss, a British soldier, writer and traveller. It describes an operation in Crete during the Second World War to captu ...

'' and ''

Honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds immediately after their wedding, to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase ...

'' (aka ''Luna de Miel''), directors:

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a serie ...

and

Emeric Pressburger Emeric Pressburger (born Imre József Pressburger; 5 December 19025 February 1988) was a Hungarian-British screenwriter, film director, and producer. He is best known for his series of film collaborations with Michael Powell, in a collaborat ...

, were successful: ''The Honeymoon Song'', title song of the later, became part of the repertoire of

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

Back to Greek roots

In 1960, Theodorakis returned to Greece and his roots in Greek music: With his song cycle '' Epitaphios'' and contributed to a cultural revolution in his country. His most significant and influential works are based on Greek and world poetry – ''Epiphania'' (

Giorgos Seferis Giorgos or George Seferis (; gr, Γιώργος Σεφέρης ), the pen name of Georgios Seferiades (Γεώργιος Σεφεριάδης; March 13 – September 20, 1971), was a Greek poet and diplomat. He was one of the most important G ...

), ''Little Kyklades'' (

Odysseas Elytis Odysseas Elytis ( el, Οδυσσέας Ελύτης , pen name of Odysseas Alepoudellis, el, Οδυσσέας Αλεπουδέλλης; 2 November 1911 – 18 March 1996) was a Greek poet, man of letters, essayist and translator, regarded as th ...

), ''Axion Esti'' (Elytis), ''Mauthausen'' ( Iakovos Kambanellis), ''Romiossini'' ( Yannis Ritsos), and ''Romancero Gitano'' (

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...

) – he attempted to give back to Greek music a dignity which in his perception it had 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 ''Athens Little Symphony Orchestra'' and gave many concerts in the country, trying to familiarize people with symphonic music. After the assassination of

Gregoris Lambrakis Grigoris Lambrakis ( el, Γρηγόρης Λαμπράκης; 3 April 1912 – 27 May 1963) was a Greek politician, physician, track and field athlete, and member of the faculty of the School of Medicine at the University of Athens. A member of ...

in May 1963 he founded the ''Lambrakis Democratic Youth'' ("Lambrákides") 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 EDA or Eda may refer to: Computing * Electronic design automation * Enterprise Desktop Alliance, a computer technology consortium * Enterprise digital assistant * Estimation of distribution algorithm * Event-driven architecture * Exploratory ...

. 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. 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 by old Cretan traditional dances.

During the dictatorship

On 21 April 1967 the

Regime of the Colonels In politics, a regime (also "régime") is the form of government or the set of rules, cultural or social norms, etc. that regulate the operation of a government or institution and its interactions with society. According to Yale professor Juan Jo ...

took power in a putsch. Theodorakis was a symbol of resistance to the military regime. He went into hiding, issued the first call for resistance against the dictatorship on 23 April. and founded the "Patriotic Front" (PAM). On 1 June, the Colonels published "Army decree No 13", which banned playing, and even listening to his music. Theodorakis was arrested on 21 August, and jailed for five months. Following his release end of January 1968, he was deported in August to

Zatouna Zatouna ( el, Ζάτουνα) is a mountain village and a community in the municipal unit of Dimitsana, western Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. It is situated on a mountain slope at about 1000 m elevation, west of the river Lousios. In 2011 Zatouna ...

with his wife, Myrto, and their two children, Margarita and Yorgos. Later he was interned in the

concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

Oropos Oropos ( el, Ωρωπός) is a small town and a municipality in East Attica, Greece. The village of Skala Oropou, within the bounds of the municipality, was the site an important ancient Greek city, Oropus, and the famous nearby sanctuary of ...

. An international solidarity movement, headed by such personalities as

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throug ...

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...

, and

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

demanded to get Theodorakis freed. On request of the French politician

Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, often referred to as JJSS (13 February 19247 November 2006), was a French journalist and politician. He co-founded ''L'Express'' in 1953 with Françoise Giroud, and then went on to become president of the Radica ...

, Theodorakis was allowed to go into exile to Paris on 13 April 1970. Theodorakis's flight left secretly from an Onassis-owned private airport outside Athens. He arrived at Le Bourget Airport where he met

Costa Gavras Costa-Gavras (short for Konstantinos Gavras; el, Κωνσταντίνος Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933) is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for films with political and s ...

Melina Mercouri Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a political family that was prominent over multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination a ...

and

Jules Dassin Julius "Jules" Dassin (December 18, 1911 – March 31, 2008) was an American film and theatre director, producer, writer and actor. A subject of the Hollywood blacklist in the McCarthy era, he subsequently moved to France, and later Greece, whe ...

. Theodorakis was immediately hospitalized, as he suffered from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

. His wife and children joined him a week later in France, having travelled from Greece via Italy on a boat. He would compose, alongside Pagani, the anthem of the French Socialist Party, in 1977.

Resistance in exile

In 1971, Mikis Theodorakis was invited to Chile by then-

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Salvador Allende Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (, , ; 26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean physician and socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 3 November 1970 until his death on 11 September 1973. He was the fir ...

