Emilios Riadis

Emilio Riadis (Greek Αιμίλιος Ριάδης, mostly French Emile Riadis, actually Emilio Kou Αιμίλιος Κου, usually transcribed Khu; born May 13, 1880 in Thessaloniki, † July 17, 1935 ibid ) was a Greek pianist and composer of classical music.

Life

Riadis was the son of the alleged Greek -born, coming from Teschen in Silesia pharmacist Errikos ( Heinrich) Chou (or Hou, possibly originally " Houis " ) and the Greek Anastasia Gregoriou - Nini. His first lessons in piano and harmony he took in his hometown at the Wagner student Dimitrios Lalas ( 1848-1911 ). From 1908 to 1910 he studied at the Munich Royal Academy of Music piano and composition (with Anton Beer- Walbrunn ); 1910 to 1915 he continued his studies in Gustave Charpentier and Maurice Ravel in Paris, where he gained some attention among French and Greek counterparts; Florent Schmitt is said to have called him a " Greek Mussorgsky "; Ravel the term mon ingenious élève ("my brilliant students " ) has survived.

At the beginning of the First World War, he was arrested as a citizen of the Ottoman Empire and returned in 1915 in his now Greek hometown, where he was based from 1916 to the end of his professor of piano at the 1914 State Conservatory, from around 1920, its vice - director also. In 1923 he was awarded the National State Prize for Art and Literature. The seven languages ​​dominant composer was regarded as reclusive and eccentric, his contacts with contemporary composers such as Kalomiris Mitropoulos and the poet Kostis Palamas or were sporadic, so that the biography after his repatriation, little is known. Although productivity is said to have been greatly reduced as a composer in Thessaloniki, he composed some chamber music and gave lectures on Chinese and ancient Egyptian music, as well as Mozart. Riadis died a few days after his mother in the city hospital of Thessaloniki brucellosis; on his deathbed he is said to have spoken of a head in the finished string quartet composed.

Work

The early work Riadis ' is characterized by song compositions in the style of the Greek National School. In addition to Greek folk music, he was also interested in Turkish and Asian music that went down in his compositions. The piano accompaniment of these mostly very simple songs is subtle, transparent and impressionistic and sometimes imitates various folk instruments. From the period from 1892 is also some passed down to chamber music, most larger-scale works remained unfinished. Even in these works is a strong interest for the non- well-tempered music of the East felt that expresses itself, among others, in the very frequent use of double sign. The most productive period as a composer Riadis experienced during his stay abroad, where influenced him above all his teachers Ravel sustainable. So Riadis is now perceived as the main representative of a Greek Impressionism.

From a young age Riadis published in various magazines such as Ethnikon Imerologion ( Ἐθνικὸν Ἡμερολόγιον ) or Makedonikon Imerologion ( Μακεδονικὸν Ἡμερολόγιον ) poems under the name Emilio Eleftheriadis, which later became his pseudonym was, which he had in 1934 officially enter. In addition to prose works, he also wrote about 200 pages of a history of music.

Riadis was extremely self-critical, the traditional sketches often have many versions started even printed works were edited by him even further. Up to some song compositions only a few works to Riadis ' were printed during his lifetime, some of the chamber music compositions have been reconstructed in the second half of the 20th century from the manuscripts by the composer Nikos Christodoulou and the conductor Byron Fidetzis. Some works were again only found around the turn of the millennium, which gives hope for further discoveries.

Works (selection)

Opera fragments

• Galatea, music drama in three acts, libretto by P. Ch Jablonski, 1912-13 Act 1 in Piano, Act 2 as a score, sketches of Act 3 in Piano
• La route verte, opera in one act, libretto J. Valcler, 1914 Piano Sketches

Music for the Stage

• Salome (Oscar Wilde ), 1922, received only 96 cycles as Piano
• Hecuba ( Euripides ), for orchestra, 1927
• Riquet à la houppe ( T. de Banville, Translator of Riadis as Ο Ρικές με το τσουλούφι ), 1929

Instrumental music

• Nanourisma ( Lullaby ) for violin and piano, 1908
• Fugue in C minor for Piano 1909
• Prélude tragique or Symphonietta for piano in 1911; Version as Ombres macédoniennes for two pianos, 1912
• Trois danses grecques for piano, 1925
• Hommage à Ravel for piano
• Two Sonatas for Cello and Piano
• String Quartets in G minor, D minor
• Invocation à la paix for orchestra

Choral music

• Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and various other liturgical songs

Song compositions

Clips

• Trygos ( Τρύγος, MP3, 923 kB) from five dance songs ( Πέντε χορευτικά τραγούδια )