Ionian School (music)

As Ionian School (Greek Eptanisiakí scholi Επτανησιακή Σχολή ) a group of composers of the 19th century is called the Ionian Islands, which is the earliest form of the modern Greek art music under the influence of Italian music. At the same time it was groundbreaking for the expression of a national Greek art music.

The Italian musical tradition of the Ionian Islands

The history of the Ionian Islands was determined since the Middle Ages of Western European influence, from 1215 to 1797 they were in the possession of the Venetian Republic, then after a short French period from 1815 until the integration to Greece in 1864 as the independent United States of the Ionian Islands under British protectorate.

Already in the 18th century, established by name to Corfu and Zakynthos a vibrant West European bourgeois musical culture, which was determined mostly by Italian music traditions. The oldest building of the Teatro San Giacomo, the opera house of the island's capital, Corfu, was completed in 1690 and initially housed traveling theatrical companies with comedies like the works of Goldoni and performances of the commedia dell'arte. Since 1733 ( Hierone Tiranno di Siracusa by Bernardo Sabadini ) the house also served Italian opera companies as a guest venue. The musical life of the Ionian islands itself was dominated by immigrants from Italy, who worked primarily as an instrumental teacher.

In the town of Zakynthos, the first Greek school of music in 1815 founded in 1816 as Philharmonic Association ( Φιλαρμονικός Σύλλογος Ζακύνθου ) under the Italian Marco Battagel the first band, in 1843 the forty piece orchestra Philharmonic Society Zakynthos ( Φιλαρμονική Εταιρεία Ζακύνθου ) under Giuseppe Cricca and Francesco Marangoni.

First generation

As the first genuinely Greek composer applies the Korfiote composer Nikolaos Mantzaros, who studied with Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli in Italy and from 1823 taught in Corfu. From him comes alongside the music of later Greek national anthem with Il crepusculo (1815 ) is the oldest opera by a Greek composer. His friendship with one of the early explorers and advocates of the Greek vernacular Dimotiki, the poet Dionysios Solomos, whose poems he set to music, also led to the first modern compositions in the Greek language.

After the founding of the Conservatory of the " Philharmonic Society of Corfu " ( Φιλαρμονικὴ Ἑταιρεία Κερκύρας ) in 1840 was Mantzaros its first director. From him almost all other ionic composers were structured to Frangiskos Domeneginis (1809-1874), Spyridon Xyndas, the brothers Andonios and Iosif Liveralis, possibly also a native of Zakynthos Pavlos Carrer, which is considered as the most important opera composer of the early Ionian school. Some of these composers were descended from immigrants from Italy musicians, almost all spent part of their studies of Italian conservatories.

The compositions of this first generation of composers of the Ionian school designed - similar to Italian music of the 19th century - the emphasis on vocal music and were clearly in the bel canto tradition of composers such as Mercadante, Bellini, Rossini and Verdi. Simultaneously, the tentative exploration of Greek and especially ionic folk music, which was expressed mainly in song and piano compositions began. For the theater in Corfu and Zakynthos no small number of opera compositions arose. It also events of the Greek independence struggle of the 1820s were brought to the stage, with Xyndas ' opera O ypopsifios ( Ο υποψήφιος, The Candidate ') of 1867 was the first complete opera writing in the Greek language to the stage.

Second generation

With the establishment of the Athens Conservatory in 1871 as the first university for music capital of the Ionic musical tradition was first opposed by a national Greek in the capital. Spyridon Xyndas was one of the first teachers there, among his pupils, a native of Corfu Spyros Samaras (1864-1935), which represents the late Romantic oriented second generation of the Ionian school. He studied not only in Italy, but, among others in Paris with Léo Delibes, and was successful during the upcoming Verismo long as a composer in Italy, led his works but also in Corfu and Athens. Also in France, was Dionysius Lavrangas (1860-1941) from Kefalonia train. His opera I dyo adelfia (, The two brothers ') is considered the first Greek National Opera. The brothers, born in Corfu Napoleon (1964-1932) and Georgios Lambelet (1875-1945) turned to more research into Greek folk music and were forerunners of the Greek National School, which broke away gradually from the Italian influence and where from Smyrna originating Manolis Kalomiris should find their most prominent representatives, who in a manifesto national Greek art music postulated in 1908 for the first time.