Nikos Skalkottas's compositional method is characterized by writing in both tonal and atonal idioms, combined with experimentation with classical musical forms.
Performer Biography
Georgios Demertzis, the violinist on this recording, founded the New Hellenic Quartet, an internationally acclaimed ensemble dedicated almost completely to Greek music for twenty years.
Composer Biography
Nikos Skalkottas, a formidable violinist-pianist-composer, studied in Arnold Schoenberg's class in Berlin.
Composition History
When Skalkottas left Berlin for Athens in 1933, he left behind about seventy works, including the Suite for Violin and Chamber Orchestra and the Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra, believing his return to Greece would be temporary.
Composition History
The Suite for Violin and Chamber Orchestra and the Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra were premiered in Berlin in 1930 but were later declared lost until their rediscovery in 2010.
Historical Context
Nikos Skalkottas collaborated with Melpo Logotheti-Merlier, founder of the Musical Folklore Archive, transcribing numerous folk songs and instrumental tunes from 78rpm gramophone records.
Cultural Impact
The traditional Cretan song 'Digenés in his Last Agony', harmonized by Skalkottas, features a historical recording of Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos's voice from 1930.
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