St. Petersburg State Academic Capella Symphony Orchestra / Mikis Theodorakis: conductor / Anastasia Ivanova: violin / Polina Ivanova: flute / Vadim Bondarenko: clarinet / Gennadi Nikonow: trumpet

The Symphony, No. l is one of the early works by Mikis Theodorakis, written under the impression of German occupation and its consequences. The maestro writes about this composition: "In this very symphony, the influence of Dimitri Shostakovitch is unmistakable: he is the composer, next to Igor Stravinshy, who has made the greatest impression on me. In the first movement, I broke with the c1assica1 sonata form and tried to develop a new architecture, better adapted to the subject-matter of the work ... The harmonics come predominantly from the counterpoint of the individual voices and their compression; the orchestration is just as dense and. polychromatic. Highly personal subjects are also present in the Second Movement, "Elegy and Threnody", and in the Finale, in which the elegiac themes of lament are given new dimensions by means of urgent rhythms and triumphant chords."
With this music Theodorakis has set some painful and tragic experiences of his youth into music. He calls it a "liturgy of consolation". The Symphony No. l is followed by the beautiful Adagio for flute, clarinet, trumpet and string orchestra, dedicated to the victims of the Bosnian war.
Both compositions have been recorded in 1995 with the St. Petersburg State Academic Capella Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Theodorakis himself. Available on CD for the first time, the Symphony No. l and Adagio are of high importance for a profound understanding of Theodorakis' oeuvre.

''A gripping piece of music.'' (Bunte)

Content:
Symphony No. 1 (1. Satz: Allegro-Andante-Allegro / 2. Satz: Andante-Piu Mossa-Andante / 3. Satz: Allegro Moderato-Adagio-Allegro)
Adagio