{"id":243947,"date":"2026-04-03T15:40:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/?post_type=ekdilwsi&p=243947"},"modified":"2026-04-03T15:47:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:47:00","slug":"nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi","status":"publish","type":"ekdilwsi","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/","title":{"rendered":"NIKOS XYDAKIS – DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS “TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On Wednesday, 22 April<\/strong>, at 19:30<\/strong>, the National Gallery \u2013 Alexandros Soutsos Museum will host composer Nikos Xydakis<\/strong> at its Corfu Annex, where he will present the musical performance DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS “TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI”<\/em><\/strong>. This musical-poetic work is composed and performed by the artist himself. He will be accompanied by Alexandros Kapsokavadis (guitar, lafta, vocals), Efi Zaitidou (kanun), Despoina Spanou (cello, vocals), Fotis Mylonas (flute, vocals), and Yannis Koutagiar (double bass).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The performance will take place on Wednesday, 22 April, 2026, at 19:30<\/strong> in the exhibition space of the National Gallery\u2019s Corfu Annex, serving as the capstone event of the public programme held as part of the exhibition Painting in the Ionian Islands: 18th\u201319th century<\/em><\/strong> that was organized in collaboration with the Ionian University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From his earliest Arcadian explorations to the fiery verses of revolutionary romanticism, the poetry of Dionysios Solomos<\/strong> has inspired Nikos Xydakis<\/strong>, giving rise to a unique melodic interpretation rich in aesthetic insight, rhythmic tension, and inner resonance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition presents significant works, ranging from Panagiotis Doxaras to Pavlos Prosalentis, so one might say that Solomos\u2019s presence is palpable among the displayed exhibits. He is introduced to us through a portrait of him as an infant, painted by Nikolaos Koutouzis. Nearby, visitors can see the portrait of his fellow Zakynthian and contemporary, Elizabeth Moutzan-Martinegou, a champion of women\u2019s rights to education and freedom of expression. We think of him, too, as we encounter the portrait of Eugenios Voulgaris, a scholar predating Solomos, who as early as 1772 defended the ideals of the European Enlightenment and wrote passionately about homeland, liberty, and language \u2013 all concepts inseparable from Solomos\u2019s own work. We find ourselves murmuring verses from The Free Besieged<\/em> and the Hymn to Liberty<\/em> as we stand before works devoted to the Greek War of Independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the manuscript titled Thoughts on Count Solomos<\/em><\/strong> (Zakynthos, 1848), penned by Greece\u2019s national composer Nikolaos Chalikiopoulos Mantzaros, the musician writes of his poet friend: \u201cHe owed the quality of his voice to the strength of his vocal powers: it was harmonious, supple, and expressive, capable of stirring inspiration in him and of conveying the resonance of his verse. As a result, he instinctively composed much of his poetry in song, improvising melodies that gave full voice to the poetic vision of a deeply musical spirit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The performance at the National Gallery \u2013 Corfu Annex sheds light on this profound relationship between music and Solomos. As Nikos Xydakis notes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese sketches and songs were written many years ago. Though initially intended for private use, they were eventually recorded in 1990 under the title To Mr. Georgios De Rossi<\/em>. They became a kind of journal: a personal, solitary, melodic reading of Dionysios Solomos\u2019s poetry, from his early poems to excerpts from the Hymn to Liberty<\/em> and fragments of The Free<\/em> <\/em>Besieged<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis journal,\u201d he notes, \u201cwas a first impression born of this musical reading \u2014 perhaps somewhat arbitrarily, yet unmistakably from the musician\u2019s point of view. Whether Dionysios Solomos writes of the death of a child in Psychoula<\/em>, of Lord Byron, of Eurykomi<\/em>, of To a Dying Friend<\/em>, of The Free Besieged<\/em>, The Cretan<\/em>, or the Hymn to Liberty<\/em>, he is always deeply moved \u2014 neither mournful nor heroic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver time, new fragments and excerpts were added to the work, drawn mainly from the Sketches for The Free Besieged<\/em>, The Cretan<\/em>, and the Hymn to Liberty<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd as a litany begins to take shape, an endless psalmody, a procession for absent loved ones \u2014 almost a sacred love song \u2014 another song rises, erotic and filled with death\u2026 Like a brass band at the end of a procession, its musicians gradually dispersing, it ends in the same way \u2014 like Solomos\u2019s fragments. Amid the ruins of the text and its poetic fragments, traces of psalmody and new instrumental interludes form a musical vigil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe this profound song survives in Solomos, this breaking voice\u2026 and in the end his poetry itself scatters into fragments. This is a musical reading made of notes, sounds, and dreams \u2013 dreams so frequent in Solomos\u2019s work, suspended between sleep and waking. And with them comes, almost always, the evocative presence of Solomos himself, in the image we know from painted portraits: black-clad, almost clerical, high-browed, flame-haired, his gaze half sorrowful, half contemplative\u2026 \u2018A faint and distant light in a vast and desolate darkness\u2026\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Credits<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NIKOS XYDAKIS\u00a0| composition, performance
ALEXANDROS KAPSOKAVADIS\u00a0| guitars, lute, lafta, vocals
DESPOINA SPANOU\u00a0| cello, vocals
