History is awoken in music

A musical journey spanning four millennia will be packed into a few hours this Tuesday when the European Capital of Culture Pafos2017 will present a musical performance under the name From Mycenae to Pafos.

The concert will take place at Maa-Palaiokastro, which is located some 13 kilometres northwest of Paphos. Excavations at the site revealed a fortified settlement, situated on a small peninsula, dating back to the Late Bronze Age (1400 BC) and connected to the Achaean Greeks and the subsequent Hellenisation of Cyprus.

A round subterranean exhibition room – work of Italian architect Andrea Bruno – has been constructed at the site, with only its bronze dome visible from the outside. It is here renowned Cypriot composer and pianist Savvas Savva will present his works, which will put this historical site in perspective.

Savva will be on the piano while Marios Nicolaou will accompany him on percussion instruments (including bells, xylophones, drums and more) and Katerina Andreou will sing. This tribute to the

Mycenaean colonisation of the island was written especially for the European Capital of Culture Pafos2017 and the location. The peculiarity of the formation of the venue provides the composer with a vast array of possibilities when it comes to how sound and a location can interact.

In this world premiere, Savvas takes advantage of the full spectrum of a piano keyboard, makes extensive use of percussion instruments and exploits the unlimited abilities of the human voice in an attempt to illustrate how the landing of the Achaeans at this beautiful peninsula has inspired him.

From Mycenae to Pafos – A Musical Journey of Four Millennia
Musical performance with Savvas Savva on piano, Marios Nicolaou on percussions and Katerina Andreou on vocals. August 8. Maa – Palaiokastro, Coral Bay, Paphos. 8.30pm. Free. Tel: 26-932017

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