Sotirios Melissis
Four Monologues | Two Duets
Georgios Demertzis, Violin
Theodoros Iosifidis, Piano
Konstantinos Valianatos, Piano
Ilias Sdoukos, Viola
Paweł Kapica, Violin
Krzysztof Pawłowski, Violoncello
Charlotte Mundy, Soprano
Mélanie Genin, Harp
Monologues in Black and White is a cycle of short solo instrumental pieces. These dramatic monologues are presented in one movement and loosely resemble the forms of sonata, rondo, and fantasia.
Three Greek Moods for Violin and Piano (2018, rev. 2021) pays homage to the Greek composer and friend Manos Hadjidakis.
Violin: Georgios Demertzis
Piano: Theodoros Iosifidis
Produced by Yannis Samprovalakis
Recorded at Dimitri Mitropoulos Hall (Megaron), Athens, Greece
Sound Engineer & Editing: Alexander Areteos (December 2021)
Monologue in Black and White for Solo Piano (2005, rev. 2018) roughly follows a sonata form, based on a theme that was originally composed in 2001.
Piano: Konstantinos Valianatos
Produced by Brad Michel
Recorded at Futura Productions, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Sound Engineer & Editing: Brad Michel (July 2022)
Monologue in Black and White for Solo Viola (2019, rev. 2021) is inspired partly by the traditional music of Crete.
Viola: Ilias Sdoukos
Produced by Yannis Samprovalakis
Recorded at Dimitri Mitropoulos Hall (Megaron), Athens, Greece
Sound Engineer & Editing: Alexander Areteos (July 2021)
Monologue in Black and White for Solo Violin (2020) is related to the Monologue in Black and White for Viola.
Violin: Paweł Kapica
Produced by Marcin Kowalczyk
Recorded at Studio Sound, Gdansk, Poland
Sound Engineer & Editing: Marcin Kowalczyk (September 2022)
Monologue in Black and White for Solo Violoncello (2019, rev. 2022) was initially conceived to be music that would accompany a black-and-white short animation movie.
Violoncello: Krzysztof Pawłowski
Produced by Marcin Kowalczyk
Recorded at Studio Sound, Gdansk, Poland
Sound Engineer & Editing: Marcin Kowalczyk (September 2022)
Three Songs for Harp and Mezzo-soprano (2000, rev. 2019) is a song cycle based on Jane Reavill Ransom’s poems.
Soprano: Charlotte Mundy
Harp: Mélanie Genin
Recorded at Martin Patrych Memorial Studios, New York City, United States
Sound Engineer & Editing: Joseph Patrych (November 2019)
Additional editing: Marcin Kowalczyk
Mastering: Marcin Kowalczyk, Studio Sound, Gdansk, Poland
Excursion
Dark, then light, this strain carries my train of thoughts flickering of sun on the glass until clouds pass. Shade.
I’m becoming the future to enter the past.
The joy of this journey is that it won’t last.
We open the horizon into a globe.
The mystic sphere of my life floats light and whole: floats light and whole: Bright.
Between Sun and Rain
But, now that we are slowing down, here I can’t see the light, I can’t see the clouds, and yet it’s not misty or night.
I feel nothing wet or dry. Between sun and rain, my life ceases to hold me; what holds me is the transparent stillness, the center of some secret alphabet...
Oh, the solitude of being. Where am I? Where am I? Here? Here only spirit exists. The rest of awareness comes and goes. I know truth but cannot speak it.
I know I know my name is the same as yours. Won’t you sing for me? Won’t you sing for me?
Return
Now I’m home saying my memories, resuming control.
The dog and the cat do seem familiar... yet not exactly what I remember.
Here is my house, here is my tree.
The birds in its leaves call, but not quite to me.
Here is my mailbox, a letter from someone whose name is same as mine.
How strange. Doesn’t say: How are you? I’m fine. Doesn’t say.
Now, I’m home saying my memories.
The leaf of paper touches my fingers casting shadow and light, waved by breeze.
And the air that it fans bears the fragrance of sunshine, the heat, and cold, of summer thunder and winter fires.
Now, I’m home saying my memories. Now, I’m home. I’m home, home.
Sotirios Melissis is a New York-based composer who studied music composition and music theory in Greece and in the United States with Nikos Kypourgos, Demetrios Minakakis, Demetrios Lekkas, Justin Dello Joio, David Del Tredici, and Ladislav Kubik.
Georgios Demertzis studied the violin with Stelios Kafantaris and Max Rostal. He performs extensively as a soloist and has made many CDs with an emphasis on Greek music. His BIS recordings of violin works by Nikos Skalkottas have been received with enthusiasm by critics. He is a founding member of the New Hellenic Quartet.
Jane Reavill Ransom is an awardwinning American writer of popular science, fiction, and poetry.
Konstantinos Valianatos, a highly sought-after pianist, has performed in venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia. A winner of numerous by awards, he has recorded CDs with LP Classics and Naxos. As an advocate of new music, he enjoys collaborating with composers, vocalists, and instrumentalists on new projects. Dr. Valianatos holds degrees from The Juilliard School in New York and is currently on the piano faculty at the Tianjin Juilliard School.
Theodoros Iosifidis regularly collaborates with composers and has performed in various venues including St. Martin-in-the-fields in London, City Halls in Glasgow, Edinburgh Festival Centre, and the Athens Conservatory. He has directed operas and collaborated with educational programs and festivals. He is a founding member of Trio el Greco.
Charlotte Mundy is a musician who specializes in performing new, daring, and sublime music. Mundy has been recognized for her contemporary song performance. She has performed at prestigious venues such as the 92nd Street Y, the Metropolitan Museum, the Park Avenue Armory in New York City, and the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
Ilias Sdoukos has appeared in many Greek cities and in numerous countries around the world. He was a member of the Greek Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of Colours as principal. He collaborates as a soloist with the Greek Composers Union and holds the principal viola position in the orchestra of the National Opera of Greece.
Mélanie Genin, hailed as “a globetrotter” and “singular harp virtuoso” by L’Union France and the Epoch Times of New York, is known for her “desire to re-shape and re-invent classical music”
(Justine Philippe, L’Union France).
Mélanie Genin is a keen proponent of new music and aims to actively develop solo and chamber music works for harp.
Cover Painting: Stefanos Zannis
Graphic design: Zoe Panagiotopoulou
1. Three Greek Moods for Violin and Piano, Ι 3:56’’
2. Three Greek Moods for Violin and Piano, ΙΙ 7:26’’
3. Three Greek Moods for Violin and Piano, ΙΙΙ 4:10’’
4. Monologue in Black and White for Solo Piano 7:05’’
5. Monologue in Black and White for Solo Viola 8:58’’
6. Monologue in Black and White for Solo Violin 7:21’’
7. Monologue in Black and White for Solo Violoncello 7:45’’
8. Three Songs for Mezzo-soprano and Harp, Excursion 2:01’’
9. Three Songs for Mezzo-soprano and Harp, Between Sun and Rain 2:38’’
10. Three Songs for Mezzo-soprano and Harp, Return 3:55’’
