After a series of successful performances on the alternative stage of the Greek National Opera at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center which thrilled children and adults alike, the sparkling musical Silence, The King Is Listening by Nikos Kypourgos and Thomas Moschopoulos travels to six cities in Greece. Ideal for an introduction to the wonderful world of music for children of all ages, Silence, The King Is Listening will enchant audiences with its humor, poetry and subversive spirit from May 6 to 19, 2022.
The first leg of Silence’s tour, The King Is Listening will be the concert hall of Thessaloniki, where it will be presented in the “Emilios Riadis” room for five singular performances on May 6, 7 and 8. After Thessaloniki, the show will continue its journey to Serres (“Asteria” Municipal Theater of Serres, 10/5), Komotini (Municipal and Regional Theater of Komotini, 12/5), Veria (Arts Center of the Municipality of Veria, 14 /5) , Ioannina (Cultural Center of the Municipality of Ioannina, 16, 17/5) and Patras (Apollo Municipal Theatre, 19/5). All performances, with the exception of those in Thessaloniki, will be free admission.
Tour Schedule
- Thessaloniki – Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Emilios Riadis Hall M2 – 6,7,8 May 2022
Starts at: 12:00 p.m. (7, 8/5), 6:00 p.m. (7, 8/5), 8:00 p.m. (6/5)
Ticket prices: 12 euros, 8 euros (reduced)
Information – tickets: 2310 895 938/9, tch.gr, ticketservices.gr/en
In collaboration with Thessaloniki Concert Hall
- Serres – Municipal Theater “Asteria” of Serres – May 10, 2022
Start: 11 a.m., 7:30 p.m. / Admission is free
- Komotini – Komotini Municipal and Regional Theater – May 12, 2022
Start: 10 a.m., 12 p.m. / Admission is free
- Veria – Veria Municipality Arts Center – May 14, 2022
Start: 11 a.m., 7 p.m. / Admission is free
- Ioannina – Cultural Center of the Municipality of Ioannina, Ioannina – May 16,17, 2022
Start: 11 a.m. (5/16.17), 8.30 p.m. (5/16) / Admission is free
- Patras – Apollo Municipal Theater – May 19, 2022
Start: 10 a.m., 7 p.m. / Admission is free
The king of music is never satisfied, no matter what pieces of music his court musician plays. The musician is pulled out of his despair by the Muse, who takes the opportunity to resume a profession that she had not exercised since the glorious eras of Schubert, Mozart and Bach. She enlists the aid of all seven notes of the musical scale, inspiring the musician to write a marvelous piece – which once again does not satisfy the king! It is therefore time for the imagination to give (as always!) a solution… The Muse thinks of something new: she goes to the king disguised as a famous foreign musician, whose music can only be heard by those who have a very good taste for music and knowledge of it. Naturally, neither the king nor his courtiers dare to admit that the “masterpiece” presented to them by the Muse is in reality only a…
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen‘s fairy tale The Emperor’s New Clothes and (unlikely!) dedicated to the memory of the pioneering American composer John CageSilence, the King Is Listening was written in 1993 and first performed at the Athens Concert Hall – Megaron in 1994. Oscillating between lyrical traditionalism and playful post-modernism, the work is at the same time an ideal introduction for younger as well as (why not?) older viewers to the concepts, techniques and tools of musical composition, and also a hilarious and ruthless attack on all manner of hypocritical snobbery that stifles creation and reception musical.
The music for the work is by the distinguished composer Nikos Kypourgos. “In 1993, the new Athens concert hall – Megaron commissioned George Kouroupos and me to compose, each of us, a little musical. It was the idea of Thodoros Antoniou. He would conduct them himself with the ALEA III orchestra in Boston. But since Antoniou was in the United States and I had no information about Megaron, I heard that I was going to write the work through the newspapers. First reaction: stress. How did the Could I avoid it by saying “I didn’t arrive in time, you should have told me earlier, how could you take it for granted that I would accept”? (Here is how reacted two of the four people mandated). Second reaction: “There is an ideal chance to throw myself fully into a genre in which I have always dreamed of getting involved! Third reaction: “Perhaps I can combine the first two with a satire of the music called “serious”, apparently serious contemporary music, the Megaron itself finally, with references to the process of commissioning and inspiration, and with a lot of sarcastic overtones?” Fourth reaction: I went back to the second reaction I took a sheet of paper and a pen (I still didn’t have a computer) The public and the press gave a very warm welcome to the two new works, Kouroupos’ Little Red Riding Hood and mine. Those in charge also reacted enthusiastically and promised to renew the successful evening which “only a few people managed to attend”. However, the works were not executed again. Fortunately, Antoniou recorded them in the studio with his n orchestra and some time later they came out in an album, which however went almost unnoticed. The revival of Silence, the King Is Listening was made possible thanks to Kharálampos Goyós, who listened to the album 25 years later, transcribed it for five instruments and presented it to BIOS with the company “The Beggars’ Operas”. I would like to emphasize that Silence, le roi enseignement is not a work written for children. It was only after its completion that some saw in it an educational character that also makes it suitable for children. From then on, in a way, what I have always believed became obvious: that the boundaries between works for adults and works for children are never too clear or too discernible”, notes Nikos Kypourgos.
Theo Abazis, an important creator who combines contemporary theatrical language with music in an inseparable mix, returns to the GNO alternative scene after the great success of the children’s show Prince Ivan and the Firebird (October 201 – January 2018), putting his mark on a fascinating production with a lot of humor, catchy melodies and impressive sets and costumes.
The music is by Nikos Kypourgos, the libretto by Thomas Moschopoulos in collaboration with the composer, the set and costumes by Kenny McLellan and the lighting design by Nikos Sotiropoulos.
The cast is composed of Pavlos Pantazopoulos (King), Vassia Zacharopoulou (Muse), Dimitris Nalbantis (Musician).
Musicians: Ilias Skordilis (clarinet), Ioanna Ganiti (trumpet), Iakovos Pavlopoulos (percussion), Michalis Papapetrou (piano – 6, 7, 8, 10, 12/5), Frixos Mortzos (piano – 14, 16, 17, 19 /5), Sofia Evklidou (cello)