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One largely accepted opinion about Modern Greek Musical History is that the Art Music
actually never took roots in Greece, as the so called Classical Music did not interest but the
higher class of the society. For years many scholars supported that Greece was not keen on
integrating the Art of Music. Despite the fact that latest research has shown that in 19 th
century Greece, Art Music played a very important role, the general impression remains –
even today – that the only music cultivated in Greece was folk music. At the same time,
any Greek educational or artistic musical activity was underestimated, leaving the
impression that Greece was the last one on the line. The recent opening of the Athens
Conservatoire Archives is proved crucial as far as that is concerned, since the research at
the archives inevitably lead to plenty of evidence that prove all that to be uncorrect.
The Athens Conservatoire was founded in 1871, half a century after the beginning
of the War of Independence (1821) and forty years after the establishment of the Greek
state (1831), with the goal to cover the need for musical and theatrical education. The
newborn Greek state, dating of 40 years of independent life, was ready to support the
cultivation of the Muses of music and drama and the society of the Greek capital, familiar
with the Opera since 1840, thirsted for musical activity; since back in the 1870's the only
way to listen to music was to play it, or to listen to someone playing live; as a result,
musical education was a precondition for musical life. The first, and for several years,
unique conservatory of Athens – the oldest school of the performing arts still functioning
without interruption – was founded by a group of intellectuals who had realized the need
to offer musical and theatrical education to everyone, and especially to the weaker
members of the society (since the higher classes would learn music at home).
The material kept at the Athens Conservatoire Archives (ACA) provides us with
irrefutable evidence that, especially during the first years of the Conservatoire's
functioning, the majority of the students belonged to the middle and lower classes of the
society, not only because at the beginning, the classes were free of charge, or because of the
collaboration with an orphanage, that gave many orphan or poor children the opportunity
to learn music and, hence, to have a better professional opportunity in their lives, but also,
and mainly, because of explicit elements that prove it.
The first years of the conservatory's functioning were hard and the steps made were
slow and cautious. The first year there were only 5 teachers at the school, although the
children were more than one hundred, and among those 5 teachers, 2 were working for
free and the other 3 would very often work overtime without any extra salary. That first
year there were no piano lessons yet (only flute and violin, theory of music and recitation).
It is in that context that we must read a document of the first year of the conservatoire's
functioning (1873), in order to understand its importance. I will read you small but
characteristic extract of it:
Because of his father's poverty, who is a tailor, the twelve-year-old pupil at the
conservatory, Spyridon Becatoros, is asking to work as an employee at a merchant's
house. This child is very smart and gifted in music and, according to his teacher's,
saying Mr Bolognini he gives hope that, very soon, he will become the best artist of
the violin in Greece. Mr. Bolognini has already provided him, on his own expense,
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with a violin and a fiddlestick, and he is persuaded that with some monthly help of
20 drachmas, he can remain in the studying of music and glorify the conservatory
as well as the art of music.
ACA, Documents 1873.
The gifted but poor 12-year-old violonist needed to work. His teacher not only
bought a violin for him on his own expense, but also asked the Conservatoire to give the
young financial support (a kind of scholarship) so that Becatoros could avoid working and
hence devote himself to music. The case of Becatoros,who did become a great violonist,
was, of course, not an exception. The majority of the young musicians at the Athens
Conservatoire the last quarter of the 19th century were not wealthy.
In order to deduce the financial situation as well as the social identity of the
conservatoire's first students one can take a close look at the institution's registries, where
the occupation of every student is mentioned. There, next to high school pupils and
university students one comes across plenty of low class professions: merchants,
engineers, tailors, bookbinders, printers, land-surveyors, carpenters, cabinet-makers,
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clock-makers, blacksmiths, soldiers. All those hardworking people came at the Athens
Conservatoire to lean music. The progress of the institution was rather slow, but the work
made was from the first moment of high level. Those who had founded the Conservatoire
were determined to change the musical life of Athens, and that would be achieved only by
establishing a good educational institution, in order to create high level musicians, as well
as high level audiences.
First Registry (1872-1875)
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First Registry(1872-1875)
First Registry (1872-1875)
But music did not concern only boys. In 1879 the athenean newspaper Efimeris
launched a foundraising for the Conservatoire's talented, but poor, 17 year old singer,
Adele Vessel (1862-1950). The newspaper explained the reasons why the society should
help the talented young musician. I quote a small extract:
This young lady, whose father had German origin but was born in Greece and was a
Greek citizen, is now fatherless. She is under the protection of her mother's second
husband, who is an honest carpenter, doing his best for her and for her sister [...].
