Xenia Theodoridou
National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Musical Studies, Department Member
- Music, Musicology, Art History, Historical Musicology, Systematic Musicology, Empirical Musicology, and 13 moreGreek Music, CHAMBER MUSIC FOR PIANO AND STRING INSTRUMENTS OF GREEK COMPOSERS, Piano Performance, Music Theory, Orchestration, Twentieth-century Music, Nationalism, Performance Studies (Music), Music Criticism, Pianists and Piano Literature, 19th Century Music, Music and Politics, and Emilios Riadisedit
- I studied piano at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, at the Music Academies in Freiburg and Karlsruhe (pedagogy a... moreI studied piano at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, at the Music Academies in Freiburg and Karlsruhe (pedagogy and postgraduate diplomas) and at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris with noted pedagogues and pianists, such as Tibor Hazáy, Sontraud Speidel and Michel Béroff. I also received valuable guidance from Jean-Philippe Collard, Anne Queffelec, Denis Pascal, Lisa Pohjola, Bernard Ringeissen, György Kurtág, Paul Badura-Skoda, Georgios Hatzinikos, Domna Eunouhidou and the former pianist of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Florent Boffard. I won prizes in national piano competitions and made recordings for the Greek TV and the German radio (SWR). I am an active solo and chamber music pianist, with appearances in Greece, Germany and Austria and collaborations with artists such as Angeliki Kathariou, Sofia Kyanidou, Lisa Xanthopoulou and Maria Spanou. I gave world premieres of works by Yannis A. Papaioannou (songs and chamber music).
I studied musicology at the Aristotle University Thessaloniki and the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg and received my Ph.D. in musicology from the National and Capodistrian University of Athens. My thesis (“The chamber music of Yannis A. Papaioannou until 1965, with emphasis on the works using tonal idiom. Historical and analytical approach and critical edition”), was funded with scholarships from the Greek State Scholarship Foundation (I.K.Y.) and the bequest in memory of Yannis A. Papaioannou of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The analysis of the works is conducted in conjunction with a biographic survey and with comparisons with the rest of his work and the Greek and international contemporary historical frame. I attended to detect some main stable stylistic features throughout the composer’s output, such as, firstly, the foundation upon a classical style of motivic and thematic economy and organization of form, which commences with romantic classicism and evolves into various neoclassical idioms; also a programmatic element, which becomes particularly apparent through use of thematic transformation, suggestive titles, quotations and textural interruptions, which have narratological consequences and may acquire ideological character, and, finally, a continuous search for the representation of “Greekness”. Issues of classification of its output, adaptation or partial opposition towards then current ideologies and attitudes and critical reception of his work are also been examined. For the critical edition, as Papaioannou has not always been completely accurate in keeping homogeneity during the process of making a final draft, decisions had to be made which are being clearly stated on the scores and the critical notes.
I am a member of the Greek Musicological Society (E.M.E.), in particular of its research group on the musical relations between Greece and France, the Greek Union of Music Teachers (E.E.M.E.), the Piano Podium Karlsruhe and the Hellenic Academic Union of Karlsruhe Alumnis. As a researcher, I am generally focusing on music history and analysis, especially Greek art music of the 20th century, and also on music pedagogy applications.
I teach piano at the Thessaloniki Music School while I have also taught piano at the Department for Music Science and Art of the University of Macedonia, until the birth of my two children.edit - The supervisors of my thesis have been Prof. Nikos Maliaras, Prof. Demetrios Yannou and assistant Prof. Georgios Zervosedit
This dissertation discusses Yannis A. Papaioannou’s 16 chamber music works using tonal harmonic idiom (1936-1962). This analysis is conducted in conjunction with a biographic survey and with comparisons with the rest of his work and the... more
This dissertation discusses Yannis A. Papaioannou’s 16 chamber music works using tonal harmonic idiom (1936-1962). This analysis is conducted in conjunction with a biographic survey and with comparisons with the rest of his work and the Greek and international contemporary historical frame.One can detect some main stable stylistic features throughout the composer’s output: firstly, the foundation upon a classical style of motivic and thematic economy and organization of form, which commences with romantic classicism and evolves into various neoclassical idioms; also a programmatic element, which becomes particularly apparent through use of thematic transformation, suggestive titles, quotations and textural interruptions, which have narratological consequences and may acquire ideological character. One finds that a strict categorization of his output in stylistic periods is not possible, since different main axes of style and aesthetics can be detected, which have not been followed o...
