Panasmusic Online. Papagrigoriou - Nakas Music Publications

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This study, which evolved out of my doctoral dissertation, discusses Yannis A. Papaioannou’s 16 chamber music works using tonal harmonic idiom (1936-1962). This analysis is conducted in conjunc¬tion with a biographic survey and with comparisons with the rest of his work and the Greek and international contemporary historical frame.
One can detect some main stable stylistic features throughout the composer’s output: firstly, the foundation upon a classical style of motivic and thematic econ¬omy and organization of form, which commences with romantic classicism and evolves into various neoclassical idioms; also a programmatic element, which be¬comes particularly apparent through use of thematic transformation, suggestive titles, quotations and textural interruptions, which have narratological conse¬quences and may acquire ideological character. 
One finds that a strict categorization of his output in stylistic periods is not possible, since different main axes of style and aesthetics can be detected, which have not been followed only consecutively, but have coexisted, too (f.ex.classi¬cism and impressionism or twelve-tone system and tonal idiom). The phase of turn to the Greek National School is not the only one during which Papaioannou is preoccupied with the issue of conjunction of the western and eastern traditions.
In the 30’s Papaioannou deviated from the currently dominating ideology of the Greek National School, as he was influenced by impressionism and nationally orientated exoticism In his works from the 40’s he appears to conform more with the views of the National School as the use of folk or folk-like material or material from the byzantine tradition is concerned, but he does not reproduce some ideas expressed by contemporary composers, representatives of the School (Lambelet, Kalomoiris, Petridis). After the War, in some chamber music works and in some other ones as well (i.e. orchestral suites), a kind of archetypal visit to an idealis¬tically conceived archaic past, freely evoking Greekness, can be discerned, in ac¬cordance with similar quests by other Greek avant-garde composers (Sicilianos, Dragatakis, Xenakis).  
No critical reception for most of these works exists, as they have been rarely or never performed. The critical edition of the unpublished works, revealed in some cases Papaioannou’s particular sensibility for showing textual modifica-tions, through the parametres of dynamics, color and balance among the instru¬ments, which have been subjects of experimentation, while he sometimes revised his views and has not always been completely accurate in keeping homogeneity during the process of making a final draft. Accordingly, the editor had to undertake some decisions which are clearly stated on the scores and are being justified in the critical notes.