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Rating: ?The Weeping Meadow is made of fragments of memory and the resonance of a land which felt the steps of thousands of uprooted people from Odessa and Smyrni.?
?The Weeping Meadow? (Ecm New Series ? 2004) is the latest testament to the artistic union between composer Eleni Karaindrou and director Theo Angelopoulos. For several years now, Angelopoulos' films have been accompanied by the music of the composer from Teichio. By way of example, I cite, ?The Suspended Step Of The Stork? from 1991, ?Ulysses' Gaze? from 1994, ?Eternity And A Day? from 1998. The intense intellectual relationship between the two is now so strong that it transcends the mere necessity of a soundtrack. There is, in fact, a reciprocal inspiration in the realization of their respective works. In the past, for instance, Karaindrou's music inspired Angelopoulos with the necessary ideas to create the finale of ?The Suspended Step Of The Stork?. Listening to the music of the Hellenic composer, it's easy to understand the reason. It is poetic, evocative music, very delicate, yet at the same time laden with pathos. Furthermore, it clearly calls upon the traditions of Greek music. This comes from the fact that Karaindrou's background is very diverse. Having a diploma in piano and having worked with important orchestras like the "Stuttgarter Kammerorchester," she fundamentally has a classical musical education. But she also studied ethnomusicology in Paris, where she had to go with her family towards the end of the '60s due to the dictatorship of the colonels in Greece. Upon returning to her homeland, she also founded a laboratory for the study of traditional ethnic instruments. This proves that the composer has a strong sense of belonging to her land and its native culture.
In this wonderful work, you can find all the aspects that characterize the musical universe of Eleni Karaindrou. From the beginning, the weight of the Hellenic culture that inspired the composer is felt. The album is, in fact, opened by the solitary sound of an accordion, to which strings and horn are progressively added. Then, starting from a simple melodic cell, the theme is slowly unraveled, maintaining a fundamental recognizability. The cello, which gives body and substance to the music, is at the forefront in the development of the theme, invoking sensations akin to pain and melancholy. These registers are less present, however, in the other main thematic module of the album ("Theme Of The Uprooting"), which begins with the notes of a harp, to which the string orchestra and cello are added. There are also extremely lyrical moments like in the piece ?Prayer? where, beyond the aforementioned instruments, a choir and the lira of Constantinople can be found developing the music.
In general, there is the sensation of listening to epic music. The reason for this becomes clear when understanding the sense of the work that will be accompanied by these notes. ?The Weeping Meadow?, in fact, is the first film in a trilogy by Angelopoulos, which tells, against the backdrop of human events, the history of Greece from the early 1900s to today. In the first film of the trilogy, the director focuses on the period between 1919 and 1949, an era, therefore, of wars, tensions, miseries, great ideologies, and equally great illusions. The beautiful photos inside the booklet are a nice preview of the film, which does not promise to be easy. Just as it might not be easy to listen to this music, which despite the apparent simplicity of the themes, perhaps is not for everyone.
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