. In

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

, he listened to a group of young people who introduced him to part of the work of the poet

Pablo Neruda Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (12 July 1904 – 23 September 1973), better known by his pen name and, later, legal name Pablo Neruda (; ), was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Nerud ...

.Theodorakis loved it and promised to give Chile his musical opinion on the ''

Canto General ''Canto General'' is Pablo Neruda's tenth book of poems. It was first published in Mexico in 1950, by ''Talleres Gráficos de la Nación''. Neruda began to compose it in 1938. "Canto General" ("General Song") consists of 15 sections, 231 poems ...

''. Back to Paris, in 1972 Theodorakis met Pablo Neruda when the Greek composer was rehearsing the musicalization of ''Canto General''. Neruda was impressed and asked him to include poems such as "Lautaro" and "A Emiliano Zapata". Theodorakis Kaisaria 70s Mordo Avrahmov

He was received by

Gamal Abdel Nasser Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...

and

Tito Tito may refer to: People Mononyms * Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), commonly known mononymously as Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman * Roberto Arias (1918–1989), aka Tito, Panamanian international lawyer, diplomat, and journ ...

Yigal Allon Yigal Allon ( he, יגאל אלון; 10 October 1918 – 29 February 1980) was an Israeli politician, commander of the Palmach, and general in the Israel Defense Forces, IDF. He served as one of the leaders of Ahdut HaAvoda party and the Labor P ...

and

Yasser Arafat Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini (4 / 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), popularly known as Yasser Arafat ( , ; ar, محمد ياسر عبد الرحمن عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني, Mu ...

, while

François Mitterrand François Marie Adrien Maurice Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was President of France, serving under that position from 1981 to 1995, the longest time in office in the history of France. As First Secretary of the Socialist Party, he ...

Olof Palme Sven Olof Joachim Palme (; ; 30 January 1927 – 28 February 1986) was a Swedish politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1969 to 1976 and 1982 to 1986. Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 until h ...

and

Willy Brandt Willy Brandt (; born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm; 18 December 1913 – 8 October 1992) was a German politician and statesman who was leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1964 to 1987 and served as the chancellor of West Ge ...

became his friends. For millions of people, Theodorakis was the symbol of resistance against the Greek dictatorship together with

Return to Greece

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1989-0115-030, Pfingsttreffen der FDJ

After the fall of the Colonels, Mikis Theodorakis returned to Greece on 24 July 1974 to continue his work and his concert tours, both in Greece and abroad. His return was in triumph, with huge crowds and his music playing on the radio. At the same time he participated in public affairs. In 1978, through his article ''For a United Left Wing'', he had "stirred up the Greek political life. His proposal for the unification of the three parties of the former United Left – which had grown out of the National Liberation Front (N.L.F.) – had been accepted by the Greek Communist Party which later proposed him as the candidate for mayor of Athens during the 1978 elections." (Andreas Brandes) He was later elected several times to the Greek Parliament (1981–1986 and 1989–1993) and for two years, from 1990 to 1992, he was a minister in the government of

Constantine Mitsotakis Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given nam ...

. After his resignation as a member of Greek parliament, he was appointed General Musical Director of the Choir and the two Orchestras of the Hellenic State Radio ( ERT), which he reorganised and with which he undertook successful concert tours abroad. He was committed to raise international awareness of human rights, of environmental issues and of the need for peace and, for this reason, he initiated, along with the Turkish author, musician, singer, and filmmaker

Zülfü Livaneli Ömer Zülfü Livaneli (born 20 June 1946), is a Turkish musician, author, poet, and politician. Livaneli was imprisoned several times during the 1971 Turkish coup d'état because of his political views and had to leave Turkey in 1972 and went ...

the Greek–Turkish Friendship Society. From 1981, Theodorakis had started the ''fourth period'' of his musical writing, during which he returned to the symphonic music, while still going on to compose song-cycles. His most significant works written in these years are his ''Second, Third, Fourth'' and ''Seventh Symphony'', most of them being first performed in the former

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

between 1982 and 1989. It was during this period that he received the

. He composed his first opera Kostas Kariotakis (The Metamorphoses of Dionysus) and the ballet

, premièred in the Arena of Verona during the Festival Verona 1988. During this period, he also wrote the five volumes of his autobiography: ''The Ways of the Archangel'' ('). In 1989, he started the ''fifth period'', the last, of his musical writing: He composed three operas (lyric tragedies) ''

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...

'', first performed in

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(1 October 1991), '' Elektra'', first performed in

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

(2 May 1995) and ''

'', first performed in Athens' Megaron Moussikis (7 October 1999). This trilogy was complemented by his last opera ''

Lysistrata ''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', "Army Disbander") is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponne ...

'', first performed in Athens (14 April 2002): a call for peace... With his operas, and with his song cycles from 1974 to 2006, Theodorakis ushered in the period of his ''Lyrical Life''. In March 1997, gave a concert at the Berlin

Haus der Kulturen der Welt The Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), in English House of the World's Cultures, in Berlin is Germany's national center for the presentation and discussion of international contemporary arts, with a special focus on non-European cultures and so ...

. Afterwards he was hospitalized due to respiratory difficulties and it was when he declared that this was his last concert. Theodorakis was

Doctor honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

of several universities.

