Dimitris Dragatakis
Encyclopedia
Dimitris Dragatakis was a Greek
composer
of classical music.
He was born in Platanousa, Epirus
in 1914 and studied the violin
from 1930 to 1939 at the Greek National Conservatory in Athens
. Later on, he switched to the viola and from 1949 started composition lessons with Leonidas Zoras and Manolis Kalomiris
, receiving his diploma in 1955.
He is considered one of the most important modern Greek composers, with a personal musical idiom that is both mature and laconic. Influenced by the musical traditions of Greece
(in particular the ones of his native Epirus) and ancient Greek drama, his music also came to reflect his interest in new techniques such as free atonality, novel instrumental combinations, post-modernism, minimalism
and electronic music
.
He won a number of major prizes, including the Maria Callas award from the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation in 1997 and the prestigious J. A. Papaioannou award from the Athens Academy in 1999.
He taught violin and later on theory at the Greek National Conservatory for twenty years, until he was appointed vice president of the conservatory in 1997.
He played for twenty years in the Greek National Opera as a violist
and later served on the board of the Athens State Orchestra. He was vice president and honorary president of the Greek Composers Union.
He died in Athens aged 87.
Concertante
Chamber music
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of classical music.
He was born in Platanousa, Epirus
Epirus (periphery)
Epirus , formally the Epirus Region , is a geographical and administrative region in northwestern Greece. It borders the regions of West Macedonia and Thessaly to the east, West Greece to the south, the Ionian Sea and the Ionian Islands to the west and the country of Albania to the north. The...
in 1914 and studied the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
from 1930 to 1939 at the Greek National Conservatory in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Later on, he switched to the viola and from 1949 started composition lessons with Leonidas Zoras and Manolis Kalomiris
Manolis Kalomiris
Manolis Kalomiris ), was a Greek classical composer. He was the founder of the Greek National School of Music.-Biography:Born in Smyrna, he attended school in Constantinople and studied piano and composition in Vienna. After working for a few years as a piano teacher in Kharkov he settled in...
, receiving his diploma in 1955.
He is considered one of the most important modern Greek composers, with a personal musical idiom that is both mature and laconic. Influenced by the musical traditions of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
(in particular the ones of his native Epirus) and ancient Greek drama, his music also came to reflect his interest in new techniques such as free atonality, novel instrumental combinations, post-modernism, minimalism
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
.
He won a number of major prizes, including the Maria Callas award from the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation in 1997 and the prestigious J. A. Papaioannou award from the Athens Academy in 1999.
He taught violin and later on theory at the Greek National Conservatory for twenty years, until he was appointed vice president of the conservatory in 1997.
He played for twenty years in the Greek National Opera as a violist
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and later served on the board of the Athens State Orchestra. He was vice president and honorary president of the Greek Composers Union.
He died in Athens aged 87.
Selected works
Orchestral- Lyric Sketches (Λυρικά σκίτσα) for string orchestra (1958)
- Symphony No. 1 (1959)
- Symphony No. 2 (1960)
- Symphony No. 3 (1964)
- Symphony No. 4 (1966)
- Symphony No. 5 (1979–1980)
- Memories (Μνήμες) (1981–1982)
- Symphony No. 6 (1989)
- Symphony No. 7 (1994–1995; incomplete)
- Prelude (Πρελούδιο) (1997)
Concertante
- Concerto for clarinet and strings (1962)
- Concerto for horn and chamber orchestra (1965)
- Adagio for solo viola, string orchestra and piano (1969)
- Concerto for violin and orchestra (1969)
- Concerto for cello and orchestra (1972)
- Concerto for oboe and strings (1973)
- Concerto for piano and orchestra (1975–1977)
- Concerto for tuba and orchestra (1978)
- Concerto for viola and orchestra (1992)
- Concerto for saxophone and orchestra (1997)
Chamber music
- String Quartet No. 1 (1957)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1958)
- Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano (1958)
- String Quartet No. 3 (1960)
- Trio for 2 violins and viola (1960)
- Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano (1961)
- Trio for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1962)
- Trio for horn, trumpet and trombone (1963)
- Woodwind Quintet (1964)
- Trio for violin, viola and cello (1965)
- String Quartet No. 4 (1967)
- Music for Three (Μουσική για τρεις) for viola, horn, piano (1969)
- Duo for violin and piano (1971)
- String Quartet No. 5 (1974)
- Duo for clarinet and piano (1981)
- Duo for viola and piano (1984)
- Duo for violin and guitar (1984)
- Sonata for cello and piano (1985)
- Trio for clarinet, piano and percussion (1986)
Discography
- Dragatakis: Piano Works (complete) (Naxos 8.570789)
- Ballades for saxophone and orchestra (along with works by Tomasi, Ravel, Piazzola and Iturralde) (Naxos 8.557454)