Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Skalkottas: Orchestral Works (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

A series of new releases have revealed to the public the music and personality of Greek composer Nikos Skalkottas (1904-1949). Virtually unknown outside of his home country, Skalkottas can be described as a member of the Second Viennese School. His very personal style blossomed in dodecaphonic pieces but the composer never confined himself to this form. Greatly influenced by traditional Greek music, he was also able to master and freely use a more neoclassical approach.

A combination of styles, this new album demonstrates how Skalkottas could switch from neoclassicism (Sinfonietta in B flat major, composed at the end of his life, in 1948) to the superimposing of acoustic layers (his 1930’s Concerto for violin, piano and orchestra) or to the Schönberg influenced harshness of his 1929 Suite for violin and chamber orchestra. Also included in the record is a piece named Digenés in His Last Agony, re-arranged by musicologist Yannis Samprovalakis and largely inspired by a traditional Cretan song.

Directed by Byron Fidetzis since its inception in 2016, the Philharmonia Orchestra of Athens has teamed up with the Department of Musicology of the University of Athens to promote and record Greece’s musical heritage. – François Hudry

Tracklist:
01. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Sinfonietta in B-Flat Major, AK 10 (Ed. Y. Samprovalakis): I. Andante sostenuto – Allegro (06:54)
02. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Sinfonietta in B-Flat Major, AK 10 (Ed. Y. Samprovalakis): II. Andantino triste (06:37)
03. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Sinfonietta in B-Flat Major, AK 10 (Ed. Y. Samprovalakis): III. Scherzino. Molto vivace (05:12)
04. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Sinfonietta in B-Flat Major, AK 10 (Ed. Y. Samprovalakis): IV. Finale. Vivacissimo (07:19)
05. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Concerto for Violin, Piano & Orchestra, AK 21 (Orch. Y. Samprovalakis): I. Allegro giusto (03:21)
06. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Concerto for Violin, Piano & Orchestra, AK 21 (Orch. Y. Samprovalakis): II. Andante sostenuto (03:10)
07. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Concerto for Violin, Piano & Orchestra, AK 21 (Orch. Y. Samprovalakis): III. Allegro vivo (00:56)
08. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Concerto for Violin, Piano & Orchestra, AK 21 (Orch. Y. Samprovalakis): IV. Andante sostenuto (00:41)
09. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Concerto for Violin, Piano & Orchestra, AK 21 (Orch. Y. Samprovalakis): V. Allegro (02:58)
10. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Little Suite, AK 23 (Orch. Y. Samprovalakis): I. Allegro moderato (01:22)
11. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Little Suite, AK 23 (Orch. Y. Samprovalakis): II. Moderato maestoso (02:03)
12. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Little Suite, AK 23 (Orch. Y. Samprovalakis): III. Allegretto vivace (01:44)
13. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Little Suite, AK 23 (Orch. Y. Samprovalakis): IV. Andante sostenuto (03:13)
14. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Digenés in His Last Agony (Transcr. N. Skalkottas) [Orch. Y. Samprovalakis] (02:30)
15. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Ancient Greek March, AK 11d (02:17)
16. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – March in D Major (01:19)
17. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – The Vlach Woman (Orch. N. Skalkottas) [Ed. Y. Samprovalakis] (01:17)
18. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – The Maypole (Orch. N. Skalkottas) [Ed. Y. Samprovalakis] (01:28)
19. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Mount Pelion Dance (Orch. N. Skalkottas) [Ed. Y. Samprovalakis] (01:35)
20. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – High up on Kostilata (Orch. N. Skalkottas) [Ed. Y. Samprovalakis] (01:26)
21. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Corfiot Dance (Orch. N. Skalkottas) [Ed. Y. Samprovalakis] (01:13)
22. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Up the street (Orch. N. Skalkottas) [Ed. Y. Samprovalakis] (00:57)
23. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Lioúlios (Orch. N. Skalkottas) [Ed. Y. Samprovalakis] (05:37)
24. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Paraskevoúla (Orch. N. Skalkottas) [Ed. Y. Samprovalakis] (02:20)
25. Athens Philharmonia Orchestra & Byron Fidetzis – Physoúni (Orch. N. Skalkottas) [Ed. Y. Samprovalakis] (02:10)