About Our Discography

The ambition of the Popular Orchestra "Mikis Theodorakis" is to preserve the composer's basic conception of the musical accompaniment for his song-cycles which have become part of the collective memory of our people. Wanting to showcase the singer, who expresses both Melos and Logos, Theodorakis deliberately restricted the role of the orchestra, with the exception of the introductions and instrumental refrains, without making superfluous indications of acoustic coloring. This practice, which is principally a continuation of the spareness of traditional popular composers, can be historically attested. Such examples of his popular-style works, with soloists Manolis Hiotis, Kostas Papadopoulos, and Lakis Karnezis defined the "Theodorakis Sound" which remains alive andis always well received by a majority of the Greek population as well as by friends of the music of Theodorakis outside our country.
This particular sound was what the orchestra aimed to recreate. Moreover its lasting quality is confirmed by the warm reception the orchestra has received. Naturally, the conception is neither pedantic nor archaizing but lively, evolvingm, and contemporary. To remain faithful to the letter and the spirit of classical prototypes constitutes the essence of all serious and responsible interpreters either in the theater or in the music of every historical period. 
The Orchestra ""Mikis Theodorakis" has collaborated with almost all the major Greek singers in hundreds of concerts. The culmination of these activities were the two recordings directed by the composer, recordings which brought back into the studio, after many years:

The Song of the Dead Brother (2001), with Nena Venetsanou, Dimitris Bassis and Yiannis Bezos under the direction of the composer.
- Love is Fire (2001), with Dimitris Bassis.
- Zorba the Greek (2003), Music from the soundtrack for the film.
- Like Pinocchio (2003), a story based on “Songs for toddlers and young children” of Mikis Theodorakis. A book published by Romanos Music Publishing House and contains a CD.
- If You Remember My Dream (2004), with Antonis Remos, music that was used for the opening titles of the homonymous TV show, written by Kakia Igerinou.
- My Foundations on the Mountains (2008), with Glykeria (featuring Paschalis Terzis and Dimitris Bassis).

Of course we are speaking about second performances in which, while intentionally preserving the sound of the first interpretations, three new elements are taken into account: a) the personality of the new interpreters, with their own style of emotional and technical expression, b) the developments that have taken place in sound recording, c) the composer's own new conception of his work. Let us not forget that thirty to forty years have passed since the first performances of these works, during which Theodorakis has conducted these works hundreds of times, with the result that his attitude to the recording of specific works has slowly evolved.

Representing neither a sacrilege nor an inability to remain faithful to himself, it was, rather, an internal evolution which led him to see his work with new eyes, the product of a continuous experience in hundreds - if not thousands -of concerts before thousands of people. This maturing led him to a new robustness, one might even say youthfulness, in the way he approached, for example, the zeibekika which dominate in the CD's we referred to above.
It must be stressed that Theodorakis spent hundreds of hours with the musicians, singers and sound technicians, in order to oversee the evolution of his true sound in the decades they traversed, and which, although he wishes to remain true to himself, has been brought up to date thanks to the continuously rejuvenated artistic presence of the composer himself and of his fine collaborators.

Up to now, the discography of the Orchestra also includes two live recordings: 

- Yiannis Parios live at Lycabettus - The Erotic Theodorakis (2001), from the concert organized in July 2001 by the magazine Diphono.(with arrangements and direction by Yiannis Ioannou), 

- Axion Esti - March of the Spirit (2002),with Yiannis Kotsiras, Andreas Kouloumbis, Ioanna Forti and Yiannis Fertis, from the concert that took place at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on May 21st, 2001, directed by the composer him self.