Santa Lucia (Live) at the Theater of Epidaurus

[linavanessa]

Excelente presentación orlando ... todo un artista

[nicoangel]

Επίδαυρος”. A moment in my life that I will never, ever forget. On our honeymoon, we traveled from Athens to Tripoli to my cousin’s home, meeting them, for the first time...my newly found family, who I never met before, displaying that “Big, Fat Greek Hospitality” that I knew quite well growing up back in Chicago on the South Side. After a wonderful late lunch, we left and, on our way back to Athens, I saw it!.... the Sign! ... “Επίδαυρος“ ( Epidaurus)..."ΤΟ ΜΕΓΑΛΟ ΙΕΡΟ ΘΕΑΤΡΟ...THE GREAT HOLY THEATRE" ! "The Gods Were Good To Me, for My childhood dream had come true”. I made a quick, illegal turn to access the road that led to the υπάρχει αστυνομία ....No Police!”...Ha HA!)....driving endlessly on a forever Winding Road which seemed forever, indeed . The midday Sun was waning then when we arrived around 5 pm, and, to our shock, we saw there were no buses, no cars, no taxis, no tourist guides. ! It Was Closed !! Heartbreak!!! No !!....No Way !!. “I did not travel to this Mythical Wonder, winding around those treacherous cliffs, only to be turned back” ( try doing that to a Hellene, BTW ). But!...Wait a had an idea, though...a schemingly, clever Odyssean plan ...that of the use of Our timeless, secret weapon ... “ The Hellenic Art of BS !” Would it work, though, I wondered ? The gracious, old gentleman, with the keys to the entrance to the Theatre, at the bottom of that hill, listened quietly, intently and respectfully to my hopefully persuasive, sobbing narrative (after a minute of laborious persuasion...telling him that I was a “Hollywood Director and that my wife was the Leading Lady…. the Staring Actress” in a blockbuster movie that was being produced there shortly). Yes... my Hellenic Language failed me throughout, BUT! ..even so, the great Aristophanes ( He!.. who capitalized on the Art of BS in our ageless Comedic Culture of Theatre) stood by me in spirit, proud of my speech at that very moment...why... I could hear his applause over the joyed roar of his ancient audience intently! “ΚΑΛΟ ΝΙΚΟ”……Aristophanes said in his ancient, Attic Hellenic Language.... I know!.... I heard him say it”…... “αυτό είναι” Well now... chuckling with his twinkling eyes and with ageless Wisdom, the old caretaker caught my sincerity or, shall we say………..”My BS”, and immediately smiled ...then allowed us both to run up to see this world marvel without escort. "Έχετε μόνο 15 λεπτά! Θα έρθω να σε πάρω μετά από αυτό Πήγαινε!" ( “you have 15 minutes ..after that I’ll come get you myself !!...GO! GO NOW... ON YOUR WAY!”) This man must be from Crete, I thought ! “ΙΣΧΥΡΟΣ”... STRONG & “ΣΚΛΗΡΟΣ”... TOUGH ! “Ένας Έλληνας γνωρίζει έναν Έλληνα, προφανώς!”....”A Hellene knows a apparently!. Well, we ran like Olympian Athletes up the hill ...to my “Dream Come True” since I was a child ! I was finally there... stunned ...crying endless tears. We were all alone.... no one the flowered, Northern Winds whistling softly. Yes.. I was allowed by the Gods now...standing over the weathered, bronze coin that Euripides once stood on in the center orchestra.... “Στεκόμουν μπροστά σε ένα μυθικό ελληνικό αυτί”…( I was standing in front of an Ancient Mythical Ear ). Respectively, rubbing my hands with the fertile soil of my father’s land, I waived to my wife as she climbed to the very top. I shouted “MOLON !”…. “LABE !” ( “COME!”....”TAKE!” ) and she responded like a timeless "Kouroi" maiden with that quintessential Hellenic "Contrapposto Pose"....PERFECT ! I knew then My Dream had come to fruition. I was on Olympus itself. As my wife and I traded places, she standing on the center bronze coin down in the orchestra and me now standing at the top of the theatre, I was profoundly stunned by her voice..so clear...so robust...thus realizing what “Genius My Ancestors Gave To Humanity”. Epidauvros is marvel of acoustics !
The stone steps filter the background noise and create a phenomenon called ‘virtual pitch, ’ which enhances the clarity and quality of sound. Additionally, the distance between the rows of seats diffuses the sound everywhere with the same intensity. Other factors include the sound bouncing back from the hard, compact surface of the orchestra and the theater stands, the good quality marble used, the quiet scenery and the constant breeze blowing from the orchestra to the viewers.
Now...Let me tell you all what the sound is really like ...exactly. Take both hands and place them behind both ears, as the elderly do when listening. Then.... speak your thoughts.... clearly abound ! Hence....all will flavor the exact magical sound quality expounded over two and a half thousand years of “Hellenic Brilliance” “The Immortality that is ...” MY ELLAS” ! "ZOUME YIA PANTA" !!