FOTIS MYLONAS\u00a0| flute, vocals
EFI ZAITIDOU\u00a0| kanun
YANNIS KOUTAGIAR\u00a0| double bass<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musical Direction: ALEXANDROS KAPSOKAVADIS 
Production Management: Artway \u2013<\/strong> Technotropon Cultural Productions 
Photography: George Spanos<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date: Wednesday 22 April
Time: 19:30
Venue: National Gallery, Corfu Annex, Castellino Building, Kato Korakiana
Contact numbers: 26610 93333 \/ 26610 80233
Information: Marina Papassotiriou<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday, 22 April, at 19:30, the National Gallery \u2013 Alexandros Soutsos Museum will host composer Nikos Xydakis at its Corfu Annex, where he will present the musical performance DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS “TO MR. GEORGIOS DE […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":242812,"template":"","katigoria":[],"class_list":["post-243947","ekdilwsi","type-ekdilwsi","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNIKOS XYDAKIS - DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS "TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI" - National Gallery<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NIKOS XYDAKIS - DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS "TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI" - National Gallery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On Wednesday, 22 April, at 19:30, the National Gallery \u2013 Alexandros Soutsos Museum will host composer Nikos Xydakis at its Corfu Annex, where he will present the musical performance DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS “TO MR. GEORGIOS DE […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"National Gallery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-03T12:47:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/xydakis.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/events\\\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/events\\\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\\\/\",\"name\":\"NIKOS XYDAKIS - DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS \\\"TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI\\\" - National Gallery\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/events\\\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/events\\\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/xydakis.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-03T12:40:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-03T12:47:00+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/events\\\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/events\\\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/events\\\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/xydakis.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/xydakis.png\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/events\\\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"\u0391\u03c1\u03c7\u03b9\u03ba\u03ae\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u0395\u03ba\u03b4\u03b7\u03bb\u03ce\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/events\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"NIKOS XYDAKIS – DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS “TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI”\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"National Gallery\",\"description\":\"Alexandros Soutsos Museum\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nationalgallery.gr\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"NIKOS XYDAKIS - DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS \"TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI\" - National Gallery","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"NIKOS XYDAKIS - DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS \"TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI\" - National Gallery","og_description":"On Wednesday, 22 April, at 19:30, the National Gallery \u2013 Alexandros Soutsos Museum will host composer Nikos Xydakis at its Corfu Annex, where he will present the musical performance DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS “TO MR. GEORGIOS DE […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/","og_site_name":"National Gallery","article_modified_time":"2026-04-03T12:47:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/xydakis.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/","url":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/","name":"NIKOS XYDAKIS - DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS \"TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI\" - National Gallery","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/xydakis.png","datePublished":"2026-04-03T12:40:20+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-03T12:47:00+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/xydakis.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/xydakis.png","width":1920,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/nikos-xydakis-dionysios-solomos-to-mr-georgios-de-rossi\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\u0391\u03c1\u03c7\u03b9\u03ba\u03ae","item":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u0395\u03ba\u03b4\u03b7\u03bb\u03ce\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2","item":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/events\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"NIKOS XYDAKIS – DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS “TO MR. GEORGIOS DE ROSSI”"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/","name":"National Gallery","description":"Alexandros Soutsos Museum","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ekdilwsi\/243947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ekdilwsi"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ekdilwsi"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/242812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"katigoria","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/katigoria?post=243947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}