The Greek National Opera presents recordings of rare works by Greek composers | 3rd Cycle

Carrer, Poniridis, Kalomiris: Greek Chamber Music Works
Spyridon Samaras: Piano Works
Lambelet, Lavrangas, Kalafatis: Greek String Quartets

The Greek National Opera presents the 3rd and final cycle of digital recordings of selected works by Greek composers, consistently continuing its initiative to bring Greek operatic works from the late 20^th century to the fore. The new cycle includes the albums Greek Chamber Music Works by Carrer, Poniridis, and Kalomiris; Piano Works by Spyridon Samaras; and Greek String Quartets by Lambelet, Lavrangas, and Kalafatis. The complete collection of the ten digital albums presents a rich and diverse panorama of sophisticated Greek musical artistry, highlighting its breadth, timelessness, and artistic value. The recordings are available on all digital platforms and on the GNO’s YouTube channel, offering audiences the opportunity to discover and enjoy rare works made available in digital form for the first time. This work falls under the Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0,” funded by the European Union – NextGeneration EU.

These GNO recordings shed light on various aspects of Greek musical output during a period of stark aesthetic and ideological transformations: from its relationship with major European movements to the development of a Greek bourgeois music theatre. This edition seeks to contribute to a reappraisal of that period by highlighting the compositional diversity and theatrical dynamics of pieces that deserve a new place in the historical and artistic dialogue.

Through scientific research, the restoration of manuscript sources, and the critical processing of the musical material, this initiative aims not only to salvage these works but also to reintroduce them to contemporary audiences.

THE LIST OF RECORDINGS
Standing out in the list are works by prominent composers, including Emilios Riadis, Spyridon Samaras, Paolo Carrer, Manolis Kalomiris, Michalis Poniridis, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Georgios Lambelet, Dionysios Lavrangas, and Vasilis Kalafatis. The recordings were made in collaboration with the Thessaloniki State Orchestra, the Chorus of Opera Plovdiv, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the ERT Choir, as well as with numerous distinguished musicians and performers. The Project Manager and curator of this cycle of recordings is the director and Associate Professor in the Department of Performing and Digital Arts at the University of Peloponnese, Alexandros Efklidis.

The series includes two world-first recordings: the opera Galatea by Emilios Riadis, performed by the Thessaloniki State Orchestra and Opera Plovdiv's Chorus, and the operetta War in War by Spyridon Samaras, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra and the ERT Chorus. Moreover, the collection features the operettas The Princess of Sasson and The Cretan Girl by Samaras; songs for voice and orchestra by Riadis, Mitropoulos, and Carrer; the complete recording of Samaras’ piano works, as well as his works for voice and piano; Manolis Kalomiris’ first songs; Greek chamber music works by Carrer, Poniridis, and Kalomiris; and Greek string quartet pieces by Lambelet, Lavrangas, and Kalafatis. The Hellenic Music Centre, founded by musicologists Yannis Samprovalakis and Yannis Tselikas, has been a valuable collaborator throughout the Project's implementation.

THE DIGITAL ALBUMS

• • Spyridon Samaras: War in War

  Available on all digital platforms and on the GNO's YouTube channel

  • Spyridon Samaras: The Princess of Sasson

  Available on all digital platforms and on the GNO's YouTube channel

   

  • Spyridon Samaras: The Cretan Girl

  Available on all digital platforms and on the GNO's YouTube channel

  • Emilios Riadis: Galatea

  Available on the GNO's YouTube channel

  • Riadis, Mitropoulos, Carrer: Songs for Voice and Orchestra

  Available on all digital platforms and on the GNO's YouTube channel

   

  • Spyridon Samaras: Songs for Voice and Piano

  Available on all digital platforms and on the GNO's YouTube channel

   

  • Manolis Kalorimis: The First Songs

  Available on all digital platforms and on the GNO's YouTube channel

  • Carrer, Poniridis, Kalomiris: Greek Chamber Music Works

  Available on all digital platforms and on the GNO's YouTube channel

   

  • Spyridon Samaras: Piano Works

  Available on all digital platforms and on the GNO's YouTube channel

   

  • Lambelet, Lavrangas, Kalafatis: Greek String Quartets

  Available on all digital platforms and on the GNO's YouTube channel

Greek National Opera Recordings Series
Selected Works by Greek Composers

3^rd Cycle
Carrer - Poniridis - Kalomiris
Greek Chamber Music Works

Flute: Vangelis Stathoulopoulos
Oboe: Yannis Tselikas
Clarinet: Yannis Samprobalakis (Georgios Poniridis, Three Lyrical Pieces), Angelos Politis (Trio, Quartet)
Bassoon: Georgios Farougias
Viola: Antilochos Tranos
Piano: Eleni Dafeka
Two pianos: Christos Sakellaridis, Beata Pincetic

This album presents Greek chamber music from the late 19th to the late 20th centuries, shedding light on divers emanifestations of sophisticated Greek musical output. It includes two works by Paolo Carrer for flute and piano, based on themes from Verdi’s operas; four works by Georgios Poniridis for various woodwind ensembles (including the viola in one of them), in which the composer experiments with more modern compositional techniques; and two works by Manolis Kalomiris for two pianos, exhibiting typical traits of the Greek National School of Music.

