It is indeed very rare to go to a concert in order not only to enjoy music but to learn about new works which have been unperformed for years.
Such was the case at the concert of 12/12/10 at the small but acoustically sound theater of the Athens Municipal Old people’s Home where in co production with the “Petite Opera du Monde” we were able to enjoy a concert of French Comic opera, with works by composers who are heard in Greece for the first time.
Iakovos Pappas is a harpsichordist who is very well known abroad, especially in France, who with the tenor Vagellis Aggelakis performed arias and pieces by Philidor, Duni, Gretry, Balbastre, Laborde, and Duply.
The arias performed were of an exceptional difficulty not only because they require a technical standard from the part of the singer, but considerable acting abilities as well. Vaggelis Aggelakis handled the difficulties with bravado, and although his voice was taxed on many occasions, especially on the higher register he managed to sail through the music with flying colors.
The joy of the evening was however the performance by Iakovos Pappas on solo pieces by Balbastre and Duply, a repertoire which is all but to rarely handled by harpsichordists. His performance was full of theatricality, and an acute sense of the technical difficulties of the various pieces, which combined with his inner musicality, gave us a performance of high standards. We would definitely like to hear him in a solo recital.
The evening drew to a close with a performance of an aria from “Pecheurs des perles” by Bizet.
Congratulations are in order not only for the performers but for the “P.O.D.M” which in such dire financial times supported such an enterprise.
