Eleni Karaindrou – Mousiki gia tainies (Music for Films) (2001) {5CD Box Set Minos-EMI 724353775223}

Once we are aware that certain music has been written for film, it’s easy to wax poetic about said music’s visual associations. Yet I believe that one needn’t be aware of Greek composer Eleni Karaindrou’s filmic motivations in order to feel it in the same way, for hers imagines, recites, and sings the lament of a zeitgeist in decay.

Karaindrou’s themes are potent yet familiar, even (if not especially) to those who’ve never heard them before. Brimming with tragedy and triumph alike, this is music not only for the fictional, but also for real strangers crossing paths in a world of mist and shadows.

“Karaindrou gives us the change to dream”, one critic wrote, a succinct enough summary of “Mousiki gia tainies”, as long as one holds in mind that in dreams begin responsibilities. Challenging her own imagination to anchor or spur the images of the directors she had collaborated with, she encourages ours to awaken and probe with her “the landscape, seascape and soulscape of the modern Hellenic world.” For Karaindrou there is no escaping it. “Wherever I travel”, she says, quoting Seferis once more, “Greece keeps wounding me.”

Eleni Karaindrou’s scores are never less than beautiful and more than able to stand apart from the films for which they were written. In 2001, MINOS/EMI has re-released in a 5cd boxset the original soundtrack of five of Karaindrou’s most delightful scores from the 1980’s, with different artwork and rich informative material text by George Haronitis. The five scores which are included in this set, apart of showing the evolutionary progress of Karaindrou as a composer during the ’80s, they represent a complete and rich musical cycle. In this 5cd boxset has been contained the Greek edition of “The Suspended Step of the Stork – 1992” which differs from the international version of the ECM because it contains the song with Xaris Alexiou “Panselinos o erotas” ( “Full moon love” ) which was not allowed to be included to the ECM release.

Personnel:
Eleni Karaindrou piano, music
Dimitra Galani vocals
George Dalaras vocals
Jan Garbarek tenor saxophone
Vaggelis Boudounis guitar
Stella Kypraiou guitar
Petros Protopappas flute
Nikos Ginos clarinet
Vaggelis Skouras corno
Dimitris Vraskos violin
Giorgos Despotidis violin
Hristos Sfetsas cello
Tasos Soutis acoustic bass
Vaggelis Christopoulos oboe
Sokratis Anthis trumpet
David Lynch tenor sax
Nikos Antipas drums
Takis Farazis piano
Panos Gekas keyboards
Anta Rouva harp
Andreas Tsekouras accordeon
and others…

tracklist:
CD1 – 1983 | Η τιμή της Αγάπης (The Price of Love)
a film by Tonia Marketaki
1. I timi tis agapis (Dimitra Galani)
2. To perasma tou hronou
3. Taverna 1
4. Kantouni
5. Litrouvio
6. Rini
7. To proto vlemma
8. Monahiki kithara
9. Taverna B
10. Kantada paralias
11. To perasma tou hronou
12. I apofasi
13 Erotiko A
14. Eisagogi ston karnavalo
15. Monahiko violi
16. Lathremporio
17. Kaiki
18. To perasma tou hronou
19. Ta fylla
20. Erotiko B
21. I dini
22. I timi tis agapis (Dimitra Galani)

CD2 – 1984 | Ταξίδι στα Κύθηρα (Voyage to Cythera)
a film by Theo Angelopoulos
1. Oniro – Taxidi
2. Conserto – Alexander’s theme
3. Blues – Periplanisi sti poli
4. Thema tou horiou
5. Taxidi – fuge
6. Voyage to Cythera (George Dalaras)
7. To rock tis Mobil
8. Thema tou horiou
9. Concerto – I apofasi

CD3 – 1986 | Ο Μελισσοκόμος (The Beekeeper)
a film by Theo Angelopoulos
1. To petagma – Aftoshediasmos
2. To vals tou gamou
3. Thema tou apoheretismou & vals
4. Thema tou apohererismou
5. To rock tis kadinas
6. Kravgi
7. Thema tou apoheretismou parallagi A
8. Nanourisma
9. Aftoshediasmos sta dio themata
10. Thema tou apoheretismou Parallagi B
11. I’ll hit the roads (Julie Massino)
12. Ta vourkomena matia mou (George Dalaras)
13. To Vals
14. Vals Thema tou apoheretismou
15. I siopi Thema tou apoheretismou

CD4 – 1990 | L’ Africana
a fim by Margarethe Von Trotta
1. Titli kai oniro tis Annas
2. To tilegrafima, Blues tou Victor
3. Eklar Mir, Liebe, Thema tou parelthontos
4. Teletourgiko
5. I Martha thimate
6. O Victor skeftete ti Martha
7. Thema tou horou – Prodosia
8. Blues tou Victor
9. Ksanavriskontas to pathos
10. Thema tis pigis ke ton Menhira
11. To ksipnima tis Annas
12. Aerodromio, Thema tou parelthontos
13. O Svinarsky ta kseri ola, Blues
14. Thema tou horou – Finale

CD5 – 1991 | Το μετέωρο βήμα του πελαργού (The Suspended Step of the Stork)
a film by Theo Angelopoulos
1. Titles
2. Search – Refugee’s theme (Variation I)
3. Ballroom, the blues
4. Train – Car neighbourhood – Refugee’s theme
5. Full Moon Love (Haris Alexiou)
6. Refugee’s theme
7. Search – Refugee’s theme (Variation II)
8. Waltz of the Bride
9. Search – Refugee’s theme (Variation III)
10. Hassaposerviko
11. Finale