Later life and death

He later lived in retirement, reading, writing, publishing arrangements of his scores, texts about culture and politics. On occasions he took position: in 1999, opposing

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

Kosovo war The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...

and in 2003 against the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

. In 2005, he was awarded the ''Sorano Friendship and Peace Award'', the Russian ''International St.-Andrew-the-First-Called Prize'', the insignia of ''Grand Officer of the Order of Merit'' of

, and the ''IMC UNESCO International Music Prize'', while already in 2002 he was honoured in Bonn with the ''

Erich Wolfgang Korngold Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897November 29, 1957) was an Austrian-born American composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential composers in Hollywood history. He was a noted pianist and compo ...

Prize'' for film music at the International Film Music Biennial in Bonn (cf also: Homepage of the Art and Exhibition Hall Bonn). In 2007, he received a ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' at the distribution of the ''World Soundtrack Awards'' in Ghent. A final set of songs titled: ''Odysseia'' was composed by utilizing

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

written by Costas Kartelias for lyrics. In 2009 he composed a Rhapsody for Strings (Mezzo-Soprano or Baryton ad lib.). Created on 30 January 2013, Theodorakis achieved the distinction of producing one of the largest works by any composer of any time. On 26 February 2019, Theodorakis was hospitalized due to heart problems, and on 8 March, underwent surgery to place a

pacemaker An artificial cardiac pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the natural cardiac pacemaker) or pacemaker is a medical device that generates electrical impulses delivered by electrodes to the chambers of the heart eith ...

. He died from cardiopulmonary arrest at his home in Athens on 2 September 2021, at the age of 96. The Greek Prime Minister declared three days of national mourning to honour him, and his body was lain in state in the chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, with many thousands of people, artists and political leaders from all Greek parties paying their final respects. Epitaphs were delivered by the President of the Hellenic Republic, Aikaterini Sakellaropoulou, and the General Secretary of the

, Dimitrios Koutsoumbas. Afterwards, according to his will, his body was transferred by boat overnight to be buried at his town of origin, Galatas, near Chania, Crete, where his parents' and brother's graves also are.

Political views

Israel and Jews

Theodorakis opposed Israel's occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. He criticised Greek Prime Minister

George Papandreou George Andreas Papandreou ( el, Γεώργιος Ανδρέας Παπανδρέου, , shortened to ''Giorgos'' () to distinguish him from his grandfather; born 16 June 1952) is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece from ...

for establishing closer relations with Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...

, who was guilty, he said, of "war crimes in Lebanon and Gaza." Theodorakis was a vocal critic of Zionism, and referred to himself as an “anti-Zionist.” In 2003, he stated, "Everything that happens today in the world has to do with the Zionists ... American Jews are behind the world economic crisis that has hit Greece as well." He described himself as "anti-Israel and anti-Semite," because "this small nation (Israel) is the root of evil". Theodorakis later apologized for the comments, stating in a letter to the Central Council of Jews in Greece that they only applied to policies of the Israeli government and its ally the US, also stating that he "loves the Jewish people". In 2013, he condemned Golden Dawn for

Holocaust denial Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that falsely asserts that the Nazi genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, is a myth, fabrication, or exaggeration. Holocaust deniers make one or more of the following false statements: ...

Views of the United States

Theodorakis was a long-time critic of the United States. During the invasion of Iraq, he called Americans "detestable, ruthless cowards and murderers of the people of the world". He said he would consider anyone who interacted with "these barbarians", for whatever reason, as his enemy. Theodorakis greatly opposed the

NATO bombing of Yugoslavia The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...

during the

Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...

. He participated in a charity concert protesting the bombing in 1999.

2010–2011: Non-political movement

On 1 December 2010, Mikis Theodorakis founded "Spitha: People's Independent Movement", a non-political movement which calls people to gather and express their political ideas. The main goal of "Spitha" is to help Greece stay clear of its economic crisis. On 31 May 2011, Theodorakis gave a speech attended by approximately 10,000 people in the center of Athens, criticising the Greek government for the loan debt it has taken from the

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...

Positions on Macedonia

In 1997 Mikis Theodorakis stated on the

Macedonian issue The region of Macedonia is known to have been inhabited since Paleolithic times. Еarliest historical inhabitants The earliest historical inhabitants of the region were the Pelasgians, the Bryges and the Thracians. The Pelasgians occupied ...

that "The name does not matter so much, as long as the peoples live in peace". Later, in an interview, he stressed "In fact, this country is being pushed towards improving relations with Greece. So why shouldn't it be possible for our relations to prosper at all levels and whatever comes up? The Customs Union, confederation, etc. are just conditions. In any case, I think that the name issue will be overcome when the relations between the two peoples reach such a point that the name will not matter at all". Theodorakis was one of the main speakers at the Rally for Macedonia in Athens, which took place on 4 February 2018. In his speech, he stated that "Macedonia is one, was, is and will always be Greek." The statements garnered support from parties in parliament, while even Golden Dawn MPs welcomed Mikis Theodorakis' shift on the name of Macedonia. Members of

SYRIZA The Coalition of the Radical Left – Progressive Alliance ( el, Συνασπισμός Ριζοσπαστικής Αριστεράς – Προοδευτική Συμμαχία, Synaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás – Proodeftikí Simachía), ...

and Yiannis Boutaris commented negatively on Theodorakis' statements. Also, the day before the rally, a group of anarchists threw paint at the entrance of his house and then wrote threatening messages, such as: "Your story starts from the mountain and ends in the national swamp of

Syntagma Square Syntagma Square ( el, Πλατεία Συντάγματος, , "Constitution Square") is the central square of Athens. The square is named after the Constitution that Otto, the first King of Greece, was obliged to grant after a popular and militar ...

