Petros Petridis - Agios Pavlos; Symphony No. 1 (Byron Fidetzis)

Information

Composer: Petros Petridis

• Agios Pavlos
• Symphony No. 1 in G Minor "Hellenic" (arr. Fidetzis)
• Kléftikoi horoi

Martha Arapis; Sophia Kyanidou; Ines Zikou

Yannis Christopoulos; Angelo Simos; Dimitris Sigalos

Dimitris Tiliakos; Christophoros Stamboglis; Pantelis Psychas

Bulgarian National Radio Chorus & Symphony Orchestra

Byron Fidetzis, conductor

Date: 2024

Label: Naxos

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Review

The Greek composer Petros Petridis (1892-1977) composed the first important Greek oratorio, Agios Pavlos. In it, he attempted to combine the polyphonic approach of Byzantine music with the form of the oratorio.

Petros Petridis was born in Nigdé (Capadocia) in Turkey. He only became a Greek citizen in 1913. He studied in Constantinople at the American Robert College. He then went to Paris and studied law at the Sorbonne and political science at the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques (1911-1914). He later studied music with Albert Wolff (1914) and Albert Roussel (1919).

In 1950, a committee was founded in Greece to celebrate the 1900th anniversary of St. Paul’s arrival in Athens. This gave rise to the idea of composing an oratorio about the life and work of the apostle.  Petridis says: « As the festival committee was in possession of state funds, a competition was to be held to award the grant for the composition of the oratorio. After the competition was announced and closed, no candidates came forward apart from me. » Nevertheless, it was difficult to give Petridis the final commission. Precious time was lost, but in the end Petridis had a truly impressive work to offer.

The libretto consists of passages from the New Testament linked by narratives about the apostle’s actions, written by the composer and performed by the narrator, who plays the leading role among the soloists. The plot begins with the stoning of the proto-martyr Stephen and ends with the beheading of the apostle Paul in Rome.

The narration, performed in the form of chant, forms the main strand of the oratorio. In addition, there are chorales, arias and ensemble scenes, also in the form of duos or quartets. This results in a highly varied and dramatic composition with a strong focus on the plot, which is presented here as the first recording by Naxos in a good interpretation overall.

The 1st Symphony (Hellenic) also leaves a good impression. It begins with a fiery first movement, followed by an elegiac Adagio. A charming Allegretto leads to the colorful and dance-like finale. These features also characterize the Kleft Dances, dances of a rugged mountain people, with which the program ends.

The conductor Byron Fidetzis has produced definitive editions of these works based on the original manuscripts. He is therefore an intimate connoisseur of the material and knows how to conduct Petridis’ music.

— Remy Franck

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Petros Petridis (23 July 1892 – 17 August 1977) was a Turkish-born Greek composer. Born in Cappadocia, he was educated in Constantinople and Paris, where he spent most of his life. Though he lived mainly in France, he identified strongly with Greek cultural identity. His music combines traditional forms with a strong emphasis on counterpoint influenced by Bach and Viennese Classicism. Rejecting superficial use of folk elements, Petridis developed a distinctive style rooted in Byzantine and Greek musical traditions, enriched by modern French influences and a sophisticated approach to variation and harmony.

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Byron Fidetzis (born 1945 in Thessaloniki) is a Greek cellist and conductor. He studied cello and music theory in Thessaloniki before continuing his education in Vienna, where he earned diplomas in both cello performance and orchestral conducting. Fidetzis has held prominent roles with major ensembles, including the Athens State Orchestra and Greek National Opera, and has led the Athens Philharmonia Orchestra since 2016. He is also known for recordings of Greek composers with Naxos. His achievements have been recognized with major awards and an honorary doctorate from the University of Athens.

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