Théo Angelopoulos

Film and orchestral music composer Eleni Karaindrou has made a beautiful and moving statement with THE WEEPING MEADOW. A native of Greece, Karaindrou's influences are decidedly European, and within the music, one can hear the stamp of impressionistic composers like Erik Satie, avant garde innovators like Bartok, as well as Greek and Balkan folk forms. Karaindrou's music also traffics in 20th-century minimalism, creating tense, atmospheric spaces that feel empty and dense at once (one of the composer's frequently used motifs involves "patterns" that recall the tingling, polyphonic gestures of Phillip Glass). Although several themes are reprised throughout the album, the combination of ambient textures, folk phrasing (accordions, guitars, and violins figure prominently into several pieces), and lush orchestral work keep the music consistently interesting. The pieces are often set in a minor key, so a somber, melancholic mood prevails yet never feels forced or melodramatic, and the spacious, tasteful arrangements are in keeping with the ECM aesthetic.

Grand Prix à Cannes avec "Le Regard d’Ulysse" en 1995, puis Palme d’or en 1998 avec "L’Éternité et un jour", il marque le cinéma mondial par sa sensibilité à filmer l’histoire des hommes à travers celle de son peuple. L’intime devient l’universel dans ses oeuvres qui portent l’empreinte du temps. …

Eleni Karaindrou - Mousiki gia tainies (Music for Films) (2001) {5CD Box Set Minos-EMI 724353775223}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 949 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 458 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 38 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2001 Minos / EMI | 724353775223
Stage & Screen / Classical / Film Music / Jazz / Soundtracks / World Music

Once we are aware that certain music has been written for film, it’s easy to wax poetic about said music’s visual associations. Yet I believe that one needn’t be aware of Greek composer Eleni Karaindrou’s filmic motivations in order to feel it in the same way, for hers imagines, recites, and sings the lament of a zeitgeist in decay. Karaindrou’s themes are potent yet familiar, even (if not especially) to those who’ve never heard them before. Brimming with tragedy and triumph alike, this is music not only for the fictional, but also for real strangers crossing paths in a world of mist and shadows.