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Manolis Hatzidakis
The Legend of Greek music
Team Members:
1) Alexandra Papadatou
2) Eirini Kamperou
3) Nick Platakis
Biography
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Manolis Hatzidakis (October 23, 1925 – June
15, 1994) was a Greek composer and
theorist of Greek music.
He was born in Xanthi to lawyer Georgios
Hatzidakis. His mother’s name was Aliki
Arvanitidou.
His musical education began at the age of
fourteen and consisted of piano lessons from
the Armenian pianist Altunian. At the same
time, he learned to play the violin and the
accordion.
Biography
After the separation of his parents, Hatzidakis
moved permanently to Athens in 1932 with his
mother. A few years later in 1938, his father died
in an aircraft accident. This event, in combination
with the beginning of World War II, brought the
family into a difficult financial situation.
 The young Hatzidakis earned his livelihood as a
docker at the port, an ice seller at the Fix factory,
an employee in Megalokonomou's photography
shop and as an assistant nurse at the 401 Military
Hospital.
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Biography
At the same time, he expanded his musical
knowledge by studying advanced music theory
with Menelaos Pallandio, in the period 1940-1943.
At the same time, he studied philosophy at the
University of Athens. However, he never
completed this course.
 During this period, he met and connected with
other musicians, writers and intellectuals. Among
these were Nikos Gatsos, George Seferis,
Odysseas Elytis, Angelos Sikelianos and the artist
Yannis Tsarouchis.
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Biography
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Finally, he was one of the main prime
movers of the "Éntekhno" song (along
with Mikis Theodorakis).
Ergography
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In 1944, Hatzidakis made his first appearance
as a composer at the Art Theatre of Karolos
Koun; he worked at the Theatre for fifteen
years. During this time, he also started
studying rebetiko, and delivered a speech on
its value in 1949, at the Art Theatre. His love
for this great music resulted in two great
LP's - 'Lilacs On The Dead Earth', and 'Cruel
April Of 45‘.
Ergography
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In 1950, he became a founding member and
art director of the Greek Ballet
Organization, while at the same time,
tragedienne Marika Kotopouli assigned to
him the music composition for the Ancient
Greek tragedies she staged. Among the
tragedies and comedies Hadjidakis
composed music for are Mideia, Cyclops,
Vacchae, Lysistrata, the Birds, etc.
Ergography
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1957 marked the start of a very proliferous period.
He composed music for theatre and cinema, and his
works became increasingly famous. In 1961, he
received an Academy Award for the song “The
Children of Piraeus” that he composed for the movie
“Never on Sunday”. As a result, he became known
worldwide. In 1966, he went to the United States,
along with Jules Dassin and Melina Merkouri, to stage
the theatrical adaptation of “Never on Sunday” on
Broadway, under the title “Ilya Darling”. There, he was
introduced to American pop and rock music, resulting
in the recordings of the song collection “Reflections”
and the song “Gioconda’s Smile” in its most famous
orchestral form.
Ergography
He returned to Athens in 1972 and became the
General Director of the Opera and Director of
the National Orchestra. During this last period of
his life, he organized multiple events to highlight
various aspects in music, from traditional songs to
modern tendencies. In 1989, he founded the
Orchestra of Colours in order to introduce
classical and modern composers in a unique way.
Hadjidakis was the director of the orchestra and
participated in a total of twenty concerts and
twelve recitals.
 He wrote 4 books and he created for some years
he was the director of the 3rd program of the
Greek Radio channel.
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His most known work
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Song cycles: EPITAPHIOS 1958, MAGNUS EROTICUS 1972,
MYTHOLOGY 1965, REFLECTIONS
1969, THE BALLADS OF
ATHENA STREET 1973
Works for orchestra and ensemble: FIFTEEN VESPERS 1964,
GIOCONDA΄S SMILE 1964
Music for the theatre: ALL GOD΄S CHILDREN GOT WINGS 1948,
ANTIGONE 1947, BLOOD WEDDING 1947, CAPTAIN MIHALIS
1966, LA VOLEUSE DE LONDRES 1961, MAROULA΄S
1960,MIDSUMMER NIGHT΄S DREAM 1951, SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER
1958, THE AGE OF THE NIGHT 1958, THE COURTYARD OF 1957
Musicals: ILLYA DARLING 1967, MAGICAL CITY 1963, STREET OF
DREAMS 1962.
Music for films: DEAD CITY 1951, GREECE, THE LAND OF DREAMS
1960, LOST DREAMS 1961, NEVER ON SUNDAY 1960, STELLA 1955,
ΤOPΚAPI 1963.
Music for ancient drama: AGAMEMNON 1950, BIRDS 1959,
CYCLOPS 1959, IPHIGENIA AT AULIS 1958, LYSISTRATA 1957,
MEDEA 1956
Some of his opinions about society
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GREEKS AND HUMAN BEINGS
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WHATEVER I HOLD SACRED
I don’t like making out to be too Greek. I want
to be as much as I am. High time the idea of
being Greek is replaced by what it is to be a
human being. Only then, do I believe, will we be
bound up with a deeper tradition, which, as it
happens, is also true Greek.
Contempt for other people’s habits, government
rationale, and the “ethics” of my relations.
Passionate love for the hounded, the
unorthodox and revisionists.
His death
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He died on 15 June 1994 in Athens at the
age of 68, from acute pulmonary edema.
In 1999 the City of Athens dedicated
Technopolis in his memory. He was
buried in Paiania.