Overview

“Ten composers from six different countries write music for the ancient Greek seven-string lyre. With the collapse of the ancient Greek world, in the 5th century A.D., the “national” instrument of the ancient Greeks, with whom Orpheus sang, ceased to exist. It had been identified with pagan music and, like paganism itself, had to disappear from the face of the earth. Nevertheless, in some strange way, the lyre continued to symbolise the essence of European music either through painting —especially during the Renaissance— or in the collective unconscious. Yet an instrument does not really exist unless it has a proper repertoire written for it. And the works must be written by good composers. As a member of Three Essential Elements group, I turned to its other members for assistance. I also invited two more Greek artists to write works in which the lyre would be accompanied by a string quartet. They all responded enthusiastically and so, we present to you the world premiere performance of compositions written exclusively for the ancient Greek seven-string lyre.” Nikos Xanthoulis