July 22, 2004: Greek songs in Regensburg

2004-07-22 Greek night, Thurn und Taxis Schlossfestspiele (Regensburg)

Agnes Baltsa, mezzo
State Orchestra of Hellenic Music
Stavros Xarhakos, conductor

Stavros Xarhakos: Otan horeve i Frinta*
(As Frinta danced)
Stavros Xarhakos: Áspri méra ke ya mas (There will be better days, even for us)
Mikis Theodorakis: To tréno févgi stis októ (The train leaves at eight)
Manos Hadjidakis: Óniro pedión tis gitoniás (Dream of urban children)
Stavros Xarhakos: Nikterino paliou pathous*
(Nocturne of ancient passion)
Stavros Xarhakos: Stou Óthona ta hrónia (When Otto was king)
Stavros Xarhakos: Hathike to fegari (The lost moon)
Vasilis Tsitsanis: Arhóntissa (Princess of my heart)
Vasilis Tsitsanis: Ta kavourakia

Pause

Stavros Xarhakos: O sinthesis taxidevi sto potami* (The composer sails in the river)
Spiros Peristeris: Mes'ton onta enos passa (In private room)
Manos Hadjidakis: O tahidrómos (The postman)
Stavros Xarhakos: To praktorio (The lonely station)
Stavros Xarhakos: Stis skies trion filon* (In the shadow of three friends)
Stavros Xarhakos: Varkarólla (Barcarolle)
Manos Hadjidakis: Dioxe ti lipi palikari (Leave you sorrow behind, young man)
Stavros Xarhakos: Nin ke ai (Now and forever)

Extra:
Manos Hadjidakis: Garífallo st' aftí (A carnation behind your ear)

* for orchestra

I took the train to Regensburg. At 1215 I was in Regensburg HBF, my hotel is not far from here. In Thurn und Taxis Schlossfestspiele 2004 my second Greek night with Agnes Baltsa and Xarhakos conducting. The exactly same program as in Ingolstadt. I think Ingolstadt was the better concert, others thought that this one was slightly better.

Maybe it was my seat, the audience (from where I was seated) did not react so enthusiastically as in Ingolstadt. And I had the misfortune to have Xarhakos standing right in front of Agnes Baltsa, I could mostly just see her hands, and I was sitting next to someone who was not quiet... And maybe the head-ache I had before going to the concertwasn't the best prelude to a concert... The loud-speakers where OK, but the orchestra seem not to have good balance, but then the orchestra was not in the center of the stage, it was more in the left (as seen from the audience). Agnes Baltsa was enjoying herself and the orchestra and pushed Xarhakos to bow for the audience, just likein the other concert, and the audience responded enthusiastically.

Personally I really loved the Ingolstadt concert, Regensburg was beautiful, but not quite the top's.

State Orchestra of Hellenic Music
Stavros Xarhakos, Leitung

Programm:
„Lieder meiner Heimat“ – von Mikis Theodorakis,
Stavros Xarhakos u.a.

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