Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( ; 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'' (1964), ''
Z'' (1969), and ''
Serpico'' (1973). He was a three-time
BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
nominee, winning for ''Z''. For the score in ''Serpico'', he earned
Grammy
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
nominations. Furthermore, for the score to ''Zorba the Greek'', with its song "Zorba's Dance", he was nominated for a
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
.
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 (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
" 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.
Politically, he was associated with the left because of his long-standing ties to the
Communist Party of Greece
The Communist Party of Greece (, ΚΚΕ; ''Kommounistikó Kómma Elládas'', KKE) is a Marxist–Leninist political party in Greece. It was founded in 1918 as the Socialist Workers' Party of Greece (SEKE) and adopted its current name in Novem ...
(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 party in 1989, for the country to emerge from the political crisis created by the numerous scandals of the government of
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Georgiou Papandreou (, ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek academic and economist who founded the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and served three terms as Prime minister of Greece, prime minister of Third Hellenic Repu ...
. 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 (, ; – 29 May 2017) was a Greek politician who was Prime Minister of Greece from 1990 to 1993. He graduated in law and economics from the University of Athens. His son, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was elected as the Prime Mi ...
, and fought against drugs and terrorism and in favor of culture and education. 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 was a Right-wing politics, right-wing military junta that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974. On 21 April 1967, a group of colonels with CIA backing 1967 Greek coup d'état, overthrew the caretaker gove ...
, which imprisoned him and banned his songs.
Early life
Theodorakis was born on the Greek island of
Chios
Chios (; , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greece, Greek list of islands of Greece, island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, tenth largest island in the Medi ...
and spent his childhood years in provincial Greek cities including
Mytilene
Mytilene (; ) is the capital city, capital of the Greece, 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 the Aegean. It was fo ...
,
Cephallonia,
Patras
Patras (; ; Katharevousa and ; ) is Greece's List of cities in Greece, third-largest city and the regional capital and largest city of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaiko ...
,
Pyrgos,
[ ... Σύρος και Αθήνα (1929), Γιάννενα (1930- 1932),Αόλι (1933-1936), Πάτρα (1937-1938), Πύργος (1938-1939), Τρίπολη] and Tripoli.[ His father, a lawyer and a civil servant, was from the small village of Galatas on ]Crete
Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
and his mother, Aspasia Poulakis, was from an ethnically Greek family in Çeşme
Çeşme, officially the Çeşme Municipality, is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of İzmir Province, Turkey. Its area is 285 km2, and its population is 48,924 (2022). It sits at Turkey's westernmost end, on a promontory on t ...
, in what is now Turkey. He was raised with Greek folk music and was influenced by Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...
; 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 Patras[Theodorakis: 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, and in Tripoli, Peloponnese
The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...
,[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. He led a troop in the fight against the British and the Greek right in the Dekemvriana. During the Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War () took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communism, Communist-led uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The rebels decl ...
he was arrested, sent into exile on the island of Icaria
Ikaria, also spelled Icaria (; ), is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, 10 nautical miles (19 km) southwest of Samos.
Administratively, Ikaria forms a separate municipality within the Ikaria regional unit, which is part of the North Ae ...
and then deported to the island of Makronisos, 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 . 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 and conducting under Eugene Bigot.
His symphonic works: a Piano concerto
A piano concerto, a type of concerto, is a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for piano accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuosic showpieces which require an advance ...
, his first suite, his first symphony, 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 opera ''Antigone'' 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 sit ...
in London, the French composer Darius Milhaud 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'' and ''Honeymoon
A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds 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 in a couple ...
'' (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 Powell and Pressburger, The Archers, they together wrote, produced ...
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. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
.
Back to Greek roots
In 1960, Theodorakis returned to Greece and his roots in Greek music. With his song cycle '' Epitaphios'', he contributed to a cultural revolution in his country. His most significant and influential works are based on Greek and world poetry – ''Epiphania'' ( Giorgos Seferis), ''Little Kyklades'' ( Odysseas Elytis), ''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) was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27, a g ...
) – 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 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. 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 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 (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. He was released at the end of January 1968, and then deported in August to Zatouna with his wife, Myrto, and their two children, Margarita and . Later he was interned in the concentration camp
A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
of Oropos.
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 First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer.
Shostak ...
, Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis 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 th ...
, 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'' (1 ...
, and Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...
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 in 1953 with Françoise Giroud, and then went on to become president of the Radical Party in 19 ...
, Theodorakis was allowed to go into exile to Paris on 13 April 1970. Theodorakis' flight left secretly from an Onassis-owned private airport outside Athens. He arrived at Le Bourget Airport where he met Costa Gavras, Melina Mercouri and Jules Dassin. Theodorakis was immediately hospitalized with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
. 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
The Socialist Party ( , PS) is a Centre-left politics, centre-left to Left-wing politics, left-wing List of political parties in France, political party in France. It holds Social democracy, social democratic and Pro-Europeanism, pro-European v ...
