Gourzi, Konstantia

Konstantia Gourzi

(born in Athens/Greece, 31 March 1962)

Konstantia Gourzi’s name often appears as composer as well as conductor in the announcements of her concerts. Her portfolio of compositions includes not only operas, film music and works for music theatre and orchestra, but also numerous solo pieces and chamber music. Konstantia Gourzi’s musical work is documented in detail through radio recordings, television broadcasts and live streams. Recordings of her extensive discography were released at ECM, NEOS, NAXOS and SONY Classical.

Composer’s notes

Anájikon, the Angel in the Blue Garden

string quartet no 3, (2015) op. 61

I. The Blue Rose – singing, calmo ma intense
II. The Blue Bird – molto singing, rubato
III. The Blue Moon, a. the bright side, b. Turning, c. the dark side – powerful ma relaxed

Anájikon for string quartet is the first composition in a series of works for varying ensembles dedicated to angels. These angels, created by painters and sculptors who are close friends, inspired me to embark on this series, to give the angels sounds and portray them as musically alive. Color, form and sound are inseparable for me; and I feel it is both a challenge and a gift to compose music with this united “world” in the background.

The skulptur that inspired the sound-angel Anájikon is Alexander Polzin´s angel. The music is not attempting to interpret the painting. Instead the music stands very near to the “sounds” of the artwork and forms a new connection with it. Each of the sound angels will receive a name that does not yet stand for anything already in existence. I am searching for a specific sound-energy for each composition, inspired by each work of art, and this energy determines the names of the angel compositions

Konstantia Gourzi – A biographical essay > READ