Works

His song cycles are based on poems by Greek authors, as well as by

García Lorca García or Garcia may refer to: People * García (surname) * Kings of Pamplona/Navarre ** García Íñiguez of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 851/2–882 ** García Sánchez I of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 931–970 ** García Sánchez II of Pampl ...

and Neruda: Epitaphios, Archipelagos, Politia A-D, Epiphania, The Hostage, Mykres Kyklades, Mauthausen, Romiossini, Sun and Time, Songs for Andreas, Mythology, Night of Death, Ta Lyrika, The Quarters of the World, Dionysos, Phaedra, Mia Thalassa, Os Archaios Anemos, Ta Lyrikotera, Ta Lyrikotata, Erimia, Odysseia. Theodorakis released two albums of his songs and song cycles on Paredon Records and

Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways. History The Folkways Records & Service ...

in the early seventies, including his ''Peoples' Music: The Struggles of the Greek People'' (1974).

Symphonic works

*1945: The Apocalypse (Ode to Beethoven) *1947: Festival of Asi Gonia *1952: Piano Concerto "Helikon" *1953: First Symphony ("Proti Simfonia") *1954–1959: 3 Orchestral Suites *1958: Piano Concerto No 1 *1981: Symphony No 2 ("The Song of the Earth"; text: Mikis Theodorakis) for children's choir, piano, and orchestra *1981: Symphony No 3 (texts:

Dionysios Solomos Dionysios Solomos (; el, Διονύσιος Σολωμός ; 8 April 1798 – 9 February 1857) was a Greek poet from Zakynthos, who is considered to be Greece's national poet. He is best known for writing the ''Hymn to Liberty'' ( el, Ὕμ� ...

;

Constantine P. Cavafy Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Πέτρου Καβάφης ; April 29 (April 17, OS), 1863 – April 29, 1933), known, especially in English, as Constantine P. Cavafy and often published as C. P. Cavafy (), was a Gree ...

; Byzantine hymns) for soprano, choir, and orchestra *1983: Symphony No 7 ("Spring-Symphony"; texts: Yannis Ritsos; Yorgos Kulukis) for four soloists, choir, and orchestra *1986–1987: Symphony No 4 ("Of Choirs") for soprano, mezzo, narrator, choir, and symphonic orchestra without strings *1995: Rhapsody for Guitar and Orchestra *1995: Sinfonietta *1996: Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra *2008: Rhapsody for Trumpet and Orchestra (for Piccolo Trumpet, orchestrated by Robert Gulya) *2010: "Andalusia" for Mezzo and Orchestra Source:

Chamber music

*1942: Sonatina for piano *1945: Elegy No 1, for cello and piano *1945: Elegy No 2, for violin and piano *1946: String Quartet No 1 *1946: String Quartet No 2 "To Kimiterio" *1946: Duetto, for two violins *1947: Trio, for violin, cello and piano *1947: 11 Preludes, for piano *1947: Sexteto, for piano, flute and string quartet *1949: Study for two violins and cello *1952: Syrtos Chaniotikos, for piano and percussion *1952: Sonatina No 1, for violin and piano *1955: Little Suite, for piano *1955: Passacaglia, for two pianos *1959: Sonatina No 2, for violin and piano *1989: Choros Assikikos, for violoncello solo *1996: Melos, for piano *2007: East of the Aegean, for cello and piano

Cantatas and oratorios

*1960:

Axion Esti An axion () is a hypothetical elementary particle postulated by the Peccei–Quinn theory in 1977 to resolve the strong CP problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). If axions exist and have low mass within a specific range, they are of interes ...

(text:

) *1969: The March of the Spirit (text:

Angelos Sikelianos Angelos Sikelianos ( el, Άγγελος Σικελιανός; 28 March 1884 – 19 June 1951) was a Greek lyric poet and playwright. His themes include Greek history, religious symbolism as well as universal harmony in poems such as ''The Moonstru ...

) *1971–82:

(text:

) *1981–82: Kata Saddukaion Pathi (Sadducean-Passion; text: Michalis Katsaros) for tenor, baritone, bass, choir and orchestra *1982: Liturgy No 2 ("To children, killed in War"); texts:

Tassos Livaditis Tasos Leivaditis ( el, Τάσος Λειβαδίτης; 1922–1988) was a Greek poet, short story writer and literary critic who belonged to the postwar generation that was deeply marked by the struggles and failures of the communist movement. Hi ...

