NEW YORK – The Stelios Petrakis Cretan Quartet performed the music of Crete at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall on November 17 to an enthusiastic audience. With Stelios Petrakis on lyra and laouto, Thanasis Mavrokostas on askomandura, cello-lyra, and dance, Antonis Stavrakakis on mandolin, laouto, and vocals, and Giorgos Manolakis on laouto and vocals, the concert was one of the best Greek music concerts of the year.
The rousing renditions of traditional Cretan songs, arranged by Petrakis, offered a wonderful, fresh take on this beloved music. The original compositions by Petrakis and Manolakis demonstrated the prodigious talents of the artists, not only as skilled musicians, but as composers of fantastic pieces which highlight the powerful, timeless, yet contemporary sound of the instruments often thought of solely as “traditional.” The Quartet’s impressive musicianship along with Mavrokostas’ dancing skills made for a dynamic performance and a joyful celebration of Crete and its music.
Petrakis opened the concert with a solo performance of four versions of Erotokritos, his own arrangement, which beautifully captured the spirit of the music but added his own vibrant touch. Erotokritos is, of course, the famous Cretan poem and masterpiece of world literature, written by the Venetian-Cretan Vitsentzos Kornaros in the early 17th century. Later on in the concert, vocal portions of the epic were also performed, much to the delight of the audience, many of whom sang along with the well-known verses.
The concert continued with the audience clapping along to the beat of the music. The pieces featuring the askomandura, a traditional instrument, and probably the most beautiful-sounding bagpipe on earth, transported everyone to Crete. The only thing missing was space for the audience members to dance.
The conclusion of the performance brought the audience to its feet for a standing ovation and the artists returned for an encore, inviting everyone to sing along again.
Read full report at thenationalherald.com
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