Research Interests:
Papaioannou’s activity as a choir conductor, while some of his own works were included in his programs, is testified for the period between 1938-1940, under the Metaxas Regime. It is not known so far if these, or other, choirs continued... more
Papaioannou’s activity as a choir conductor, while some of his own works were included in his programs, is testified for the period between 1938-1940, under the Metaxas Regime. It is not known so far if these, or other, choirs continued to exist and be performed during the Nazi Occupation, especially after the catastrophic winter of 1942. Yet Papaioannou composes four a capella choral works on verses by Palamas and Porfyras in the summer of 1943. A reading of those works as comments on the dramatic situation of Greece during that time, also as documents of spiritual resistance, is possible, while the turn towards the reek National School can be observed through modal elements. Porfyras’ “naturalist” tendence, which equates the circumstances of the outside world with his inner spiritual and sentimental proceedings is also particularly akin for Papaioannou, as can be remarked in other works of his, earlier or later, who juxtapose or identify natural elements with human feelings and metaphysical searches and use specific textures as meaning operators. The rather, even today, unperformed choral works testify an indomitable spirit, despite adverse circumstances, and can claim a right place next to other works with similar aims of Greek composers from that period.
Research Interests:
Η δράση του Παπαϊωάννου ως μαέστρου χορωδιών, από τις οποίες ερμηνεύτηκαν και ορισμένα έργα του, από το 1938 ως τουλάχιστον το 1940, επί καθεστώτος Μεταξά, τεκμηριώνεται από τεκμήρια όπως σωζόμενα προγράμματα συναυλιών. Τα ως τώρα γνωστά... more
Η δράση του Παπαϊωάννου ως μαέστρου χορωδιών, από τις οποίες ερμηνεύτηκαν και ορισμένα έργα του, από το 1938 ως τουλάχιστον το 1940, επί καθεστώτος Μεταξά, τεκμηριώνεται από τεκμήρια όπως σωζόμενα προγράμματα συναυλιών. Τα ως τώρα γνωστά δεδομένα δεν αποσαφηνίζουν το αν αυτές οι χορωδίες, ή ενδεχομένως άλλες, εξακολούθησαν να υφίστανται και κατά την Κατοχή, ιδιαίτερα μετά τον καταστροφικό χειμώνα του 1942. Ο Παπαϊωάννου συνθέτει όμως μια σειρά χορωδιακών έργων το καλοκαίρι του 1943 σε στίχους των Πορφύρα και Παλαμά, για τα οποία είναι σαφώς δυνατή μια ανάγνωση ως σχολίων της δραματικής κατάστασης που βίωνε τότε η Ελλάδα και επίσης ως πράξεων αντίστασης με πνευματικούς όρους, ενώ η στροφή προς την Εθνική Σχολή είναι αισθητή μέσω στοιχείων τροπικότητας. Η «φυσιολατρική» διάθεση του Πορφύρα, που όμως εξισώνει τις συνθήκες του τοπίου με τον εσωτερικό του ψυχικό και πνευματικό κόσμο, προσιδιάζει ιδιαίτερα και στον συνθέτη, όπως φαίνεται και σε άλλα έργα του, προγενέστερα ή μεταγενέστερα, που αντιπαραθέτουν ή ταυτίζουν στοιχεία της φύσης με ανθρώπινα αισθήματα και υπαρξιακές αναζητήσεις και χρησιμοποιούν συγκεκριμένες υφές ως σημασιολογικούς φορείς νοήματος. Τα μάλλον ακόμη ανεκτέλεστα σήμερα χορωδιακά αποτελούν μνημεία ενός αδάμαστου από τις αντίξοες συνθήκες πνεύματος, αντάξια άλλων έργων Ελλήνων συνθετών που γράφτηκαν κατά την ίδια περίοδο.
