Interview with Michel Fais

Description:

In his interview with Michel Fais for the Archive of the House of Letters and Arts on 7 October 1992, Yorgos Sicilianos offers an in-depth reflection on his life and career in music. Born in Athens in 1920, Sicilianos grew up under the sombre influence of his mother following the death of his father. Despite initial reluctance, he pursued legal studies as urged by his uncle, but the harsh realities of the German Occupation led him to follow his true passion for music. Mentored by Kostas Sfakianakis and later Marios Varvoglis, Sicilianos pursued formal music education, culminating in advanced studies at the Santa Cecilia Music Academy in Rome. His journey also took him to prestigious institutions in Europe and the United States, including Harvard’s Music Department and Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Reflecting on his musical career, Sicilianos acknowledges the privileges he enjoyed, allowing him to focus on composition without the distraction of financial worries. Despite this, he expresses a lingering sense of bitterness, noting that his dedication to music did not provide a sustainable livelihood. The demanding nature of composition, requiring constant intellectual engagement and concentration, often left him feeling drained. Nonetheless, Sicilianos remained committed to his craft, striving to extract the best and most authentic expressions from within himself. He found particular solace and freedom in chamber music, especially his string quartets, where he felt able to explore and communicate deeply personal and almost secret thoughts and emotions.

In one of his quartets, the Fifth, Sicilianos confronts his thoughts on death, contemplating how he would feel if told he would soon die. He expresses a deep love for life, hoping to live out its natural span while remaining active and creative until the end. He ponders the existential cycle of life and death, questioning its ultimate purpose and whether these phases are interconnected or isolated. Though he acknowledges that such questions may never be answered during one’s lifetime, he admires those like Socrates and Christ who face death with unwavering faith.

Sicilianos also touches on the broader challenges faced by Greek artists, who often need to expatriate to achieve recognition. He contrasts the posthumous acknowledgement of Nikos Skalkottas with the international acclaim of expatriates like Dimitri Mitropoulos. Despite the struggles, Sicilianos emphasises the importance of artistic integrity and the unyielding pursuit of one’s creative calling, advising young artists to remain true to their passion and strive for excellence. He concludes with a reflection on the significance of art, viewing it as a profound and necessary sacrifice driven by an inexplicable inner need for creative expression.