Pilgrimages. To Death: American Philhellene Physician

Item

Title

Date

8 July 2021

Date Issued

2021

Abstract

"A musical narrative tribute to that special category of Greeks who travelled from Europe and America to side with the rebellious Greeks. An American, doctor and man. He faces the real difficulties of a revolution. A servant of the sacred function of medicine, he faces a situation not so familiar. Awareness comes from where it does not expect it. The function conflicts with the instinct of human survival. The perspective of the big picture changes and the doctor is forced to experience extreme emotions, unknown in peacetime. In the pressure of war, many bend over and think differently. How is not a logical issue, nor emotional, but practical. The dramaturgy of this original musical-theatrical work is based on real biographical elements which were used for the writing of theatrical texts with a strong fictional element. The musical investment of the texts was composed based on references to both folk songs, thus keeping the Greek element, as well as to classical works, of the same or older date with the narrations of the characters. In “In Death”, were played excerpts from the Sonata for viola no. 1 by Antonio Bartolomeo Bruni, as well as the music of the song "Stranger here, stranger there", "teased" by classical synthetic habits of the time."
(Edited description from Greek National Opera website: https://2021.nationalopera.gr/art-never-ending-revolution)