The Olympic Flame by Panayoti Karousos
The opera The Olympic Flame is Panayoti Karousos second part of the Hellenic Trilogy included Prometheus – The Olympic Flame – Alexander the Great. The work relates to the legend of Hercules – Herakles – and the founding of the Olympic Games, depicting the the gratness of human spirit and the humanism of the Hellenes as is stated in the philosophical works of Greek Antiquity and clearly endicates that we are all descendants of the culture and sivilasation of that era.
The opera is entirely based on the Olympic Flame an as it unfolds gives us the fundamental meaning behind this ancient Greek religious ritual, for that is what it is.
The flame as we know it furring the Olympics is basically a simple commemoration / re-enactment of the flame as was stolen from the Gods by Prometheus and brought to the people. The flame of knowledge, from which civilizations were born. In Greek antiquity it was a religious ritual, with the purpose of bringing of the people closer to the Gods.
At the second act of the opera Heracles goes and liberates Prometheus at the Mount Caucasus in a majestic Wagnerian duo with a report to Nietzschean superhuman race.
Its third act is based on the tragedy “Trachiniae” by Sophocles. In the Trachiniae, are described the sufferings and the levity of Deianeira, atoned for by her death.
The Olympic Flame is a presentation of a major work of Greek mythology and philosophy, and in turn its contribution to world civilization.
The sound of this opera is glorious with thick orchestration of a large symphony orchestra. At the end of the opera Prometheus come after the sacrament of reconciliation with Zeus and brings Hercules to Olympus.
The Opera first presented in Montreal at the monumental Notre Dame Basilica 6 May 2005, sung in French with the OSJL-L Symphony Orchestra, choir and soloists under the direction of Andre Gauthier. The critics said the Karousos music creates an extreme emotional sound that drowns the audience in deep tragedy.
The work was represented in New York with the Astoria Symphony Orchestra and soloists with maestro Grand Gilman, and at Hague, Holland with the Gunst wat'n Kunst Choir and Symphony Orchestraconducted by maestro Rafael Pylarinos. In Greece Olympic Flame presented at the Old Parliement of Greece with Greek opera diva Irene Konsta in the leading role of Deianira.