Nikos Skalkottas - Mayday Spell; Double Bass Concerto (Nikos Christodoulou)

Information

Composer: Nikos Skalkottas

• Mayday Spell - A Fairy Drama, Symphonic Suite
• Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra
• Three Greek Dances for strings

Vassilis Papavassiliou, double bass

Iceland Symphony Orchestra

Nikos Christodoulou, conductor

Date: 1999

Label: BIS

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Nikos Skalkottas (21 March 1904 – 19 September 1949) was a Greek composer. He studied in Athens and Berlin under prominent teachers including Arnold Schoenberg. Initially focused on violin, he later turned to composition, developing a distinctive atonal style. Returning to Greece in 1933 due to the rise of Nazism, he faced limited recognition and worked as an orchestral violinist while composing extensively in isolation. Skalkottas created innovative approaches to twelve-tone and non-serial techniques, often integrating Greek folk elements. His over 170 works were mostly unpublished and unperformed during his lifetime.

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Nikos Christodoulou (born 1959) is a Greek conductor and composer. He studied composition in Athens with J.A. Papaioannou, and furthered his studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and the Royal College of Music in London. Early in his career, he worked with Greek National Radio as an associate composer and adviser. Christodoulou has served as music director of the City of Athens Symphony Orchestra and Choir and founded ensembles including the New Symphony Orchestra of Athens. He is also known for promoting the music of Nikos Skalkottas through performances and recordings.

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