I've been living in The Netherlands for almost 12 years now, but I happened to be in Greece visiting family when news came of the death of famous composer Mikis Theodorakis. It has understandably caused a big sensation, as Theodorakis probably is the single most important figure ever in Greek music, a classically trained composer who chose to embrace folk music and write songs for the common people. His most famous piece of music internationally may be the theme for the 1964 acclaimed film Zorba The Greek, but it pales in comparison to some of his other work. These days, Greek TV and radio are filled with his music and incredible life tales. Tales ranging from his rubbing shoulders with the greatest stars of international arts and politics to imprisonment in the hands of fascist dictators. Not much I can add to all that, except to present one of his lesser known albums: the Dutch-language 1967 LP Liesbeth List zingt Theodorakis.
At the time, List was a promising young singer/actress known for her renditions of French chanson. Her record company tried to dissuade her from performing depressing and supposedly uncommercial material such as this, but to her credit she insisted. The decision proved correct, earning the singer her first platinum record. More importantly, it helped rally European support for the composer who was languishing in a Greek prison cell for his resistance against the colonels' junta. Side A of Liesbeth List Zingt Theodorakis consists of The Ballad of Mauthausen, a poem cycle by Iakovos Cambanellis inspired by his own experience as an inmate in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Opener "Hooglied (Song Of Songs)" tells the story of a Greek prisoner searching the camp for his Jewish beloved. It is introduced with Spanish guitar and subtle symphonic backing, until List's clear, resonant, and emotive voice kicks in around 1'30'' in. She sounds less like French chansonieres and more like Marlen Dietrich, or more accurately like the original (one year prior) Greek interpreter of the song, Maria Farantouri. This is more evident on the heroically paced second song "Antonis". The third and fourth songs "De vluchteling (The escapee)" and "Als je terug zult komen (When The War Ends)" are more lyrical and List's vocal delivery here is also sweeter. Side A then closes with a reprise of basic theme. It's probably worth noting that List spent the first years of her life as a prisoner: when the Japanese occupied the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II, baby Liesbeth and her mother were placed in a concentration camp. Her mother, who was forced to serve the soldiers' sexual needs as a so-called "comfort girl", suffered from depression as a result of that treatment, and committed suicide shortly after liberation, leaving her to be raised by an uncaring stepmother. Theodorakis himself was also no stranger to harrowing experiences: having chosen the losing side in the Greek civil war, he was sent to the Makronissos camp for "re-education" of communists, a process that routinely involved torture and, in Theodorakis' case, getting buried alive twice. The victim of a different civil war is the subject of another song here: "Klaaglied (It was on an august morning)", a.k.a. "The Laughing Boy" was written for Irish Republican hero Michael Collins, even though in Greece it came to be identified with murdered pacifist and Leftist MP Grigoris Lambrakis. It is a lyrical and emotional piece, an elegy in terms of content but not particularly melancholic musically. The next two ("Mijn kleine bootje (I have no mother to break her heart)" and "De klokken van de hel (The bells of hell)" are a couple of typically slow ballads, followed by a very theatrical piece (once again I'm reminded of Dietrich or Lotte Lenya) called "De Leiders Van Het Land (I remember in september)". I should probably add here that the whole of Side B is part of a song cycle composed for the theatrical performance of The Hostage, a play by Brendan Behan that revolves around the Irish struggle for independence. For its first appearance on vinyl, Theodorakis sang the vocal himself. Later it was also recorded by Maria Farantouri, and that's the definitive Greek version. Unlike Mauthausen though, List's version of The Hostage predated the one by Farantouri. The record closes with the upbeat and playful "Als je trouwen wilt met mij (I will give you a golden ball)". The orchestration throughout the album is excellent, featuring mostly acoustic guitar, piano and mandolins. Theodorakis' background in classical and film music is evident in the frequent but judicious use of the strings and woodwind instruments - even though he didn't personally oversee the musical arrangement here, this is quite similar to the original Greek one. A beautiful work in every respect, ...Zingt Theodorakis was a deservedly big success, which List followed with a record of Jacques Brel interpretations, before finding even bigger success with her duets with co-patriot Ramses Shaffy. Greek speakers may find the pairing of Theodorakis' music and Dutch singing strange, but once they get past it they're bound to enjoy it and even feel a little pride for the world-wide influence of Greek song. Others who are unfamiliar with Greek music but like French chanson, North European schlager or lyrical orchetrated music in general should also check this out. The album has been re-released on CD but original vinyl copies are also easy enough to find on discogs and other online platforms.
***** for Hooglied (Asma Asmaton), Antonis (O Andonis), Klaaglied (It was on an august morning AKA The Laughing Boy)
**** for De vluchteling (O Drapetis), Hooglied (Herhaling), Het was de achttiende dag van november (On the eighteenth day of november), Mijn kleine bootje (I have no mother to break her heart), De klokken van de hel (The bells of hell), Afscheid (Open the door softly), Als je trouwen wilt met mij (I will give you a golden ball)
*** for Als je terug zult komen (Otan Teliossi O Polemos), De leiders van het land (I remember in september)
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