, in 1977.
Resistance in exile
In 1971, Mikis Theodorakis was invited to Chile by then- president Salvador Allende. In Valparaíso
Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...
, he listened to a group of young people who introduced him to part of the work of the poet Pablo Neruda. Theodorakis loved it and promised to give Chile his musical opinion on the ''Canto General
''Canto General'' is Pablo Neruda, 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 secti ...
''. 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".
He was received by Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 a ...
and Tito, Yigal Allon and Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat (4 or 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), also popularly known by his Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, Presid ...
, while François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...
, 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 as ...
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 concurrently served as the Chancellor ...
became his friends. For millions of people, Theodorakis was the symbol of resistance against the Greek dictatorship together with Melina Mercouri.
Return to Greece
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 (Greece)—which had grown out of the National Liberation Front—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. 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 raising international awareness of human rights, environmental issues, and the need for peace. For this reason, he initiated, along with the Turkish author, musician, singer and filmmaker Zülfü Livaneli, 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
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
between 1982 and 1989. It was during this period that he received the Lenin Peace Prize. He composed his first opera Kostas Kariotakis (The Metamorphoses of Dionysus) and the ballet Zorba the Greek, 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 (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...
'', first performed in Bilbao
Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...
(1 October 1991), '' Elektra'', first performed in Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
(2 May 1995) and '' Antigone'', first performed in Athens Concert Hall (7 October 1999). This trilogy was complemented by his last opera ''Lysistrata
''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', ) is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's mission to end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city ...
'', 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. 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 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 ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
's Kosovo war
The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...
and in 2003 against the Iraq War
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
. 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 Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
, and the ''IMC UNESCO International Music Prize'', while already in 2002 he was honoured in Bonn with the '' Erich Wolfgang Korngold 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 (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
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 with heart problems. On 8 March, he underwent surgery for a pacemaker. He died of 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 lay in state in the chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, with thousands of people, including artists, as well as political leaders from all Greek parties paying their last respects. Epitaphs were delivered by the president of the Hellenic Republic, Aikaterini Sakellaropoulou, and the general secretary of the Communist Party of Greece
The Communist Party of Greece (, ΚΚΕ; ''Kommounistikó Kómma Elládas'', KKE) is a Marxist–Leninist political party in Greece. It was founded in 1918 as the Socialist Workers' Party of Greece (SEKE) and adopted its current name in Novem ...
, Dimitrios Koutsoumbas. Afterwards, according to his will, his body was transferred by boat overnight to be buried in his hometown of Galatas, near Chania, Crete, where his parents and brother were buried.
Political views
Israel and Jews
Theodorakis opposed Israel's occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. He criticised Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou for establishing closer relations with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...
, 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 was accused of saying that "this small nation (Israel) is the root of evil". Theodorakis later clarified his comments, stating in a letter to the Central Council of Jews in Greece that what he had said was: "Unfortunately the state of Israel supports the United States and their foreign policy, which is the root of the Evil and, therefore, it is close to the root of the Evil." He was also accused of having admitted his anti-Semitism during an interview on Greek TV on 8 February 2011. His controversial statement on television had been: "I should clarify that I am anti-Semite. Essentially, I love the Jewish people, I love the Jews, I have lived long with them but as much as I hate anti-Semitism, I hate Zionism even more so", being "I am anti-Semite" an obvious slip of the tongue for "anti-Zionist".[ In 2013, he condemned Golden Dawn for ]Holocaust denial
Historical negationism, Denial of the Holocaust is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that asserts that the genocide of Jews by the Nazi Party, Nazis is a fabrication or exaggeration. It includes making one or more of the following false claims:
...
.
Views of the United States
Theodorakis was a long-time critic of the United States foreign policy. 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 Serbia and Montenegro, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombing ...
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 from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
. 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 funded by 191 member countries, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is regarded as the global lender of las ...
.
Positions on Macedonia
In 1997 Mikis Theodorakis stated on the Macedonian issue 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 (), best known by the syllabic abbreviation SYRIZA ( ; ; a pun on the Greek adverb , meaning "from the roots" or "radically"), is a Centre-left politics, centre-left to Left-wing politi ...
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.
Works
Source:
His song cycles are based on poems by Greek authors, as well as by García Lorca 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 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 (; ; 8 April 1798 – 9 February 1857) was a Greeks, Greek poet from Zakynthos, who is considered to be Greece's national poet. He is best known for writing the ''Hymn to Liberty'' (, ''Ýmnos eis tīn Eleutherían''), whic ...
