Andrei by Dimitra Trypani on GNO TV

Andrei: Requiem in eight scenes –a work commissioned by the Greek National Opera from the composer Dimitra Trypani, with an original libretto by Pantelis Boukalas– is coming to GNO TV. This singular “funeral liturgy” for the great filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky can be streamed on nationalopera.gr/GNOTV/en from 12 April through until 31 December 2023. GNO TV is a new strand of Greek National Opera’s programming, made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) [www.SNF.org] to enhance the Greek National Opera’s artistic outreach.

Andrei: Requiem in eight scenes is a singular, contemporary “funeral liturgy” for the great filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, an artist who rendered thoughts and feelings with images of unparalleled beauty and intellectual vigour. But, in the words of the composer Dimitra Trypani, “it is also a requiem for any artist desperately seeking ‘sacred’ silence –an inner peace– amid the tumult inside their soul.”

The extraordinarily dense libretto –written “from an off-kilter poetic perspective” by the poet, essayist, and journalist Pantelis Boukalas– overarchingly recounts the seven films of Tarkovsky, tracing the fruits of his powerful artistic sensibilities from Ivan’s Childhood (1962) right through to The Sacrifice (1986). The seven scenes of the work correspond to the seven sections of the German Requiem Mass text and, moreover, to the seven feature films Tarkovsky made during the course of his short life.

In this singular “sound performance”, it is sound –namely, text and music strictly interconnected through the score– that serves as the primary narrative mode. Within Trypani’s composition, major roles are played by chromatic heterophonic and polyphonic structures, polystylistic approaches, and body percussion. Additionally, the incorporated polyglottal elements and dialogue snippets drawn from Tarkovsky’s films are inserted into the overall liturgical text by means of collage techniques.

In addition to conceiving and composing the work, Dimitra Trypani also directs the production, and incandescently conducts the nine-member music ensemble and 18 performers from an almost on-stage position. The impressive set design is by Elena Stavropoulou, with costumes by Nikos Kokkalis, movement by Ermira Goro, and lighting by Valentina Tamiolaki.

The 18 exceptional performers of the work –Iro Bezou, Irini Bilini-Moraiti, Valia Karagiorga, Yorgos Kasavetes, Marianna Kavallieratos, Dimitra Kokkinopoulou, Nandia Kontogeorgi, Hara Kotsali, Christina Maxouri, Yorgos Nikopoulos, Alexandros Psychramis, Kalliopi Simou, Fotis Siotas, Alice Siousti, Christos Thanos, Savina Yannatou, Fanis Zachopoulos, and Nikos Ziaziaris– singularly portray an equal number of on-stage Andrei variants, real-life persons, or key imaginary characters drawn from his seven films, acting either as lone individuals or as a unified “choral” ensemble.

Andrei: Requiem in eight scenes

Dimitra Trypani

Coming to GNO TV from 12 April – available until 31 December 2023

Concept, composition, music instruction, director, conductor: Dimitra Trypani

Original libretto: Pantelis Boukalas

Sets: Elena Stavropoulou

Costumes: Nikos Kokkalis

Choreography, movement: Ermira Goro

Lighting: Valentina Tamiolaki

Sound design: Kostas Bokos

With (in alphabetical order): Iro Bezou, Irini Bilini-Moraiti, Valia Karagiorga, Yorgos Kasavetes, Marianna Kavallieratos, Dimitra Kokkinopoulou, Nandia Kontogeorgi, Hara Kotsali, Christina Maxouri, Yorgos Nikopoulos, Alexandros Psychramis, Kalliopi Simou, Fotis Siotas, Alice Siousti, Christos Thanos, Savina Yannatou, Fanis Zachopoulos, Nikos Ziaziaris

Music ensemble

Phaedon Miliadis, Panagiotis Tziotis (violin), Athina Giatra (viola), Dimitris Travlos (cello), Ilya Algaer (double bass), Dimitris Kountouras (recorders), Antonis Vassiliadis (percussion), Gogo Xagara (harp), Alexis Mastichiadis (continuo organ)

Tickets –costing 5 euros– for the GNO TV online screening of Andrei: Requiem in eight scenes are on sale now via www.ticketservices.gr & at the GNO Box Office (+30 2130885700, 9.00-21.00 daily).

On purchasing a €5 ticket, audiences will be able to:

• enjoy this production in the comfort of their own homes via gr/GNOTV/en –on their computers, tablets, television screens, or even their phones– whenever they like;
• watch this production as many times as they like for 30 days, starting from their first stream; and
• access the production’s programme book online.

Lead Donor of the GNO & Founding Donor of GNO TV
Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)