Pavlos Carrer
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Pavlos Carrer (Zakynthos, 12 May 1829 - Zakynthos, 7 June 1896) was a Greek composer. He studied in Zakynthos, Corfu and in Milan. His first operas were performed at the Teatro Carcano, Milan, in the early 1850s. In 1857 he returned to Zakynthos, where Isabella d'Aspeno and La rediviva were performed. In 1858 excerpts from his opera Marcos Botsaris were performed in Athens with King Otto present. However he was unable to secure its performance in his native Zakynthos because the island was occupied by the British at the time and they feared the subject of the opera (the Greek war of independence) would increase pro-independence sentiments among the Zakynthos and other Ionian islands population. In mainland Greece, Marcos was first performed in Patras in 1861 and then Athens in 1875. Throughout his career, Carrer also worked as a teacher.
Carrer was one of the most popular and widely performed composers in nineteenth century Greece. His style has Italian influences, especially from Verdi. However, his musical idiom became more and more personal as he sought inspiration in popular themes.
[edit] Works
Operas: Isabella d'Aspeno, La rediviva, Marcos Botsaris, Fior di Maria, I kyra Frossyni, Maria Antonietta, Despo, i irois tou Souliou, Marathon - Salamis, etc.
Sacred vocal: Ina ti efryaxan ethni
Secular vocal: O Demos, O stratiotis/Asma polemou, I anthopolitra, Lave ena rhodo agapi mou
Instrumental: 45 pieces for piano
[edit] Sources
- E. Legrand: Bibliographie ionienne du quinzieme siecle l'anne 1900, ed. H. Pernot, iii (Paris, 1910)
- N. Varvianis: "Pavlos Carreris", Elliniki dhimiourghia [Hellenic creation], viii/85 (1951), 276-80
- G. Leotsakos, ed.: Pavlou Carrer Apomnimonvmata ke Katalogos rgon ke moussikon heirographon [The Memoirs of Pavlos Carrer and a Catalogue of his Works and Musical Manuscripts] (Athens, 2000)
