NATALIA KOTSANI - TASOS KOFODIMOS: APOKOPOS by BERGADIS

Natalia Kotsani and Tasos Kofodimos, two of the most active performers and creators of the contemporary Greek music scene, join forces, composing and performing Bergadis’ poem Apokopos in an original musical performance for the first time. Using their compositions, their voices and their musical instruments as a vehicle, they present the original setting of the poem through compositions inextricably linked to the roots of the Greek musical tradition, but also with elements from traditional Mediterranean customs. The contemporary interpretation of the two composers highlights the poetic discourse that playfully disrupts existing perceptions, recalling literary, religious and popular conventions in order to overturn them.
The visual artist Natalia Manta illustrates the narrative in real-time through live visuals, which are projected in the space.
They are joined on stage by three renowned musicians, Vasilis Rakopoulos on guitar, Vaggelis Zographos on double bass and Aggelos Polychronou on percussion, sometimes in an experimental and sometimes in an improvisational mood, highlighting the blending of Greek and Western elements of Apokopos, which makes it one of the masterpieces of European literature. The performance features Ross Daly.
Bergadis’ poem Apokopos is the most significant piece of early Cretan literature and was the first Greek literary work printed in Venice in 1509. It has been described as the most poetic text of 16th-century Cretan literature and stands out for its enigmatic allure, power and contemporary poetic sense that borders on philosophical conception.