NICOSIA, 29 May 2009 –
Within the framework of the Cultural Events scheduled in
parallel with the XIII Games of the Small States of
Europe Cypriot composer Anastasia Guy will be debuting
her opus 'Kinyras, Cypris and the Nereids'.
History and legend are
brought to life within the composition that incorporates
lyrics from the poems of Sapho, Giorgos Seferis,
Odysseus Elytis and Athena Charalambous, that have been
set to music.
Focal points in the work
are the Hymn to Aphrodite and the musical battle between
Kiniras and Apollo.
The composition will be
performed at two concerts at the Onisilos Theatre in
Limassol on June 2 and in the Cultural Centre of the
Bank of Cyprus on June 3.
The work was arranged
into a vocal and instrumental quartet by Francis Guy.
The soloists performing
in the work are Eleni Michalopoulou, Kostandinos
Rassidakis and Marios Andreou.
The orchestra comprises
of five talented musicians; Sophia Karapataki: Flute,
Ioanna Maria Galanou: Piano, Andreas Kostandinou: Violin
and on cello Doros Zisimos.
According to Greek
mythology, King Kinyras (or Cinyras) of Cyprus was a son
of Apollo and the husband of Galatea. With Galatea, he
fathered Adonis and Myrrha. Kinyras was revered on
Cyprus as the creator of art and of musical instruments,
such as the flute. The myth holds that Kinyras and his
father, Apollo, held a musical contest to see who was a
better musician with a lyre. Kinyras lost and killed
himself.
Cypris is an alternative
name for Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love
and beauty. Aphrodite is also known as Cypris (or Kypris)
and Cytherea after the two places, Cyprus and Kythera,
which claim her birth.
The Nereids, according
to Greek mythology, are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters
of Nereus and Doris (and through the latter
granddaughters of Oceanus).
PrO/PM/CD