Research Interests:
In works of both these composers, despite their many different pursuits and style, resulting also from their chronological distance, we can identify as a strong common feature general characteristics of exoticism. More specifically, in... more
In works of both these composers, despite their many different pursuits and style, resulting also from their chronological distance, we can identify as a strong common feature general characteristics of exoticism. More specifically, in their works stereotype orientalistic characters, themes and styles occur, as they are established in the Western European literary and musical works of the 19th and of the beginning of the 20th century. But, since they represent the East being partly Others to the West,because Greece, then as now, was seen as a crossroad between West and East and epistemologically has been identified with an Incomplete Self, the issues of representation of power relationships, or of self-report, also of existence of other attitudes similar to Western ones are particularly interesting. Given that orientalistic Representations sought more or less verisimilitude or artistic truth instead of authenticity, the question of a possibly greater degree of authenticity of the orientalist tropes in Greek works, in conjunction with the searches of the Greek National School, then attempting to balance her orientation between West and East, is particularly interesting. Moreover, this study will be focusing mostly on songs, thus helping to advance the study of orientalism in this genre, which is still overshadowed by opera-centred researches. And, finally, as I will try to demonstrate, some of Riadis' works may have been for Papaioannou, his pupil for a short period of time, not only a connecting link with French exoticism, but also a model for the creation of at least one of his own orientalistic pieces.
Research Interests:
Στην παρούσα διατριβή διερευνώνται τα 16 έργα μουσικής δωματίου σε τονικό ιδίωμα του Γιάννη Α. Παπαϊωάννου, που γράφτηκαν από το 1936 ως το 1962, σε συνάρτηση με στοιχεία του βίου και της καλλιτεχνικής του προσωπικότητας, όπως και με... more
Στην παρούσα διατριβή διερευνώνται τα 16 έργα μουσικής δωματίου σε τονικό ιδίωμα του Γιάννη Α. Παπαϊωάννου, που γράφτηκαν από το 1936 ως το 1962, σε συνάρτηση με στοιχεία του βίου και της καλλιτεχνικής του προσωπικότητας, όπως και με αναφορές και συγκρίσεις με το υπόλοιπο έργο του και με το ιστορικό πλαίσιο δημιουργίας του, ελληνικό και ξένο. Διακρίνεται ότι υπάρχουν ορισμένες σταθερές ύφους, που διατρέχουν τη δημιουργία του συνθέτη, όπως, καταρχάς, η στήριξη στο κλασικό ύφος μοτιβικής και θεματικής οικονομίας και οργάνωσης μορφών, που ξεκινά από το ρομαντικό κλασικισμό και εξελίσσεται σε διαφόρων ειδών νεοκλασικά ιδιώματα, καθώς και το στοιχείο της προγραμματικότητας, που διαφαίνεται ιδιαίτερα μέσω της στοχευμένης χρήσης θεματικών μεταμορφώσεων, υποβλητικών τίτλων, παραθεμάτων και ασυνεχειών υφής, οι οποίες έχουν συνέπειες στα έργα ως «αφηγήσεις» και μπορεί να προσλαμβάνουν ιδεολογικό χαρακτήρα. Διαπιστώνεται ότι δεν είναι εφικτός ο αυστηρός διαχωρισμός σε υφολογικές περιόδους, καθώς οι κύριοι άξονες τεχνοτροπίας και αισθητικής ήταν ποικίλοι και δεν υπηρετήθηκαν μόνο διαδοχικά, αλλά συνυπήρξαν και ταυτόχρονα (π.χ. κλασικισμός και ιμπρεσιονισμός ή δωδεκαφθογγικό και τονικό ιδίωμα). Η περίοδος στροφής προς την Εθνική Σχολή δεν είναι η μοναδική κατά την οποία απασχολεί τον συνθέτη το ζήτημα της σύζευξης της δυτικής με την ανατολική παράδοση. Ο Παπαϊωάννου αρχικά αποκλίνει από την κρατούσα αντίληψη της Εθνικής Σχολής στη δεκαετία του '30 και διαφοροποιείται υφολογικά και ιδεολογικά, παρουσιάζοντας σαφή επιρροή από τον ιμπρεσιονισμό και τον εθνικά χρωματισμένο εξωτισμό. Στα έργα της δεκαετίας του '40 συμπλέει περισσότερο με το κυρίαρχο κλίμα της Εθνικής Σχολής ως προς τη χρήση υλικού βυζαντινής ή δημοτικής μουσικής ή και δημοτικοφανούς, αποφεύγοντας ωστόσο την αναπαραγωγή ορισμένων ιδεολογικών θέσεων άλλων συγχρόνων συνθετών και εκπροσώπων της (Λαμπελέτ, Καλομοίρης, Πετρίδης). Μεταπολεμικά, σε έργα μουσικής δωματίου, αλλά και ευρύτερα στην εργογραφία του συνθέτη (π.