Dimitris Dragatakis


Dimitris Dragatakis was a Greek composer of classical music and Greek art music.
He was born in Platanoussa, Epirus in 1914 and studied the violin from 1930 to 1939 at the Greek National Conservatory in Athens. Later on, he switched to the viola and from 1949 started composition lessons with Leonidas Zoras and Manolis Kalomiris, receiving his diploma in 1955.
He is considered one of Greece's most important modern composers, with a personal musical idiom that is both mature and laconic. Influenced by the musical traditions of Greece and ancient Greek drama, his music also came to reflect his interest in new techniques such as free atonality, novel instrumental combinations, post-modernism, minimalism and electronic music.
He won a number of major prizes, including the Maria Callas award from the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation in 1997 and the prestigious J. A. Papaioannou award from the Athens Academy in 1999.
He taught violin and later on theory at the Greek National Conservatory for twenty years, until he was appointed vice president of the conservatory in 1997.
He played for twenty years in the Greek National Opera as a violist and later served on the board of the Athens State Orchestra. He was vice president and honorary president of the Greek Composers Union.
He died in Athens aged 87.

List of works

Chamber music for mixed ensembles

Afieroma , variation on a theme by Manolis Kalomiris Diaphores Mousiki gia treis Anadromes I Anadromes III Praktiko 19 Trio Chorikou Scholion Ar-Tho-Ta Quartet No. 6'' for violin, oboe, viola, and cello

Chamber music for strings

Nanourisma Choros for Violin and Piano Anamnisi for Violin and Piano String Quartet No. 1 Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano String Quartet No. 2 Trio for two Violins and Viola String Quartet No. 3 Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano Suite for double string quartet Trio for Violin, Viola, and Cello Diafores for Violin and Piano String Quartet No. 4 Liz-Va for two Guitars Duo for Violin and Piano String Quartet No. 5 Duo for Viola and Piano Duo for Violin and Guitar Sonata for Cello and Piano
  • ''String Quartet No. 7''

Chamber music for winds and brass

Trio for Oboe, Clarinet in Bb, Bassoon Trio for Trumpet, Horn, Trombone Woodwind Quintet Epilogos for Two trumpets, Horn, Trombone, Tuba for Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba Dialogoi for two wind quartets Duo for Tuba and Clarinet in Bb Duo for Clarinet in Bb and Piano En Samo for Flute and Piano Nanourisma for Alto Saxophone and Piano

Choral works

Erot’ anikite , Sophocles, Antigone, third stasimon O choros , Euripides, The Heracleidae, fourth stasimon Taxidi , G.Kotzioulas Thalassino , D. Dragatakis I treli rodia , Od. Elytis Mana , V. Theodorou I lismonia , I. Dragataki T’ oneiro , Chr. Apostolatou Efchi tis manas , Iro Dragataki T’ oneiro tis manas , D. Dragatakis Ton vrachon touton , D. Kourouklis Agnoristi , D. Solomos To aeri , Μ. Avlichos

Concertos

Concerto for Viola and Piano Concertino for Clarinet and strings Concertino for Horn and instrumental ensemble Concerto for Violin and orchestra Adagio for Viola, string orchestra, and piano Concerto for Cello and orchestra Concerto for Oboe and strings Concerto for Piano and orchestra Concerto for Two Guitars and orchestra Concerto for Tuba and orchestra Concertino for Sandouri and orchestra Concerto for Viola and orchestra Concerto  for Alto Saxophone and orchestra Nanourisma for Alto Saxophone and strings

Dance/ballet works

Ballet Suite  No. 1 Ballet Suite No. 2, Odysseas kai Nafsika Ballet Suite No. 3, Tou Koutrouli o gamos Ballet Suite No. 4, Pinelopi i Anamoni Ballet Suite No. 5, O choros tis Nafsikas

Electronic

Mythologias Ι Mythologias II Zalouch , T. Tolia

Orchestral works

Treis Melodies Lyrika Skitsa Dokimio Symphony No. 1 Symphony No. 2 Symphony No. 3, Mikri Symphony No. 4 Tessera Skitsa Strophes Dromena Symphony No. 5, O peri ton Acheronta mythos Mnimes Symphony No. 6, Spondes ston 21o aiona Antirropa , Three Preludes for Orchestra

Solo works

Petalouda for Piano Nostalgia for Piano Mikri Balanta for Piano Sonatina No. 1 for Piano Sonatina No. 2 for Piano Antikes for Piano Treis Omilies for Flute Elegeio for Tuba Anadromes II for Piano Spoudi I for Piano Spoudi II for Piano Anadromes IV for two pianos Antilogoi for two pianos Inelia for Piano Monologos ar. 2 for Cello Monologos ar. 4 for Piano Monologos ar. 3 for Violin
  • ''Kithara ''

Soundtrack recording and music for special occasions

Ymnos gia to Olympiako Fos , S. Sperantzas Ichos kai Fos , Jean Baelen
  • ''Koutouki ''

Theatre

Mideia , Euripides I epistrofi tou Odyssea , D. Siatopoulos Antigoni , Sophocles Agamemnon , T.Roussos Irakleidai , Euripides Ifigeneia en Tavrois , Euripides Mavrolykoi , Μ. Skouloudis Ilektra , Sophocles Electra, G. Arkas

Vocal works

O tseligkas , K. Krystallis Tachtarisma Tragoudi , M. Veloudis Ta prot’asteria , F. Angoules Tsakizo tis lianes elies , V. Theodorou Poulia ein’ ta chronia , F. Angoules I balanta tis Gkouentolin , J. Anouilh, Becket Anafora stin Ilektra , Τ. Roussos Ochi ta roda , G. Drosinis , G. Drosinis Me poia lachtara , G. Drosinis Na se prosmeno , G. Drosinis Echei apops’ ena fengari , K. Kontoulēs Monologos ar. 1 , D. Dragatakis Nanourisma , D. Dragatakis Dyo peristeria perasan , D. Dragatakis Vithleem , D. Dragatakis I treli rodia , Od. Elytis Mana , V. Theodorou Isoun mikri , V. Theodorou Piano nero , V. Theodorou T’ Aprili to fengari , V. Theodorou Mythologias III , Euripides Odi XIII: Ta ifaisteia , Α. Kalvos Antitheseis: Katerina , D. Dragatakis Mideias apoichoi , Euripides Enypnio , D. Dragatakis

Miscellaneous

Preloudio kai Fougka Fougka Exetaseon , variation on a theme by Manolis Kalomiris Ymnos gia to Panepistimio Thessalonikis Anthem for the Olympic Light Ifigeneia en Avlidi , Euripides Anadromes V Ornis Alkyon , Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris, second stasimon
  • ''En Samo ''

Incomplete

Symphony No. 7 Itan mia fora , V. Goula

Discography