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THE DEATH OF THE VALIANT WOMAN
Symphonic poem in ballet form
1943/1944/4945

Orchestra: 3 3 3 3 – 4 3 3 1 – Timpani, Percussion, Glockenspiel, Carillon, Harp, Strings

Duration: 11’

First Performances
1) On 8 May 1943 as ballet with piano accompaniment
Rex Theatre, Athens
Choreographer and solo dancer: Loukia Sakelariou
2) On 26 October 1945, orchestral version
Olympia Theatre, Athens
Athens State Orchestra
Conducted by Manolis Kalomiris
3) On 9 November 1946 (as a ballet)
Olympia Theatre, Athens
National Opera of Greece
Conducted by Manolis Kalomiris
Choreography by Angelos Grimanis

Publication
Full score: Collection de l’ Institut Francais d’ Athens. Serie musicale, Athens, 1948. [Out of print]
Piano arrangement: Gaetanos, Athens 1948. [Out of print]

Discography
Manolis Kalomiris:
Rhapsody No. 1 (arr. G. Pierné for orchestra) & No. 2 "Song to the Night" (arr. B. Fidetzis for orchestra) / Lyrics (Songs of Sikelianos) / In St. Luke's Monastery / Minas the Rebel / The Death of the Valiant Woman.
[link]
Russian State Symphonic Cappella
Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra
Byron Fidetzis, conductor
Eva Kotamanidou, narrator
Julia Souglakou, soprano
2010, Naxos 8.572451
 
* For the transcription for piano look under the category Works for Solo Piano.


Simone Séaille, daughter of Spéranza Calo, to who Kalomiris dedicated his symphonic poem The Death of the Valiant Woman. [© Hara Kalomiri]

Kalomiris composed The Death of the Valiant Woman, his symphonic poem in “ballet form”, as he called it, in 1943; he worked, however, on the piece after that date as well, during the years 1944 and 1945.
The piece is dedicated to the memory of the young Simone Séaille, both a friend and a comrade to Krino, the composer’s daughter, who had been arrested by the Germans for her participation in the French Resistance, and died in Theresienstadt concentration camp, shortly before France was liberated. Simone was the daughter of the singer Spéranza Calo (Elpida Kalogeropoulou), who was a good friend as well as a collaborator of Kalomiris, later becoming a relative of his too, since her son Jean, married Krino.
The Death of the Valiant Woman praises the bravery and self-sacrifice of the heroic Greek women who will fight the enemy with no less courage than that of the Greek men. Neither the time of action nor the enemy is clearly defined, but since the piece was composed in the middle of the German occupation it most probably refers to that historic period. The piece has an intensely epic character, its melody being based on the popular Dance of Zalongo [a popular dance-song which refers to the women of Souli in Epirus, who chose death rather than capture by the Albanians of Ali Pasha (1804)], which permeates the whole piece in its numerous variations. The work was first performed in 1943, transcribed for piano by Kalomiris, at the Rex, with Loukia Sakellariou as choreographer and leading dancer. In its orchestral form it was first performed by the Athens State Orchestra at the Olympia in 1945. It was conducted by the composer himself. Finally, the work was fully staged by the National Greek Opera, choreographed by Angelos Grimanis, with the composer once more conducting the piece.
By killing one of the enemies who had invaded her village early that morning, the Valiant Woman encourages the rest of the women to fight together with their men. She gets to the front line and fights beside her loved one, being badly wounded. Without letting anybody understand her pain, she fights on, heartening the other women also, until the enemy retreats. She leads the dance of victory together with the rest of the village women, only to sink to the ground, dead. Slowly, her death turns from lament to glorification, and everybody thinks that they can see Liberty rising imperiously on the horizon.
[Text by Myrto Economides, from booklet of the CD The Peddler / Rhapsody No. 1 (arr. G. Pierné for orchestra) & No. 2 "Song to the Night" (arr. B. Fidetzis for orchestra) / In St. Luke's Monastery / Minas the Rebel / The Death of the Valiant Woman, 2000, PHORMIGX 111100.]

