ORATORIO «Reqviem for the Nazi victims»
1. ORATORIO «Reqviem for the Nazi victims» 1st Performance Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center
The Oratorio «Requiem for the Nazi Victims» – in Kostas Moustakas’ Music and Libretto by Markos Charitos confronts the traumas of the past to find redemption and preserve remembrance.
The painful memories of the Occupation in spite of the passage of time remain alive. Nazi Germany was primarily responsible for the extent of the disasters and extreme ferocity that our country experienced during the Occupation of 1941-1944, sometimes to bend the Resistance, and sometimes because the Nazi’s strategic and tactical choices meant irresistibly death and disaster for the Greek people. Violence and destruction still await vindication and reparation.
In many cases, violence has exceeded every limit, though very few of the terrible historical episodes are known to the general public. Kandanos (3/6/1941), Kommeno (16/8/1943), Viannos (14-16 / 9/1943), Dervenohoria (October 1943), Kalavrita (13/12/1943) Distomo (10/6/1944), Hortiatis (2/9/1944), and dozens of other Martyr Cities and Villages, were indelibly marked by the destruction the occupying forces inflicted, destroying people and flattening entire settlements.
The first performance of the Oratorio took place on the Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera on Mondey 17 December 2018 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, in connection with the sad anniversary of the Kalavrita massacre (13/12/1943).
Τhe event was under the auspices of Η.Ε. the President of the Republic Mr Prokopios Pavlopoulos, who also attended tha event.
The event was financed by the Greek Parliament.
Composer: Costas Moustakas
Libretto: Markos Charitos
Mezzo-soprano: Marita Paparizou
Baritone: Petros Salatas
Narrators: Anastassia Politi, Yannis Stamatiou
Choir of the Bank of Greece
Choir director: Konstantinos Evangelatos
Orchestra: Αthens Sinfonietta
Conductor: Yorgos Aravidis
Set designer: Anastassia Politi
Lyrics in the 3rd Duetto by Kostas Kartelias
In the narrative part of the Oratorio are heard: Interview quotes and a poem by Argyris Sfountouris, Historical evidence from the Historical Archive of Kanelopoulos published in the Kalavrytanews.gr site and 2 texts of Dimitris Varvitsiotis «Cemetery» and «Kalavryta 43 – Justification» (also in the 1st performance were heard texts by Sotiris Patatzis and a poem by Nikiforos Vretakos)
Link concerning the 1st Performance, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center site
https://www.snfcc.org/en/events/greek-premiere-requiem-nazi-victims-oratorio/3352
Video of the 1st Performance (Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center)
Photos of the 1st performance
https://myalbum.com/album/lXAObJO7gqGJ?fbclid=IwAR2LMnZffgMnwERBqi790gXtSbTzJUSPb4cYcFnl7cGkHkcqhMuCAR5vTfA
The Oratorio in the Greek media
https://www.protothema.gr/culture/article/847984/rekviem-gia-ta-thumata-ton-nazi/
2. The Oratorio «Requiem for the Nazi Victims» recorded with the ORCHESTRA OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC of ERT
The Oratorio «Requiem for the Nazi Victims» was recorded in June 2019 with the ORCHESTRA OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC of ERT, in ERT’s «B» Studio and was broadcasted by the Third Program of ERT Radio (90.9 FM) at 10 am, 13/06/2019, on the «Recordings in the Third» https://www.facebook.com/tritoprogramma/posts/2485653911468777/ with the following contributors:
Composer: Costas Moustakas
Libretto: Markos Charitos
Mezzo-soprano: Marita Paparizou
Baritone: Petros Salatas
Narrator: Yannis Stamatiou
Choir of the Bank of Greece
Choir director: Konstantinos Evangelatos
Orchestra: Orchestra of Contemporary Music of ERT
Conductor: Yorgos Aravidis
Link of the recondings:
charitosm Μάρκος Χαρίτος 