, Mikis Theodorakis) for choir *1982–83: Lorca, for voice, solo guitar, choir, and orchestra (based on ''Romancero Gitano'' (text:

, translated by Odysseas Elytis) *1992: Canto Olympico, for voice, solo piano, choir, and orchestra (texts: Dimitra Manda, Mikis Theodorakis) *1999: Requiem (text: St. John Damascene)

Hymns

*1970: Hymn for Nasser *1973: Hymn for the Socialist Movement in Venezuela *1973: Hymn for the Students. dedicated to the victims of Polytechnical School in Athens (18.11.) *1977: Hymn of the French Socialist Party *1978: Hymn for Malta *1982: Hymn of P.L.O. *1991: Hymn of the Mediterranean Games *1992: "Hellenism" (A song for the opening ceremony of the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

,later used again during the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

Ballets

*1953: Carnaval (choreography: Rallou Manou) *1958: Le Feu aux Poudres (choreography: Paul Goubé) *1958: Les Amants de Teruel (choreography: Milko Šparemblek) *1959: Antigone (choreography:

John Cranko John Cyril Cranko (15 August 1927 – 26 June 1973) was a South African ballet dancer and choreographer with the Royal Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet. Life and career Early life Cranko was born in Rustenburg in the former province of Tran ...

) *1972: Antigone in Jail (choreography: Micha van Hoecke) *1979: Elektra (choreography: Serge Kenten) *1983: Sept Danses Grecques (choreography:

Maurice Béjart Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French-born dancer, choreographer and opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, talking vast th ...

) *1987–88: Zorba il Greco (choreography:

Lorca Massine Lorca Massine is a choreographer and dancer born in New York on July 25, 1944, to Russian émigré parents. His father, Léonide Massine, was also a notable choreographer and dancer of the 20th Century. Lorca studied dance with Yves Brieux, Vict ...

)

Operas

*1984–1985: Kostas Karyotakis (The Metamorphosis of Dionysos) *1988–1990: Medea *1992–1993: Elektra *1995–1996: Antigone *1999–2001: Lysistrata

Music for the stage

Classical tragedies

*1959–1960:

Phoenician Women ''The Phoenician Women'' ( grc, Φοίνισσαι, ''Phoinissai'') is a tragedy by Euripides, based on the same story as Aeschylus' play ''Seven Against Thebes''. It was presented along with the tragedies ''Hypsipyle'' and '' Antiope.'' With this ...

(

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...

) *1960–1961:

Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...

(

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or co ...

) *1965:

Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' ( grc, Τρῳάδες, translit=Trōiades), also translated as ''The Women of Troy'', and also known by its transliterated Greek title ''Troades'', is a tragedy by the Greek playwright Euripides. Produced in 415 BC during ...

(Euripides) *1966–1967:

(

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; grc, Ἀριστοφάνης, ; c. 446 – c. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme In Ancient Greece, a deme or ( grc, δῆμος, plural: demoi, δημοι) was a suburb or a subdivision of Athens and other city-states ...

) *1977: The Suppliants (

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...

) *1979:

The Knights ''The Knights'' ( grc, Ἱππεῖς ''Hippeîs''; Attic: ) was the fourth play written by Aristophanes, who is considered the master of an ancient form of drama known as Old Comedy. The play is a satire on the social and political life of clas ...

(

) *1986–1988:

Oresteia The ''Oresteia'' ( grc, Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of th ...

: Agamemnon, Choephorae, Eumenides (Aeschylus) *1987:

Hecuba Hecuba (; also Hecabe; grc, Ἑκάβη, Hekábē, ) was a queen in Greek mythology, the wife of King Priam of Troy during the Trojan War. Description Hecuba was described by the chronicler Malalas in his account of the ''Chronography'' as "da ...

(Euripides) *1990:

(Sophocles) *1992:

Prometheus Bound ''Prometheus Bound'' ( grc, Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης, ''Promētheús Desmṓtēs'') is an Ancient Greek tragedy traditionally attributed to Aeschylus and thought to have been composed sometime between 479 BC and the terminus ante ...

(Aeschylus) *1996:

Oedipus Rex ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Gr ...

(Sophocles) *2001:

(Euripides)

Modern plays

*1960–1961: To Tragoudi tou Nekrou Adelfou (Ballad of the Dead Brother), Musical Tragedy (text: Mikis Theodorakis) *1961–1962: Omorphi Poli (Beautiful City), revue (Bost, Dimitris Christodoulou, Christofelis, et al.) *1963: I Gitonia ton Angelon (The Quarter of Angels), Music-drama (

Iakovos Kambanelis Iakovos Kambanellis (Greek: Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλλης; 2 December 1921 – 29 March 2011) was a Greek poet, playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and novelist. Biography Born 2 December 1921 in Hora on the island of Naxos, the sixth of ...

) *1963: Magiki Poli (Enchanted City), revue (Mikis Theodorakis, Notis Pergialis, Michalis Katsaros) *1971: Antigoni stin Filaki (Antigone in Jail), drama *1974: Prodomenos Laos (Betrayed People), music for the theatre (Vangelis Goufas) *1975: Echtros Laos (Enemy People), drama (Iakovos Kambanelis) *1975: Christophorus Kolumbus, drama (

Nikos Kazantzakis Nikos Kazantzakis ( el, ; 2 March ( OS 18 February) 188326 October 1957) was a Greek writer. Widely considered a giant of modern Greek literature, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in nine different years. Kazantzakis's no ...