χ. σε οχρηστρικές σουίτες), παρατηρείται αρχετυπική αναδρομή σε ένα ιδεαλιστικής θεώρησης αρχαϊκό παρελθόν με ελεύθερους συνειρμούς ελληνικότητας, που συνάδουν με αντίστοιχες μεταπολεμικές αναζητήσεις άλλων Ελλήνων συνθετών της πρωτοπορίας (Σισιλιάνος, Δραγατάκης, Ξενάκης). Από τη διερεύνηση των ερμηνευτικών παρουσιάσεων και της κριτικής υποδοχής, διαπιστώθηκε ότι για τα έργα αυτά υπάρχει σημαντικό κενό πρόσληψης, καθώς τα περισσότερα έχουν εκτελεστεί σπάνια ή και καθόλου. Η κριτική έκδοση των ανέκδοτων από αυτά, αποκάλυψε σε ορισμένες περιπτώσεις την ιδιαίτερη ευαισθησία του συνθέτη για την ανάδειξη των μεταβολών της υφής, μέσω των παραμέτρων της δυναμικής, του ηχοχρώματος και της ισορροπίας μεταξύ των οργάνων, ζητήματα με τα οποία πειραματιζόταν και στα οποία αναθεωρούσε την άποψή του σε διαφορετικές εκδοχές των χειρογράφων, ενώ παράλληλα φαίνεται ότι δεν ήταν απόλυτα συνεπής ως προς την τήρηση ομοιογένειας στις ενδείξεις κατά τη διαδικασία της καθαρογράφησης. Κατά συνέπεια, η εκδότρια υποχρεώθηκε σε αποφάσεις που αποτυπώνονται διακριτά στην παρτιτούρα και αιτιολογούνται στο κριτικό υπόμνημα.
Research Interests:
This dissertation discusses Yannis A. Papaioannou's 16 chamber music works using tonal harmonic idiom (1936-1962). This analysis is conducted in conjunction with a biographic survey and with comparisons with the rest of his work and the... more
This dissertation discusses Yannis A. Papaioannou's 16 chamber music works using tonal harmonic idiom (1936-1962). This analysis is conducted in conjunction with a biographic survey and with comparisons with the rest of his work and the Greek and international contemporary historical frame. One can detect some main stable stylistic features throughout the composer's output: firstly, the foundation upon a classical style of motivic and thematic economy and organization of form, which commences with romantic classicism and evolves into various neoclassical idioms; also a programmatic element, which becomes particularly apparent through use of thematic transformation, suggestive titles, quotations and textural interruptions, which have narratological consequences and may acquire ideological character. One finds that a strict categorization of his output in stylistic periods is not possible, since different main axes of style and aesthetics can be detected, which have not been followed only consecutively, but have coexisted, too (f.ex.classicism and impressionism or twelve-tone system and tonal idiom). The phase of turn to the Greek National School is not the only one during which Papaioannou is preoccupied with the issue of conjunction of the western and eastern traditions. In the 30's Papaioannou deviated from the currently dominating ideology of the Greek National School, as he was influenced by impressionism and nationally orientated exoticism In his works from the 40's he appears to conform more with the views of the National School as the use of folk or folk-like material or material from the byzantine tradition is concerned, but he does not reproduce some ideas expressed by contemporary composers, representatives of the School (Lambelet, Kalomoiris, Petridis). After the War, in some chamber music works and in some other ones as well (i.e..orchestral suites), a kind of archetypal visit to an idealistically conceived archaic past, freely evoking Greekness, can be discerned, in accordance with similar quests by other Greek avant-garde composers (Sicilianos, Dragatakis, Xenakis). No critical reception for most of these works exists, as they have been rarely or never performed. The critical edition of the unpublished works, revealed in some cases Papaioannou's particular sensibility for showing textual modifications, through the parametres of dynamics, color and balance among the instruments, which have been subjects of experimentation, while he sometimes revised his views and has not always been completely accurate in keeping homogeneity during the process of making a final draft. Accordingly, the editor had to undertake some decisions which are clearly stated on the scores and are being justified in the critical notes.