The musical material was curated by: Yannis Samprovalakis (Three Lyrical Pieces), Yannis Tselikas, Hellenic Music Centre • Sound engineering, Sound mixing, mastering MD: Kostas Bokos – Studio 19 • Tonmeister: Yannis Samprovalakis • Recording venue: Greek National Opera, SNFCC • Recording dates: 23, 25 Μαρτίου, 24 June, 3 July 2025.

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Spyridon Samaras
Piano Works
Full recording of piano works by Spyridon Samaras

Titos Gouvelis, piano

Spyridon Samaras (1861–1917) was one of the most important figures in the sophisticated Greek music of the early 20th century, with an international career and a strong presence in opera and lyric theatre. Alongside his stage works, his compositions include a significant number of piano works that reflect the cosmopolitan character of his music and its close connection to the European musical trends of the time.

Samaras’ piano works move in the space between lyrical miniatures, dance-style movements, and clear melodic writing, drawing on the French and Italian traditions as well as the broader Romantic style. Waltzes, serenades, and short pieces with a distinctive character coexist in a repertoire that appeals to both virtuoso pianists and cultured musical amateurs.

This recording aims to bring out a lesser-known yet highly alluring aspect of Samaras’ work, illuminating his contribution to the history of Greek piano composition.

“I would like to dedicate this recording to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Peloponnese, Professor Kostas Mavreas, a dear friend and fervent music enthusiast. His pure and profound love for Spyros Samaras’ music perfectly encapsulates both the objective reasons and my subjective motives behind this recording.” -  Titos Gouvelis

The musical material was curated by: Yannis Tselikas, Hellenic Music Centre • Head of Sound Department: Giorgos Rekoutis • Sound recording: Thanos Zaboukas, Minoas Koutentakis • Processing: Antonis Papathanasiou • Sound mixing: Thanos Zaboukas • Mastering: Thanos Zaboukas, Giorgos Rekoutis • Tonmeister: Yannis Samprovalakis • Recording venue: Greek National Opera, SNFCC • Recording dates: 21 June, 11-13 September 2025.

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Lambelet, Lavrangas, Kalafatis
Greek String Quartets

Georgios Lambelet: Menuet for string quartet
Vasilis Kalafatis: String quartet No. 2 in F major, Op. 22

String Quartet “Aenaon”

Georgios Mandylas (violin Ι), Vasilis Soukas (violin ΙΙ), Antilochos Tranos (viola), Asterios Pouftis (violoncello)

Dionysios Lavrangas: Suite for String Quartet
Vasilis Kalafatis: String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 15

Athens String Quartet
Apollon Grammatikopoulos (violin Ι), Panagiotis Tziotis (violin ΙΙ), Angeliki Giannaki (viola), Isidoros Sideris (violoncello)

This album is a collection of Greek chamber music for string quartet, highlighting different aspects of Greek compositional output. It includes works by Georgios Lambelet and Dionysios Lavrangas, both representatives of the Ionian and Early National Music Schools, as well as two quartets by Vasilis Kalafatis, a composer with an eminent presence in the Russian musical life of the time. These compositions strike a balance between late Romanticism and European influences while preserving their distinctive expressive characteristics. They are performed by the Aenaon String Quartet and the Athens String Quartet.

The musical material was curated by: Louisa Tsougaraki (V. Kalafatis), Yannis Tselikas (G.Lambelet, D. Lavrangas), Hellenic Music Centre • Recording, sound mixing, mastering: Kostas Bokos - Studio 19st, Athens • Editing: Christos Sakellaridis  • Tonmeister: Yannis Samprovalakis • Recording venue: GNO Alternative Stage, SNFCC • Recording dates: 13-17 July 2024

Project manager, cycle curator: Alexandros Efklidis
Musical content supervision, cycle supervision: Hellenic Music Centre
Production planning and execution: Angelos Mastrantonis, Marianna Tassy
Project coordinators: Panina Karydi, Giorgos Papadakis

As part of the Work “Sub 6.6 Events of the Greek National Opera for showcasing modern Greek culture,” with code ΟΠΣ ΤΑ 5180526. This work falls under the Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0,” funded by the European Union's NextGenerationEU.