) *1976: Kapodistrias, drama (Nikos Kazantzakis) *1977: O Allos Alexandros ("The Other Alexander"), drama (Margarita Limberaki) *1979: Papflessas, play (Spiros Melas)

International theatre

*1961: Enas Omiros (The Hostage), drama (

Brendan Behan Brendan Francis Aidan Behan (christened Francis Behan) ( ; ga, Breandán Ó Beacháin; 9 February 1923 – 20 March 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and Irish Republican activist who wrote in both English an ...

) *1963: The Chinese Wall, drama (

Max Frisch Max Rudolf Frisch (; 15 May 1911 – 4 April 1991) was a Swiss playwright and novelist. Frisch's works focused on problems of identity, individuality, responsibility, morality, and political commitment. The use of irony is a significant featur ...

) *1975: Das Sauspiel, tragicomedy (

Martin Walser Martin Walser (; born 24 March 1927) is a German writer. Life Walser was born in Wasserburg am Bodensee, on Lake Constance. His parents were coal merchants, and they also kept an inn next to the train station in Wasserburg. He described the ...

) *1979: Caligula, drama (

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

) *1978: Polites B' Katigorias (Second-Class Citizens), drama (

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...

) *1980: Perikles, tragedy, (

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

) *1994: Macbeth, tragedy (William Shakespeare)

Principal film scores

Source: *1952–53: ''Eva'' (Director: Marya Plytas) *1953: ''The Barefoot Battalion'' (Director: Greg Tallas) *1953: ''O Golgotas Mias Orfanis'' (Director: Dinos Dadiras, Spiros Nikolaidis) *1957: ''

'' (Director:

) *1960: ''

'' (Luna de miel) (Director:

, Choreography:

Léonide Massine Leonid Fyodorovich Myasin (russian: Леони́д Фёдорович Мя́син), better known in the West by the French transliteration as Léonide Massine (15 March 1979), was a Russian choreographer and ballet dancer. Massine created the wo ...

) *1960: ''

Faces in the Dark ''Faces in the Dark'' is a 1960 black and white British thriller film directed by David Eady and starring John Gregson, Mai Zetterling and John Ireland. The film is based on the 1952 novel ''Les Visages de l'ombre'' by Boileau-Narcejac. Plot Ri ...

'' (Director:

David Eady Sir David Eady, KC (born 24 March 1943) is a retired High Court judge in England and Wales. As a judge, he is known for having presided over many high-profile libel and privacy cases. He was called to the bar in 1966 and became a Queen's ...

) *1961: ''

Shadow of the Cat ''The Shadow of the Cat'' is a 1961 British horror film directed by John Gilling for Hammer Film Productions. It stars André Morell and Barbara Shelley. It was photographed in black-and-white by Arthur Grant. It was released in May 1961 on a ...

'' (Director:

John Gilling John Gilling (29 May 1912 – 22 November 1984) was an English film director and screenwriter, born in London. He was known for his horror film, horror movies, especially those he made for Hammer Films, for whom he directed ''The Shadow of the ...

) *1961: ''

Phaedra Phaedra may refer to: Mythology * Phaedra (mythology), Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus Arts and entertainment * ''Phaedra'' (Alexandre Cabanel), an 1880 painting Film * ''Phaedra'' (film), a 1962 film by ...

'' (Director:

) *1962: '' The Lovers of Teruel'' (Director:

Raymond Rouleau Raymond Rouleau (4 June 1904 – 11 December 1981) was a Belgian actor and film director. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1928 and 1979. He also directed 22 films between 1932 and 1981. Rouleau studied at the Royal Conservatory of B ...

) *1962: ''

Five Miles to Midnight ''Five Miles to Midnight'' (French: ''Le Couteau dans la plaie'', literally ''The Knife in the wound'') is a 1962 Franco-Italian international co-production drama film produced and directed by Anatole Litvak. It starred Sophia Loren and Anthony ...

'' (Director:

Anatole Litvak Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (russian: Анатолий Михайлович Литвак; 21 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), better known as Anatole Litvak, was a Ukrainian-born American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in vari ...

) *1962: '' Electra'' (Director:

Michael Cacoyannis Michael Cacoyannis ( el, Μιχάλης Κακογιάννης, ''Michalis Kakogiannis''; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), sometimes credited as Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriots, Greek Cypriot theatre and film director, writer, produce ...

) *1964: ''

'' (Director:

) *1966: ''

A Bullet Through the Heart ''A Bullet Through the Heart'' (French: ''Une balle au cœur'', Greek: ''Μια σφαίρα στην καρδιά''), released in the United States as ''Devil at My Heels'', is a 1966 Franco-Greek drama film directed by Jean-Daniel Pollet. P ...

'' (Director:

Jean-Daniel Pollet Jean-Daniel Pollet (; 1936–2004) was a French film director and screenwriter who was most active in the 1960s and 1970s. He was associated with two approaches to filmmaking: comedies which blended burlesque and melancholic elements, and poetic fil ...

) *1967: ''

The Day the Fish Came Out ''The Day the Fish Came Out'' (Greece: Otan ta psaria vgikan sti steria) is a 1967 DeLuxe Color Greek–British comedy film directed and written by Michael Cacoyannis who also designed the film's futuristic costumes. The film stars Tom Courte ...

