121-129

Towards a reconsideration of the opera o ypopsifios by Sp.Xindas

Β' ΜΕΡΟΣ/PART II

• Καρδάμης, Κώστας

The main objective of this paper is to reassess the opera O Ypopsifios [The Parliamentary Candidate] by the Corfiot composer Spiridon Xin- das. This work was presented in September 1867 in the San Giacomo theatre of Corfu, and constituted the first opera based on a libretto in Greek. This fact, as well as the supposedly comic character of the plot, the “simplistic” music, and above all the absence of basic research, restricted its significance for Greek music history, simply assigned it the status of “the first opera in Greek language”. O Ypopsifios, however, is a multifaceted work, that requires thorough social, musical aesthetic and linguistic analysis. The reconsideration of this opera-which is presented here in brief- sheds new light on the approach to 19th century Greek music.

• Arts

• Τέχνη

όπερα, μουσική