ΟΡΝΙΘΕΣ, THE BIRDS. From Aristophanes to Hadjidakis

Aristophanes was a rather prolific comedy writer, who lived from ca. 446 to ca. 386 BC. An amazing eleven of his forty plays have survived and the best-known is probably The Birds created in 414 BC.

The poet was greatly disappointed by the political situation in Athens and the misery of his countrymen at that time. To express his disagreement (and probably his frustration), he composed this caustic protest.

The story is told by two Athenians, who like Aristophanes, are disgusted with the situation. They decide to leave the city. On their way, they meet the birds and manage to convince them to create an Ideal State, named Nephelococcygia, somewhere between Heaven and Earth. From there, they’ll rule the world in fairness and in honesty.

The Macedonian kings, including Alexander, must have been familiar with the work of Aristophanes. This means that Alexander may very well have attended the performance of The Birds in his home country and maybe even on special occasions while he was in Asia.

Manos Hadjidakis lived more than two centuries later. He was born in Xanthi, Greece in 1925 (his house is still there to visit) and died in Athens in 1994. He wrote songs, soundtracks for movies, and musicals but also a great collection of poems. People outside Greece generally know him from the song Never on Sunday which won him an Oscar, but in my opinion, he wrote far better music. Today, he is considered to be one of the greatest songwriters of his time, and certainly so in Greece.

Hadjidakis’ version of The Birds is obviously based on the play by Aristophanes. Initially, the piece was not well received because his music was a kind of urban Greek music called rebetiko. This style is generally described as the popular song of the Greeks, mostly the poorest classes, common from the late 19^th century to the 1950s and 1960s. Hadjidakis managed to create a unique sound, the kind of music that stands alone. And it clearly stands out.

It takes time for our Western ears to get used to but eventually, with time and an open mind, it really does grow on you!

The Birds has been successfully performed in concerts, plays, and even as a ballet choreographed by Maurice Béjart. Personally, I prefer the orchestral rendition where I can let my imagination run freely. Unfortunately, I have not found it available on YouTube, but I highly recommend the CD released by EMI under the title ΟΡΝΙΘΕΣ, THE BIRDS, ISBN 7243 5 22324 2 0. The music is totally enthralling. To add to the pleasure of the listener, the CD comes with a leaflet containing the lyrics both in Greek and in English.

Among the most interesting YouTube music by Hadjidakis, it is worth exploring these two links 30 Νυχτερινά Μάνος Χατζιδάκις and Ο Μάνος Χατζιδάκις Στη Ρωμαϊκή Αγορά Full Album

Of course, this is a far cry from the kind of music in antiquity as we know it (see: Reconstructing ancient Greek music, an impossible task?). We may wonder what the ancients, including Alexander and Aristophanes, would have thought of Hadjidaki's interpretation.