The Hymn to Liberty by Dionysios Solomos, in a rare musical version composed by Nikolaos Chalikiopoulos-Mantzaros, is presented for the first time by MEIZON male vocal ensemble on the occasion of the National Anniversary on March 25. With this major online concert, Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall offers to all Greeks around the world and to all foreign lovers of Greek culture, an opportunity to meet and musically celebrate, on Thursday, March 25 at 8: 30 pm, this defining event of Modern Greek History.
Agathangelos Georgakatos will conduct, and Stathis Soulis will play the piano accompaniment. The “polyphonic” setting to music of the Hymn by Nikolaos Mantzaros, which MEIZON Ensemble will be performing, was studied and scientifically restored by Doctor of Musicology Kostas Zervopoulos.
It is worth noting that this third polyphonic version of the Hymn to Liberty was first presented, commissioned by the Municipality of Corfu, on 21st May 2018 by the Corfu Male Choir, under the direction of Christina Kalliaridou and with Nicolaos Lavassas on the piano, at the Church of Saint George on the Old Fort of Corfu, on the anniversary of the Union of the Ionian islands with Greece.
Iconic paintings by 19th century Greek painters, whose palette exalted the struggle for national regeneration, are also used to enrich the video of the broadcast. The paintings to be shown have been created by Theodoros Vryzakis, Angelos Giallinas, Nikolaos Gyzis, Georgios Margaritis and Dionysios Tsokos (courtesy of the National Gallery- photos by Stavros Psiroukis).
With greek and english sublitles (select on Youtube Settings)
Special thanks to 24 GRAMMATA Publications for the permission to republish the english translation of the “Hymn to Liberty” by Charles Sheridan and to the National Gallery of Greece – Alexandros Soutsos Museum for the permission to use the photographs of the paintings shown during the video.