'' (Director:

) *1969: '' Z'' (Director:

Costa-Gavras Costa-Gavras (short for Konstantinos Gavras; el, Κωνσταντίνος Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933) is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for films with political and s ...

) *1971: ''

Biribi Biribi, biribissi (in Italian), or cavagnole (in French), was an Italian game of chance similar to roulette, played for low stakes, that was banned in 1837. It was played on a board on which the numbers 1 to 70 are marked. The players put their ...

'' (Director: Daniel Moosman) *1971: ''

The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' ( grc, Τρῳάδες, translit=Trōiades), also translated as ''The Women of Troy'', and also known by its transliterated Greek title ''Troades'', is a tragedy by the Greek playwright Euripides. Produced in 415 BC during ...

'' (Director:

) *1972: ''

State of Siege A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

'' (Director:

) *1973: '' The Battle of Sutjeska'' (Director:

Stipe Delić Stipe Delić (23 June 1925 – 1 April 1999) was a Croatian film director. His 1973 film '' The Battle of Sutjeska'' was entered into the 8th Moscow International Film Festival The 8th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 10 t ...

) *1973: ''

'' (Director:

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. He was nominated five times for the Academy Award: four for Best Director for ''12 Angry Men'' (1957), ''Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), ''Network'' (1976), ...

) *1974: '' The Rehearsal'' (Director:

) *1976: '' Actas de Marousia'' (Director:

Miguel Littín Miguel Ernesto Littin Cucumides (born 9 August 1942) is a Chilean film director, screenwriter, film producer and novelist. He was born to a Palestinian father, Hernán Littin and a Greek mother, Cristina Cucumides. Career Miguel Littin dir ...

) *1977: ''

Iphigenia In Greek mythology, Iphigenia (; grc, Ἰφιγένεια, , ) was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Mycenae. In the story, Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis on his way to the Trojan War by hunting ...

'' (Director:

) *1980: ''

The Man with the Carnation ''The Man with the Carnation'' ( el, Ο άνθρωπος με το γαρύφαλλο, translit. O anthropos me to garyfallo) is a 1980 Greek drama film directed by Nikos Tzimas, dealing with the arrest, trial and execution of the Greek C ...

'' (Director: Nikos Tzimas) *2013: ''Recycling Medea'' (Director: Asteris Kutulas)

Scores

*Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra *March of the spirit (Oratorio, Full Score) *Axion esti (Oratorio Full Score) *Zorbas Ballet (Suite – Ballet, Full Score) *Carnaval (Suite – Ballet Full, Score) *Adagio (Full Score) & Sinfonietta (Full Score) *Epiphania Averof (Cantata) *Canto Olympico (Oratorio) *Les Eluard * * * * * * * * (Phaedra) * * * *Romancero Gitano () * * * * (Dionysus) * (Epiphany) * (Epitaph) * * *

Internationally available CD releases

*Mikis Theodorakis & Zülfü Livaneli — ''Together'' (Tropical), 1997. *Mikis Theodorakis — ''First Symphony & Adagio'' (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''Mikis'' (Peregrina) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''Symphony No. 4'' (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''Symphony No. 7'' (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''Requiem: For soloists, choir and symphonic orchestra'' (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''Symphonietta & Etat de Siege'' (Wergo/Schott) *Maria Farantouri & Rainer Kirchmann — ''Sun & Time: Songs by Theodorakis'' (Lyra) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''

: In Greek, Hebrew and English'' (Plaene) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''Carnaval — Raven'' (for mezzo and symphonic orchestra) (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''Resistance'' (historic recordings) (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''First Songs'' (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''Antigone''/''Medea''/''Electra'' (3-Opera Box) (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''The Metamorphosis of Dionysus'' (Opera) (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''Rhapsodies for Cello and Guitar'' (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis — ''East of the Aegean'' (for cello and piano) (Wergo/Schott) *Mikis Theodorakis & Francesco Diaz — ''Timeless'' (Wormland White) Source: * Maria Farantouri — ''Poetica'' (Songs by Theodorakis) (Peregrina) * Maria Farantouri — ''Asmata'' (Songs by Theodorakis) (Peregrina) *

Irene Papas Irene Papas or Irene Pappas ( el, Ειρήνη Παππά, Eiríni Pappá, ; born Eirini Lelekou ( el, Ειρήνη Λελέκου, Eiríni Lelékou, link=no); 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred ...

— ''

Songs of Theodorakis ''Songs of Theodorakis'' is an album by the Greek actress and singer Irene Papas. She sings eleven songs, all in Greek, written by the Greek songwriter and composer Mikis Theodorakis. The album was first issued in 1968 by RCA Victor (FPM-215 and F ...

