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SEDUCTIONS OF THE BOUZOUKI AND THE BRASS BAND: TRANSGRESSIVE REFLECTIONS ON MIKIS THEODORAKIS AND GIUSEPPE VERDI

2020; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 115; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s006824542000012x

2045-2403

Michael Herzfeld,

Music History and Culture

It may transgress convention to compare Mikis Theodorakis, better known for his songs than for his operatic work, with the Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi. Both, however, in very different national contexts, were engaged in political activity through their music – which often faced severe censorship – and their parliamentary activity. Both drew on popular traditions and utilised strong rhythms in their earlier works, experimenting later with freer forms. The differences between them meanwhile serve to highlight important differences between two countries often viewed within the shared frame of assumed Mediterranean commonalities and of ancient cultural origins, and help us to understand the role music plays in linking lived time to recorded history.