ELENI KARAINDROU : Dust of Time (Music for the film by Theo Angelopoulos) (2009) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Theo Angelopoulos' 2008 film Dust of Time deals with the loss experienced by two Greek lovers separated by the Second World War, and the ways their loss is felt for generations. Eleni Karaindrou's atmospheric score is appropriately melancholy; she draws heavily on the folk traditions of Greece and Eastern Europe to evoke the sadness that permeates the film. She has an orchestra and an assortment of soloists, including folk musicians, at her disposal, but the majority of her tracks use only a few instruments: harp, violin, and accordion or bassoon, oboe, and cello, for instance. These small ensembles create a mood of intimacy that highlights the personal consequences of the larger devastation caused by the war. All of the music is either modal or in a minor key, so the mood is unrelieved by levity or joy. With the variety of instrumental combinations and the brevity of the tracks, the uniformity of mood isn't a problem. Karaindrou has an exceedingly light touch in her instrumentation, and she finds a broad range of ways to express grief, foreboding, and unfulfilled yearning. The performances, by the soloists and the Hellenic Radio Television Orchestra, led by Alexandros Myrat, are jewel-like in their delicacy and clarity. ECM's sound is immaculate, as is characteristic of the exemplary work of Manfred Eicher. The soundtrack is a lovely reminder of the film and should appeal to listeners looking for an album of gentle, contemplative, melancholy music with an Eastern European flavor. by Stephen Eddins  
Tracklist :
1    Le Temps Perdu    2:07
2    Dance Theme Var II    2:40
3    Notes I    1:19
4    Seeking Var II    2:23
5    Waltz By The River    3:33
6    Unravelling Time I    1:21
7    Tsiganiko I    1:22
8    Dance Theme Var I    3:17
9    Seeking    2:37
10    Memories From Siberia    3:16
11    Unravelling Time II    1:21
12    Notes II    2:33
13    Tsiganiko II    1:22
14    Seeking Var I    3:26
15    Dance Theme    4:30
16    Le Mal Du Pays    1:16
17    Nostalgia Song    1:38
18    Solitude    2:21
19    Adieu    2:18

Accordion – Dinos Hadjiiordanou (pistas: 2, 3, 5 to 8, 10 to 13, 16)
Bassoon – Spyros Kazianis (pistas: 2, 6, 8, 10, 11, 17)
Composed By – Eleni Karaindrou
Conductor – Alexandros Myrat (pistas: 9, 15)
French Horn – Antonis Lagos (pistas: 8, 10)
Harp – Maria Bildea (pistas: 1, 2, 5 to 8, 11, 13)
Oboe – Vangelis Christopoulos (pistas: 2, 6, 8, 10, 17)
Orchestra – Camerata, Friends Of Music Orchestra (pistas: 2, 4, 6, 14, 19), Hellenic Radio Television Orchestra (pistas: 9, 15)
Piano – Eleni Karaindrou (pistas: 3, 6, 12, 19), Natalia Michailidou (pistas: 9, 15)
Producer [Produced By] – Manfred Eicher
Violin – Sergiu Nastasa (pistas: 1, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 18)
Violoncello – Renato Ripo (pistas: 2, 7, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17)

ELENI KARAINDROU : Concert in Athens (2013) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The music of Greek film and theater score composer Eleni Karaindrou draws on elements of classical music and jazz, and sometimes on traditional Greek music, but it's not easy to classify as any of these. Karaindrou relies on small ensembles, with or without a small orchestra, creating a distinctive timbre for each piece. The music is low-key, but it's a remarkably flexible language. With Karaindrou herself on piano, top-flight chamber players Kim Kashkashian on viola and Vangelis Christopoulos on oboe, and Jan Garbarek's saxophone providing subtle jazz accents, the music has a remarkable fluid quality. ECM's sound in this live recording is strikingly clear (you can hardly tell it's live, and there's no applause or audience noise), but the label's usual minimalist graphics are a bit annoying here; it would have been helpful to know exactly what scenes the pieces were intended for: although some of the material (like Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie) is well known, titles like Laura's Waltz are very general. Still, the music grows on you as its colors emerge on repeated hearings, and the musicians of the Camerata Orchestra under Alexandros Myrat play with both sheen and obvious enjoyment. This is apparently something of a retrospective of Karaindrou's work, and it makes you want to hear more of it. by James Manheim  
Tracklist :
1    Requiem For Willy Loman    3:58
2    Eternity Theme    1:58
3    Closed Roads    5:36
4    Waiting    2:07
5    Voyage    2:10
6    Invocation    2:26
7    Tango Of Love    1:41
8    Tom's Theme    1:35
9    Laura's Waltz    3:22
10    Adagio    3:49
11    After Memory    2:45
12    Farewell Theme    4:27
13    Seeking Theme    2:18
14    Nostalgia Song    2:26
15    Waltz Of The Rain    2:44
16    Adagio For Saxophone    2:48
17    Dance    3:54
18    Requiem For Willy Loman, Var.    4:14

Accordion – Dinos Hadjiiordanou (pistas: 4, 7, 9, 14, 15, 17)
Bassoon – Sonia Pisk (pistas: 13)
Clarinet – Marie-Cécile Boulard (pistas: 13)
Composed By [All Compositions By] – Eleni Karaindrou
Conductor [Camerata Orchestra] – Alexandros Myrat (pistas: 1, 3, 5 to 10, 12 to 18)
Flute – Stella Gadedi (pistas: 13 to 15)
French Horn – Vangelis Skouras (pistas: 13, 17)
Harp – Maria Bildea (pistas: 4, 14, 15)
Mandolin – Aris Dimitriadis (pistas: 9, 14, 15)
Music Director [Artistic Direction] – Manfred Eicher
Oboe – Vangelis Christopoulos (pistas: 5, 10, 11, 13, 17)
Orchestra [String Orchestra] – Camerata Orchestra (pistas: 1, 3, 5 to 10, 12 to 18)
Piano – Eleni Karaindrou (pistas: 1, 2, 4, 12, 14, 18)
Producer [Concert Production] – The Athens Concert Hall
Producer [Produced By] – Manfred Eicher
Tenor Saxophone – Jan Garbarek (pistas: 1, 6, 8 to 12, 16, 18)
Trumpet – Socratis Anthis (pistas: 13)
Viola – Kim Kashkashian (pistas: 3, 9 to 11, 17)
Violin – Sergiu Nastasa (pistas: 5, 15)
Violoncello – Renato Ripo (pistas: 1, 3, 5 to 10, 12 to 18)