Mikis Theodorakis | |
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![]() Theodorakis conducting the orchestra in concert at Cultural Center "Fabrik" in Hamburg, 1971 | |
Born | Michail Theodorakis 29 July 1925 |
Died | 2 September 2021 Athens, Greece | (aged 96)
Resting place | Galatas Cemetery, Chania, Crete |
Occupations |
|
Political party | KKE |
Other political affiliations | New Democracy (1989–1993) |
Spouse |
Myrto Altinoglou (m. 1953) |
Children | 2 |
Musical career | |
Genres | 20th-century classical music |
Years active | 1943–2021 |
Labels |
|
Member of the Hellenic Parliament | |
In office 1964–1967 | |
In office 1981–1986 | |
In office 1989–1993 | |
Minister of State | |
In office 11 April 1990 – 1 April 1993 | |
Prime Minister | Konstantinos Mitsotakis |
Website | www |
Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis (Greek: Μιχαήλ "Μίκης" Θεοδωράκης [mixaˈil ˈmicis θeoðoˈracis]; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021)[1] was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works.[2][3][4][5][6]
He scored for the films Zorba the Greek (1964), Z (1969), and Serpico (1973). He was a three-time BAFTA nominee, winning for Z.[7] For the score in Serpico , he earned Grammy nominations.[8] Furthermore, for the score to Zorba the Greek, with its 'Zorba's Dance', he was Golden Globe nominated.[9]
He composed the "Mauthausen Trilogy", also known as "The Ballad of Mauthausen", which has been described as the "most beautiful musical work ever written about the Holocaust" and possibly his best work.[10] Up until his death, he was viewed as Greece's best-known living composer.[3][5][11] He was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize.[12]
Politically, he was associated with the left because of his long-standing ties to the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). He was an MP for the KKE from 1981 to 1990. Despite this however, he ran as an independent candidate within the centre-right New Democracy party in 1989, in order for the country to emerge from the political crisis that had been created due to the numerous scandals of the government of Andreas Papandreou.[13] He helped establish a large coalition between conservatives, socialists and leftists. In 1990 he was elected to the parliament (as in 1964 and 1981), became a government minister under Konstantinos Mitsotakis, and fought against drugs and terrorism and for culture, and education. He continued to speak out in favour of leftist causes, Greek–Turkish–Cypriot relations, and against the War in Iraq.[14][15] He was a key voice against the 1967–1974 Greek junta, which imprisoned him and banned his songs.[16]
BBC
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).Theodorakis the internationally renowned Greek composer
Considered Greece's greatest living composer, Theodorakis has written many scores.
The most famous Greek musician of contemporary times is undoubtedly Mikis Theodorakis (born 1925), best known for
Google translation: "A Tribute to Ballad of Mauthausen Mikis Theodorakis and Iakovos Kambanellis The finest musical work about the Holocaust ever written."