Interview with Valia Christopoulou

Description:

In an interview with Valia Christopoulou for the online magazine Tetradio, associated with the Music Library of the Athens Concert Hall “Lilian Voudouri,” Yorgos Sicilianos delves into the profound relationship between personal expression and art. He highlights that the artist’s need to express personal feelings and thoughts through their work is a challenging and often unfulfilled endeavour. The outcome relies heavily on the authenticity of the emotion, the artist’s emotional and intellectual resilience, technical preparation, sensitivity, and creative imagination.

Sicilianos reflects on his early conviction that the future of Greek art music lay in the confluence of Byzantine ecclesiastical music and Greek folk song. While he still values this perspective, his approach has evolved under the influence of contemporary Western musical trends. He believes that while maintaining an artist’s national identity is essential, it should emerge naturally and unconsciously from the artist’s roots. His works have increasingly incorporated modern musical movements, including atonality, twelve-tone technique, minimalism, and electronic music, which he adapts to suit his expressive needs without becoming a trailblazer in new musical expressions.

Ancient Greek literature, particularly tragedy and lyric poetry, serves as a significant source of inspiration for Sicilianos. He admires their timeless, universal truths and the way they seamlessly merge poetic form with the melodic quality of the ancient Greek language. Sicilianos endeavours to recreate this ancient melodic quality in his works, such as Epiklsis from the “Persians”, Cassandra from Aeschylus’ “Agamemnon”, and Mellichomeide with lyrics by Sappho. He is also fascinated by the structural elements of Greek tragedy, such as the choruses, which he likens to his musical techniques in pieces like Metamorphoses for string orchestra.

Discussing his technical approach, Sicilianos asserts that strong technique enhances musical expression. He believes that, after a period of prioritising technical means over artistic expression in European music, there is now a more effective tool for musical expression, provided the artist knows what they wish to convey. His dedication to composition arose from realising he could do nothing else, leading him to a career focused almost entirely on composition. Sicilianos also reflects on his contributions to public musical life in Greece, including efforts to create an independent orchestra at the National Radio Foundation, which, despite being thwarted, could have significantly transformed the country’s musical landscape. He remains hopeful about correcting past mistakes and optimistic about the future of Greek music, noting the international success of Greek musicians and composers.