; Constantine P. Cavafy; 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 (text: Odysseas Elytis)
*1969: The March of the Spirit (text: Angelos Sikelianos)
*1971–82: Canto General
''Canto General'' is Pablo Neruda, 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 secti ...
(text: Pablo Neruda)
*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, Mikis Theodorakis) for choir
*1982–83: Lorca, for voice, solo guitar, choir, and orchestra (based on ''Romancero Gitano'' (text: Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936) was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27, a g ...
, 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)
* 2009:tis dikaiosunis hlie nohte
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
An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event. of the 1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...
, later used again during the 2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
)
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 to Herbert and Grace Cranko in Rustenburg in ...
)
*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 dancer, choreographer and Theatre director, opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, tac ...
)
*1987–88: Zorba il Greco (choreography: Lorca Massine)
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'' (, ''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 trilogy, Euripides wo ...
(Euripides
Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...
)
*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), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
(Sophocles
Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...
)
*1965: Trojan Women (Euripides)
*1966–1967: Lysistrata
''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', ) is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's mission to end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city ...
(Aristophanes
Aristophanes (; ; ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Ancient Greek comedy, comic playwright from Classical Athens, Athens. He wrote in total forty plays, of which eleven survive virtually complete today. The majority of his surviving play ...
)
*1977: The Suppliants (Aeschylus
Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...
)
*1979: The Knights (Aristophanes
Aristophanes (; ; ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Ancient Greek comedy, comic playwright from Classical Athens, Athens. He wrote in total forty plays, of which eleven survive virtually complete today. The majority of his surviving play ...
)
*1986–1988: Oresteia: Agamemnon, Choephorae, Eumenides (Aeschylus)
*1987: Hecuba (Euripides)
*1990: Antigone (Sophocles)
*1992: Prometheus Bound
''Prometheus Bound'' () is an ancient Greek tragedy traditionally attributed to Aeschylus and thought to have been composed sometime between 479 BC and the terminus ante quem of 424 BC. The tragedy is based on the myth of Prometheus, ...
(Aeschylus)
*1996: Oedipus Rex
''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' (, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. While some scholars have argued that the play was first performed , this is highly uncertain. Originally, to ...
(Sophocles)
*2001: Medea
In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...
(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)
*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)
*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) ( ; ; 9 February 1923 – 20 March 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and Irish Republican, an activist who wrote in both English and Irish. His widely ackno ...
)
*1963: The Chinese Wall, drama ( Max Frisch)
*1975: Das Sauspiel, tragicomedy ( Martin Walser)
*1979: Caligula, drama (Albert Camus
Albert Camus ( ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, journalist, world federalist, and political activist. He was the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the s ...
)
*1978: Polites B' Katigorias (Second-Class Citizens), drama ( Brian Friel)
*1980: Perikles, tragedy, (William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 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: Maria Plyta)
*1953: ' (Director: Gregg G. Tallas)
*1953: ''The Golgotha of an Orphan'' (Director: , Spiros Nikolaidis)
*1957: '' Ill Met by Moonlight'' (Director: 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 Powell and Pressburger, The Archers, they together wrote, produced ...
)
*1960: ''Honeymoon
A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds 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 in a couple ...
'' (Director: 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 Powell and Pressburger, The Archers, they together wrote, produced ...
, Choreography: Léonide Massine
Leonid Fyodorovich Myasin (), 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 world's first symphonic ballet, ''Les Présages'', and ...
)
*1960: '' Faces in the Dark'' (Director: David Eady)
*1961: '' Shadow of the Cat'' (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'' (Director: Jules Dassin)
*1962: '' The Lovers of Teruel'' (Director: Raymond Rouleau)
*1962: '' Five Miles to Midnight'' (Director: Anatole Litvak
Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (10 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), commonly known as Anatole Litvak, was a Russian-American filmmaker.
Born to Jewish parents in Kiev, he began his theatrical training at age 13 in Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, ...
)
*1962: ''Electra
Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...
'' (Director: Michael Cacoyannis
Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...
)
*1964: '' Zorba the Greek'' (Director: Michael Cacoyannis
Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...
)
*1966: '' A Bullet Through the Heart'' (Director: Jean-Daniel Pollet)
*1967: '' The Day the Fish Came Out'' (Director: Michael Cacoyannis
Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...
)
*1969: '' Z'' (Director: Costa-Gavras
Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (; born 12 February 1933), known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political thril ...
)
*1971: '' Biribi'' (Director: )
*1971: ''The Trojan Women
''The Trojan Women'' (, lit. "The Female Trojans") is a tragedy by the Ancient Greece, Greek playwright Euripides, produced in 415 BCE. Also translated as ''The Women of Troy,'' or as its transliterated Greek title ''Troades, The Trojan Women'' ...