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She is a very poor girl but totally devoted to the studying of music and has
considered incredible luck the conservatoire's founding; she is already in her second
year of studying there, despine many unlucky events in her life. Her progress
would be much greater and could even defeat even the greatest poorness, if she
could afford to have a piano at home, so that she could study. Because that study
would be the most promising wealth for her, for her family and for her country.
Unfortunately she can neither bye or rent one.
The case of the young poor musician touched the society of Athens, who responded
to the call of the newspaper and raised the amount to buy the piano. What is more
extraordinary is that among those who gave money were her teachers but also her
schoolmates at the Conservatoire. The entire society seemed to embrace the efforts of this
musical institution.
Efimeris 7.2.1879
Efimeris, 9.2.1879
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At the same time the students of the conservatoire also seemed to be very grateful
for their studying there. As we can reed in a document of 1875, the students of the violin
class, of the flute and the theory (almost all the classes) made an application to the
conservatoire's direction asking not to interrupt the courses during the summer because
that would harm their progress. And since that application could not be accepted due to
practical reasons, some students wrote a note to their theory teacher, asking questions so
that they could "work during the summer".
Application of the students of the violin Class for no interruption of the classes during
the summer of 1875 (ACA, Documents 1875).
The most interesting example of what the Athens Conservatoire could achieve by
educating those young musicians – even with almost no means – is the case of the orphan
Eurysthenes Ghisas. Eurysthenes Ghisas (1864-1902), who came at the conservatoire when
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he was a nine year old tailor, was a very gifted and hard working young musician. After
finishing his studies at the Athens Conservatoire in 1883, the institution sent him, with a
scholarship, for further studies at the Vienna Conservatory. When he played for the first
there, his future teachers could not believe that this young musician had studied at a
music school of Greece. After finishing the first year of his studies, he was hired at the
Vienna Opera House, often replacing his teacher and First Flute Roman Kukula. Ghisas
made a worldwide career as a touring virtuoso and collaborated with great German
orchestras – he also played three times at Bayreuth – and became the First Flute at the
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. When he died, in 1902, Gustav Mahler, who then was the
director of the orchestra was present at his funeral. Ghisas' career was a great proof that
the Conservatoire's efforts were worthwhile.
Eurysthenes Ghisas (1864-1902)
Ghisas' registration at the Athens Conservatoire
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Relevant to the belief that Art Music did not become a real part of Greece, is the
underestimation of the musical education. The conclusions that derive from the Athens
Conservatoire Archives material are the completeley opposite. Eurysthenes Ghisas was an
example, but not an exception. All the musicians who had studied at the Conservatoire
and made a career in Europe at the time, or later, had completed their studies at the
Athens Conservatoire and any further studies they made where studies of perfection; the
core of their musical formation was accomplished within the doors of the Athenian
conservatory and all of them left from their first musical school as mature artists.
The most well-known Greek composer of the 19 th century – mostly remembered
today as the composer of the Olympic Anthem – Spiro Samara (1861-1917), whose career
reached South America Opera Houses and whose opera Flora Mirabilis made such a great
success that gave its name to a musical periodical, before becoming a student of Léo
Delibes, had finished piano and composition studies at the Athens Conservatoire, and had,
as a 16-year-old composer presented his own compositions at a Conservatoire Concert.
Before leaving Greece, he had already premiered his first opera, Olao, which he had
composed in collaboration with his former teacher, the Italian composer Enrico
Stancampiano.
Spiro Samara, (1861-1917)
Program of Samaras' Flora Mirabilis,
Milano, Teatro alla Scala 1887
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Flora Mirabilis, Periodico artistico,
letterario, teatrale, illustrato (Torino
1888).
Athens Conservatoire Concert Program 1877 with Samaras' Fantasia on Contessa di Amalfi.
ACA , Program Archives
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Just like Dimitri Mitropoulos, who learned the art of piano and percussion, but also
of conducting and composing at the Athens Conservatoire, where he had the opportunity
to show his abilities in execution but also conducting and, of course, composing in several
conservatoire concerts while he was still under age. His first and only opera, Soeur Béatrice
in a libretto by Maurice Maeterlinck was presented one year after his graduation by the
Conservatoire (1920) and was conducted by his teacher Armand Marsick. It was only a
couple of months later that the talented young musician would travel to Brussels with a
Conservatoire's scholarship for further studies; but very quickly Mitropoulos decided to
continue his studies in Berlin, the Eldorado of Music, as he would name the capital of
Germany. As soon as he arrived there, in 1921, he was hired as a correpetitor at the Under
den Linden Opera House, next to Erich Kleiber. But all his artistic skills Mitropoulos had
already cultivated them in Athens.
Dimitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960)
Mitropoulos' first registration at the Athens Conservatoire (1903-4)
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Athens Conservatoire Concert Program of
24.4.1914 with Mitropoulos'
Elpides Chamenes (Lost Hopes)
ACA , Program Archives
Program of Mitropoulos' opera
Sœur Béatrice, 20 May 1920
ACA , Program Archives
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Another characteristic exemple is Nikos Skalkottas, who, when he went to Berlin
with an Athens Conservatoire scholarship, a little before deciding to become a composer
and meeting with his future teachers in composition, Kurt Weil, Philipp Jarnach and,
mainly, Arnold Schönberg, his violin teacher Willy Hess could not believe that such good
violonists existed in Greece of the 1920's, as Skalkottas mentions in one of his letters kept
at our Archives.
Nikos Skalkottas (1904-1949)
Skalkottas' registration at the Athens Conservatoire (1914-1915)
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Skalkottas' score of Epirotikos. ACA Manuscript Scores of Greek Composers.
Skalkottas' letter to the Athens Conservatoire Secretary (23.11.1921).
ACA Correspondance of 1921.
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And last but not least, Maria Callas, studied the art of singing at the Athens
Conservatoire, next to Elvira de Hidalgo, the person to whom she owed everything,
according to the famous prima donna's own words. To mention only the most well-known
of the Greek artists who made a worldwide career and who had completed their musical
education at the Athens Conservatoire.
Maria Callas and Elvira de Hidalgo
Maria Callas' Grades in 1939-1940
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The high level musical education and activity in Athens was not restricted to some
personalities. The Conservatoire Orchestra, whose quality had significantly improved
thanks to the efforts of the Belgian violonist, conductor and composer Armand Marsick,
who, in 1908 had undertaken the direction of the Athens Conservatoire's Orchestra along
with the Theory and Composition classes, proved to be the best orchestra in Greece and
later became the State Orchestra of Athens. Before that, the orchestra had gained the
respect of Camille Saint-Saëns, who visiting Athens in 1920, invited by the Athens
Conservatoire director, Georgios Nazos, for a Festival on his honor, collaborated with this
orchestra as a pianist in one of his own works, and said that the Conservatoire’s orchestra
could stand anywhere (Ethnos 8 May 1920).
Camille Saint-Saëns and the Athens Conservatoire director, Georgios Nazos,
at the Theatre of Herodes Atticus (May 1920). ACA, Photographic Archives.
Before leaving Athens, the famous French composer left a musical authograph at
the Athens Conservatoire Visitors' Book, where he wrote: «Marche of the Suite Algérienne,
that was miraculously executed by the Conservatoire's Orchestra» (in French: «Marche de
la Suite Algérienne qui fut miraculeusement exécutée par l'orchestre du Conservatoire,
Camille Saint-Saëns, 9 juin 1920»).
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Athens Conservatoire Visitors' Book, ACA
A couple of years later, in 1924-25, when Dimitri Mitropoulos came back from
Berlin he started to work as a teacher and conductor at the Ellinikon Odeion, (Greek
Conservatory) a new conservatory created by a former teacher of the Athens
Conservatoire, Manolis Kalomoiris. The Orchestra of Ellinikon Odeion and the Athens
Conservatoire Orchestra were unified for two years (1925-1927) to make the Association of
Concerts (Syllogos Synaulion). This short but very significant effort, which unified the best
musicians of both conservatories, with Dimitri Mitropoulos (basically) on the pondium,
presented in Greece some of the most avant-garde works of the time. In an interview of
September 1925 (Elliniki, 27.9.1925), presenting the orchestra's aspirations, Dimitri
Mitropoulos would mention the names and works of some composers: Gustav Mahler,
Arthur Honegger, Alexander Mossolov, Ferrucio Busoni (Mitropoulos teacher in
Composition), Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schönberg, Richard Strauss, who was also invited
and conducted the orchestra, and many others. One of the first works to be presented to
the Greek audience would be Honegger's Pacific 231, «the famous symphonic poem
'tribute to steam engine' which made such an impression in Paris», as noted Mitropoulos in
this same interview. Honegger's futuristic Pacific had made its premiere in Paris only one
year and 5 months ago (on May 1924 under Serge Koussevitsky) and was one of the first
works that this new orchestra wanted to present. The work was premiered on the 12 of
December 1925 in the 9th Subscription Concert of the Orchestra, conducted by
Mitropoulos.