'' (

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

, 1968)

Written works

Books in Greek by Theodorakis: *''Το χρέος'' (The Debt), ed. Terradia tetradias tis Democracy 1970–1971. *''Μουσική για τις μάζες'' (Music for the masses), ed. Olkos, 1972. *''Στοιχεία για μια νέα πολιτική»'' (Elements for new politics), ed. Papazisis, 1972. *''Δημοκρατική και συγκεντρωτική αριστερά'' (Democratic and centralized left), ed. Papazisis, 1972. *''Οι μνηστήρες της Πηνελόπης'' (The suitors of Penelope), ed. Papazisis, 1976. *''Περί Τέχνης'' (On Art), ed. Papazisis, 1976. *''Η αλλαγή. Προβλήματα ενότητας της Αριστεράς'' (Change. Problems of Unity of the Left), 1978. *''Μαχόμενη Κουλτούρα'' (Fighting Culture), 1982. *''Για την ελληνική μουσική'' (For Greek Music), 1983. *''Ανατομία της σύγχρονης μουσικής'' (Anatomy of Contemporary Music), ed. Synchroni Epochi, 1983. *''Star System'', ed. Kaktos, 1984. *''Οι δρόμοι του αρχάγγελου'' (The Roads of the Archangel), autobiography, ed. Cedros, 1986–1995. *''Ζητείται Αριστερά'' (The Left is Wanted), ed. Sideris, 1989. *''Αντιμανιφέστο'' (Antimanefesto), ed. Gnoseis. *''Πού πάμε'' (Where are we going?), ed. Gνoseis, 1989. *''Ανατομία της Μουσικής'' (Anatomy of Music), ed. Alpheios, 1990. *''Να μαγευτώ και να μεθύσω'' (To be enchanted and drunk), ed. Livani, 2000. *''Το μανιφέστο των Λαμπράκηδων'' (The Lambrakis Manifesto), ed. Helleniki Grammata, 2003. *The trilogy ''Πού να βρω την ψυχή μου...'' (Where to find my soul...), ed. Livani, 2003. *''Μάνου Χατζηδάκι εγκώμιον'' (Praise of Manos Hadjidakis), ed. Janos, 2004. *''Σπίθα για μια Ελλάδα ανεξάρτητη και δυνατή'' (Spark for an independent and strong Greece), ed. Janos, 2011. *''Διάλογοι στο λυκόφως-90 συνεντεύξεις'' (Dialogues in the twilight-90 interviews), ed. Janos, 2016. *''Μονόλογοι στο λυκαυγές'' (Monologues in the twilight), ed. Janos, 2017. “The Dialectics of Harmony (Στη Διαλεκτική της Αρμονίας), co-authored with Kostas Gouliamos, Gutenberg, 1918 Source:

Poems

*''Το τραγούδι του νεκρού αδελφού'' (The Song of the Dead Brother). *''Ο Ήλιος και ο Χρόνος'' (The Sun and Time). *''Αρκαδία Ι'' (Arcadia I). *''Αρκαδία VI'' (Arcadia VI). *''Αρκαδία X'' (Arcadia X). *''Τραγούδι της γης'' (Song of the Earth) from Symphony No. 2. Source:

Awards and decorations

, USSR (1983). * Order of the Phoenix, Greece (1995). *Officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

, France (1996). *Doctor ''honoris causa'' of the

University of Athens The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; el, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ''Ethnikó ke Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the Univers ...

(1996). *Doctor ''honoris causa''

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...

(2000). *"Erich Korngold" prize, Germany (2002). *2005 International Music Prize,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

International Music Council The International Music Council (IMC) was created in 1949 as UNESCO's advisory body on matters of music. It is based at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France, where it functions as an independent international non-governmental organization. Its p ...

(2005). *Legion of Honour, France (2007). *Honorary member of the Academy of Athens (2013). *A picture of Theodorakis was included in the "In Memoriam" section of the 94th Academy Awards Ceremony

References

External links

*
Extensive Website

Ιστοσελίδα Κίνησης Ανεξάρτητων Πολιτών
– website of ''Independent Citizens Movement'' at archive.org.
Official Site (Schott Music) with non-proprietary audio files, discography, recent performances and news

Lilian Voudouri Library

Alexia – Mikis Theodorakis MySpace page
* Nicolas Mottas
''Mikis Theodorakis: A Legend for Greece''
– ''American Chronicle'', 28 July 2009. *
film scores

complete discography
*

by Bruce Duffie, 19 May 1994 {{DEFAULTSORT:Theodorakis, Mikis 1925 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Greek musicians 20th-century classical composers 21st-century Greek musicians 21st-century classical composers Anti-Americanism Ballet composers Best Original Music BAFTA Award winners Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur Communist Party of Greece politicians Greek MPs 1981–1985 Greek MPs 1990–1993 Greek Resistance members Greek classical composers Greek classical musicians Greek communists Greek exiles Greek film score composers Greek opera composers Greek prisoners and detainees Lenin Peace Prize recipients Male film score composers Male opera composers Members of the Lambrakis Democratic Youth Officers of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg People from Chios Resistance to the Greek junta Greek People's Liberation Army personnel Greek torture victims

Early life

Studies in Paris

Back to Greek roots

During the dictatorship

Resistance in exile

Return to Greece

Later life and death

Political views

Israel and Jews

Views of the United States

2010–2011: Non-political movement

Positions on Macedonia

Works

Symphonic works

Chamber music

Cantatas and oratorios

Hymns

Ballets

Operas

Music for the stage

Classical tragedies

Modern plays

International theatre

Principal film scores

Scores

Internationally available CD releases

Written works

Poems

Awards and decorations

References

Further reading

External links