Dance of Zalongo from English Wikipedia [link]

An example of the original song [link]

ΟΡERΑS

THE MASTER BUILDER
Ο Πρωτομάστορας

THE MOTHER'S RING
Το δαχτυλίδι της Μάνας

SUNRISE
Ανατολή

THE SHADOWY WATERS
Ξωτικά νερά

KONSTANDINOS PALEOLOGOS
(The Fall of Constantinople)

Κωνσταντίνος ο Παλαιολόγος (Πήραν την Πόλη)

WORKS FOR VOICE AND ORCHESTRA

MAGIC HERBS
IAMBS AND ANAPAESTS - PART II
Μαγιοβότανα

THE PEDDLER
Ο Πραματευτής

I LOVE YOU
IAMBS AND ANAPAESTS - PART I
Σ’ αγαπώ

SONGS OF SIKELIANOS
Τραγούδια του Σικελιανού

FIVE SONGS FROM
THE FOURTH BOOK OF

THE CITY AND THE SOLITUDE
Πέντε τραγούδια από το τέταρτο βιβλίο Της πολιτείας και της μοναξιάς

THE TWO TOWNCRIERS
Οι δυο διαλαλητάδες

THE CURSE
Η κατάρα

“HAIDE HOURDE”
Χάιντε Χούρδε

WORKS FOR SOLO PIANO

ORIENTAL PAINTING
Ανατολική ζωγραφιά

THREE BALLADS
Τρεις μπαλάντες

NOCTURNE
Νυχτιάτικο

PATINADA
Πατινάδα

TWO RHAPSODIES
Δύο ραψωδίες

PRELUDES FOR PIANO
Πρελούδια για πιάνο

THE DEATH OF THE VALIANT WOMAN
Ο θάνατος της Αντρειωμένης

ΙΝΤΕΡΜΕΖΖΟ (from the opera SUNRISE)
Ιντερμέδιο (από την όπερα Ανατολή)

PRELUDE (from the MAGIC HERBS)
Πρελούδιο (από τα Μαγιοβότανα)

WORKS FOR TWO PIANOS

PRELUDE AND FUGUE
Πρελούδιο και φούγκα

ROMEIKI SUITE
Ρωμέικη σουίτα

SYMPHONY No. 3, “PALAMIKI” – Third part
Συμφωνία αρ.3 «Παλαμική» – Τρίτο μέρος

MINAS THE REBEL - CORSAIR OF THE AEGEAN
Μηνάς ο Ρέμπελος – Κουρσάρος στο Αιγαίο

PEDAGOGICAL WORKS FOR PIANO

FOR THE GREEK CHILDREN
Για τα ελληνόπουλα

FIRST PIANO LESSONS
Τα πρώτα μαθήματα για πιάνο

INCIDENTAL MUSIC

MUSIC AND MELODRAMA FOR “STELLA VIOLANTI”
Στέλλα Βιολλάντη – Μουσική και Μελόδραμα

SABBATH OF SOULS
Ψυχοσάββατο

PARGA
Η Πάργα

MACBETH
Μάκβεθ

THE SHEPHERDESS’ LOVER
Ο αγαπητικός της βοσκοπούλας

MUSICO-PEDAGOGICAL WORKS

ELEMENTARY THEORY
Στοιχειώδης θεωρία

VOCALISE – ÉTUDE

HARMONY
Αρμονία

MUSICAL FORMS
Μουσική μορφολογία

INSTRUMENTATION
Οργανογνωσία

FIRST PIANO LESSONS
Τα πρώτα μαθήματα για πιάνο

LESSONS IN MUSIC
Μαθήματα μουσικής

MELODIC EXERCISES
Μελωδικαί ασκήσεις

RHYTHMIC EXERCISES
Ρυθμικαί ασκήσεις

HARMONY EXERCISES
Θέματα αρμονίας

WORKS NOT LISTED IN THE MAIN BODY OF THE CATALOGUE
Έργα που δεν αναφέρονται στο κυρίως σώμα του Καταλόγου