'' (Director: Michael Cacoyannis
Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...
)
*1972: '' State of Siege'' (Director: Costa-Gavras
Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (; born 12 February 1933), known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political thril ...
)
*1973: '' The Battle of Sutjeska'' (Director: Stipe Delić)
*1973: '' Serpico'' (Director: Sidney Lumet
Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York City, New York dramas w ...
)
*1974: '' The Rehearsal'' (Director: Jules Dassin)
*1976: '' Actas de Marousia'' (Director: Miguel Littín)
*1977: '' Iphigenia'' (Director: Michael Cacoyannis
Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...
)
*1980: '' The Man with the Carnation'' (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 — ''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 ...
: 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 — '' Songs of Theodorakis'' (RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
, 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
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.
Awards and decorations
* Lenin Peace Prize, USSR (1983).
* Order of the Phoenix, Greece (1995).
*Officer of the Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
, France (1996).
*Doctor ''honoris causa'' of the University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; , ''Ethnikó kai Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens (UoA), is a public university in Athens, Greece, with various campuses alo ...
(1996).
*Doctor ''honoris causa'' Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki ( AUTh; ), often called the University of Thessaloniki, is the second oldest tertiary education institution in Greece. Named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, about east of Thessa ...
(2000).
*"Erich Korngold" prize, Germany (2002).
* Honorary citizen of Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro (2004).
*2005 International Music Prize, UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
International Music Council
The International Music Council (IMC) was created in 1949 as UNESCO's advisory body on matters of music. The original request of the foundation of the IMC was under the Director of the UNESCO. It is based at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France, ...
(2005).
*Legion of Honour, France (2007).
*Honorary member of the Academy of Athens (2013).
*Grand Cross of the Order of Honour, Greece (2021).
*A picture of Theodorakis was included in the "In Memoriam" segment of the 94th Academy Awards Ceremony
*Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
References
Further reading
* Jean Boivin, ''Messiaen's Teaching at the Paris Conservatoire: A Humanist Legacy'', in Siglind Bruhn, ''Messiaen's Language of Mystical Love'' (New York, Garland, 1998), 5–31: 10
* George Giannaris: ''Mikis Theodorakis. Music and Social Change'', Foreword by Mikis Theodorakis. G. Allen, London, 1972
* Gail Holst: ''Myth & Politics in Modern Greek Music'', Adolf M. Hakkert, Amsterdam, 1980
* Mikis Theodorakis: ''Journals of Resistance''. Translated from the French by Graham Webb, Hart-Davis MacGibbon, London, 1973
* Mikis Theodorakis: ''Music and Theater'', Translated by George Giannaris, Athens, 1983
* Asteris Koutoulas: ''O Mousikos Theodorakis'' / Theodorakis the Musician (in Greek). "Nea Synora – A. A. Livami, 1998.
* Guy Wagner: ''Mikis Theodorakis. Mia Zoi yia tin Ellada''. Typothito – Giorgos Dardanos, 2002. (The biography exists also in French: ''Mikis Theodorakis. Une Vie pour la Grèce''. Editions Phi, Luxembourg, 2000; and in German: ''Mikis Theodorakis. Ein Leben für Griechenland''. Editions Phi, Luxembourg, 1995)
* George Logothetis: ''Mikis Theodorakis: the Greek soul'', translated from the Greek by Phillipos Chatzopoulos, Agyra editions 2004, . The Chinese version has been published by Shanghai Baijia Publishing House in 2008, .
* Asteris Kutulas: ''Mikis Theodorakis. A Life in pictures'' (in German), Coffee-table book with 1 DVD & 2 CDs. Schott Music, Mainz 2010,
* Arja Saijonmaa: ''En ung naken kvinna : mötet med Mikis'' (A young naked woman – the meeting with Mikis), (bound) Stockholm : Piratförlaget, 2011 Swedish 443 pages, 6picture pages + 1 CD with four songs by Mikis Theodorakis.
External links
*
*
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
* Nikos Mottas
''Mikis Theodorakis: A Legend for Greece''
– ''American Chronicle'', 28 July 2009.
*
*
*
*
by Bruce Duffie, 19 May 1994
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theodorakis, Mikis
1925 births
2021 deaths
20th-century Greek musicians
20th-century Greek classical composers
21st-century Greek musicians
21st-century Greek classical composers
Anti-Americanism
Ballet composers
Best Original Music BAFTA Award winners
Commanders of the Legion of Honour
Communist Party of Greece politicians
Greek MPs 1981–1985
Greek MPs 1990–1993
Greek Resistance members
Greek communists
Greek exiles
Greek film score composers
Greek opera composers
Greek prisoners and detainees
Recipients of the Lenin Peace Prize
Greek male film score composers
Greek 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
Greek classical composers
Greek political music artists