It was only a couple of months later, on January 1926, that Mitropoulos presented
Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale, translated in Greek (by N. Poriotis). After the first incomplete
performance in Lausanne (1918) and the first complete one in Paris (1924), the Soldier's Tale
Greece would be the fifth country were the work would be presented, before the U.K. (the
London premiere was a year later - 1927) and the United States, since the American
premiere took place 22 years later (in 1948) and again by Dimitri Mitropoulos. Later the
same year, on December 1926 Mitropoulos made the Greek Premiere of Arnold
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Schönberg's Verklärte Nacht. The audience was very keen on this new music language,
although Honegger's Pacific had provoked rather negative reactions and Stravinsky's
Soldier's Tale had divided the audience. The Austrian pianist and composer, Felix Petyrek,
who at the time lived in Athens and worked at the Athens Conservatoire, seemed very
excited about the Greek reception of Schönberg's work, which when first presented in
Vienna (1902) had embarrassed the audience. Petyrek mentioned that Athens, considering
its shorter history in comparison to other European musical centres is proved to be very
keen in new tendences in art (Eleftheron Vima, 14.1.1927). His words strongly recall the
words of the German pianist Martha Remmert, student of Franz Liszt, who had come in
Athens in the 1890's, and according to a newspaper of Leipzig, Remmert said about
musical life of Athens, back in 1899 (Asty, 11.9.1899):
What I saw and what I heard is excellent and worthy of mentioning and
felicitation. [...] In no other conservatory that I have visited abroad, have I ever
found such a sincere care and respect for music than the one in Athens. I have also
had the chance to be present in a concert, in which I was a witness of the best
musicians of this institution. I confess that I was astonished with the intelligence
and the ability of the musicians.
The praise of the foreign artists, of people who have lived in Europe and especially
in French or German cities, is perhaps the safest prove that the level of musical life of
Athens was high indeed. It was not only the facts themselves (as for example such early
reception of modernistic works), but also the opinion of some people who had high
standards. Otherwise it would be unexplainable how so many great artists visited Athens
at the time and collaborated with the athenean orchestras and Greek artists. I will mention
only a couple of those names who came in Greece during the period 1920-1940: Camille
Saint-Saëns, Richard Strauss, José Iturbi, Bruno Walter, Emil von Sauer, Arthur Rubinstein,
Felix Weingartner, Jascha Heifetz, Andrés Segovia, Pablo Casals, Alfredo Casella, Lotte
Lehmann, Paul Wittgenstein, Arthur Schnabel, Charles Munch, Herbert von Karajan.
***
The research at the Archives and the Press is undoubtedly the only secure path for a
scholar to reconstruct History; any History, the History of a community, of a society, of a
country, of an institution, of a personality. Theory should come after words, only to
explain History, and not the opposite. Browsing all those concert programs, looking at all
those pictures and tracing the steps of all those Greek and foreign musicians who came as
students, teachers or artists at the Athens Conservatoire, I can only confess that I really
would like to have been a witness of this musical activity, which is without any doubt, our
musical heritage, and of which, I feel really proud.
STELLA KOURMPANA
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PICTURES, CONCERT PROGRAMS AND LETTERS OR CONTRACTS OF
SOME FAMOUS MUSICIANS WHO CAME AND COLLABORATED WITH THE
ATHENS CONSERVATOIRE, DURING THE PERIOD 1920-1940 (ACA).
Emil von Sauer (1862-1942)
April 1928
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Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982)
November 1927
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Felix Weingartner (1863-1942)
May 1925
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Jascha Heifetz(1901-1987)
November 1928
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Andres Segovia (1893-1987)
April 1931
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Pablo Casals (1876-1973)
November 1938
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Alfredo Casella (1888-1947)
December 1930
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Lotte Lehmann (1888-1976)
November 1931
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Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961)
November 1932
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Arthur Schnabel (1882-1951)
March 1931
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Charles Münch (1891-1968)
November 1938
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Herbert von Karajan (1908-1998)
June 1939
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