Two Fairy Tales
Peter and the Wolf - The Flying Hat
Peter and the Wolf
Sergei Prokofiev (1891 – 1953)
One of the most prolific and celebrated Russian composers of the 20th century, Sergei Prokofiev is perhaps most famous for music he composed for the children's story Peter and the Wolf written in 1936, in Soviet Union on a script of his own.
He proved his talent as a pianist and composer at a very early age, and in 1904 moved with his mother to St. Petersburg, where he studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
As a young man he traveled to England and Europe on tour, and in 1918 he left Russia for the United States. During the 1920s he toured New York, Chicago, London and Paris, gaining popularity with audiences, if not with critics. In 1927 he returned to perform in the Soviet Union and was greeted as a national hero. In the early 1930s he travelled between Paris and Moscow, finally settling in Moscow in 1936.
A few years later, World War II marked the beginning of Prokofiev's rocky relationship with the Soviet government of Joseph Stalin. Although he continued to be a productive composer, in the late 1940s Prokofiev fell out of favor with government officials and spent his last years in failing health and financial insecurity.
His works include the ballets Romeo and Juliet and The Love for Three Oranges, operas such as War and Peace (based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy) and music for the Sergei Eisenstein films Alexander Nevsky (1938) and Ivan the Terrible (1942-46). Modern audiences know Prokofiev's work primarily through the many symphonic suites he composed based on his stage and film work.
“The Flying Hat” Scenes of a Fairy Tale, for orchestra (2006)
a. “A Little Fanfare”
b. “The Hatland”
c. “Dad, the Giant Hat”
d. “Dance of the Little Hats”
e. “The Wind”
f. “The Flight”
g. “Farewell”
A fairy tale full of inspiration written by a child was the stimulus for the creation of this polytonal work written originally for orchestra. With humor and innocence, piquant orchestration and cinematic use of the sound, the work is dedicated to the child, Michalis Tillianakis and to Eleutherios Geitonas, director of “Geitonas School” who gave the idea for this project.
Panagiotis Theodossiou
Panagiotis Theodossiou was born in Athens in 1964.
He studied piano with Efi Agrafioti, Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue and Composition with Michalis Travlos, Michel Merlet and Theodoros Antoniuou, jazz piano and improvisation with John Terezakis. He also studied Theology in Athens University.
He is teaching Piano, Musical Theory and Counterpoint for many years in musical schools of Athens. He is cofounder and article writer in the Greek musical magazine “Ta Moussika”, contributor in the web magazine “Tar” (www.tar.gr) and producer ïn the Greek Radio.
For many years coordinator of the music department of the “Geitonas School” now he teaches and conducts the Orchestra and Choir of the institution. He is a member of the “Greek Composers Union”.
His composing activities includes many works for piano, chamber, orchestral and choral music and music for the big screen as well. His love and interest in orchestration and jazz arrangement led him to write many symphonic transcriptions on classical and contemporary piano works as well as jazz standards.
His works have been performed all over the world (Athens, Constantinople, Hague, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles ) by distinguished artists as Michel Arrignon, Stathis Kiosoglou, Lorenda Ramou, Andrea Hemmenway, Kostis Theos, Reima Raias, Giannis Sabrovalakis, Katerina Tsents, Spiros Kontos, Giannis Papagiannis, Dimitris Magriotis, Angelica Kathariou, Konstantinos Papadakis, Andrea Hemmenway,“Duo Pianismo” as well as orchestral and choral ensembles as “Q innegal” Wind Quintet, “Meteora Ensemble”, “Trio Casals”, Hellenic Ensemble of Contemporary Music under Iakovos Konitopoulos, “ALEA III” under Th. Antoniou, “Orchestra of Colours” under M. Logiadis, vocal ensemble “Philodos” and others.
Personal website: www.ptheodosiou.gr
Demetra Mourtzini
Demetra Mourtzini is currently living and working in Greece. Her extensive travels, educational background and professional experience enriched her artistic work.
She has received a Bachelor’s degree in History, Literature and Interior Design and a Masters degree in Translation. She has completed her studies in sculpture at the N. Perantinos Sculpture Workshop. Her artistic interests also include mosaics, painting and encaustic.