Harilaos Perpessas

Charilaos Perpessas (Greek Χαριλάος Περπέσσας or Περπέσας, also Charilaos or Perpessa; born May 10, 1907 in Leipzig, † October 19, 1995 in Sharon ( Massachusetts)) was a Greek composer of classical music. Despite its minimal obtained the estate, he is next to Nikos Skalkottas Dimitri Mitropoulos and as one of the most important Greek Symphony of the early New Music in contrast to the conservative Greek National School, which dominated the music scene in Greece until after the Second World War.

Perpessas was born as the son of the furrier Konstantinos Perpessas and his wife Agnis Moustafa, who both came from Siatista, in Leipzig. Here he visited from Easter 1917 King -Albert High School. The basics of composition, he worked as an autodidact. He studied Political Science 1926-1931 in Berlin and participated for a short time (1926-1927) at the city's master class Arnold Schoenberg, whose twelve-tone technique he - unlike his fellow student and friend Skalkottas - but never appropriated itself.

After the seizure of power by the National Socialists Perpessas went next to Athens, where 1934 and 1935 some orchestra and concert compositions by him were at the Conservatory, the Athens Odion, listed, among other things, under Dimitri Mitropoulos. Here he also met his wife, the singer and musicologist Eleni Malafeka - Perpessa ( Ελένη Μαλαφέκα - Περπέσσα ) know. In addition, he worked as a pianist. During the Battle of Athens 1944, he was injured while trying to escape after arrest for violation of a curfew by a British soldier on his left hand, which he henceforth made ​​the piano playing impossible.

1948 moved Perpessas in the United States, where he was staying in different cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Cambridge (Massachusetts ). He lived in the United States of grants and pensions artists without stepping into the spotlight to a greater extent. A few documents extensive correspondence between Perpessas the late 1940s and now has branches in California Schoenberg, the Perpessas asked for a letter of recommendation, Schoenberg's occupied memory of a talented student, who composed in the style of Stravinsky at the time.

Dimitri Mitropoulos played with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1950 Perpessas ' 1936-37 resulting, revised 1948-50 Second Symphony with the title Christ, which was inspired by Wagner's essay religion and art. The work was repeated a month later due to public inquiries and six years later by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra replayed, as well as a concert by the New York Philharmonic under Mitropoulos is occupied by a Prelude and Fugue for Orchestra. In addition, Perpessas dealt with the music of Bach and Beethoven: He orchestrated Bach's Art of Fugue and Beethoven's String Quartet Op 127 and composed " Symphonic Variations " on Beethoven's Eighth.

Perpessas remained throughout his life the tonality arrested as the basis of his music. Influences on his work can be seen in the compositions of Wagner, Strauss, Mahler, Debussy and Ravel. Many of the earlier works from his time in Athens, but also the time after 1955 Perpessas has destroyed itself - a considerable part of his work is lost.

• Dithyramb of Dionysus (Greek dithyramb tou Dionysou Διθύραμβος του Διονύσου ) for piano and orchestra, 1934
• Symphony No. 1 (1934 )
• Ecce homo (Greek Ide o anthropos Ίδε ο άνθρωπος ) for orchestra ( 1935)
• Prelude and Fugue in C major for orchestra ( 1935)
• Symphony No. 2 ( 1936-37, Revision as Christ 1948-50 )
• Symphonic Variations on Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 (Greek Symfonikes parallages stin 8i Symfonia tou Betoven Συμφωνικές παραλλαγές στην 8η Συμφωνία του Μπετόβεν )