Periklis Koukos, one of the most important contemporary Greek composers, moves with ease between different aesthetic worlds. His use of expanded tonality, polyrhythm, and modal writing make his personal style unique and instantly recognizable. Following last year’s first installment of the tribute, Retrospectives II focuses on the composer’s chamber music.
The Quintet for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and percussion combines rigorous structure, improvisation, and an unusual combination of instruments. The arias from the operas Persians and Manuel Salinas, performed by the internationally rising soprano Maria Kosovitsa, highlight the lyricism of his writing. The Suite for double bass and piano draws material from the opera Conroy and His Copies. Movements of Darkness for solo flute is inspired by T. S. Eliot’s Second Quartet, while the Sonata for violin and piano, written for Leonidas Kavakos, is counted among his most popular and demanding works.
