An ERT cellist on the shutdown: “They don’t realise what they do.”

By @kixes, re-posted from #spuddings

The performance was short. Extracts from Mozart’s Requiem, voices interwoven with the melodies and harmonies from strings, brass and woodwinds. When it was over there was a short silence before the applause, and members of the chorus raised their arms with the ‘V’ sign. The applause went on and on, and one by one audience members stood up to give the ERT orchestra a standing ovation.

Considering that one of their last official concerts drew a crowd of 1,200, Tuesday night’s reception was a modest one. But the applause went on and on, a rhythmic clap as the orchestra stood for their bows and the conductor hugged the concert master.

After all, who knows how long more this orchestra can go on?

#rbnews international weekly bulletin 30 March - 05 April 2013

The text companion to this week's #rbnews international show is now online. You can read it after the jump.

Bulletin d'informations du 6 avril 2013 en Grèce - #26

Bulletin FR 130406 radiobubble by Krot on Mixcloud

Préparé par l'équipe de #rbnews international, traduit par @Krotkie

Α la une de rbnews international cette semaine:

• Les réactions contre la construction de la mine d'or dans le nord de la Grèce continuent, tandis qu'une recherche du Journal des Rédacteurs dévoile une contamination par des métaux lourds au large des eaux dans la région. 
• Des manifestations pour l'acquisition de la citoyenneté grecque par les enfants d'immigrés de deuxième génération ont été organisées par des associations antiracistes dans plusieurs villes de Grèce.
• La Mairie d'Athènes menace de fermer des dizaines d'espaces culturels en se basant sur une loi votée pendant la dictature de Metaxas en 1937.
• La taxe spéciale sur la propriété immobilière est maintenue pour la troisième année consécutive malgré les réactions sociales très importantes. 
• La police grecque poursuit l'opération Thetis contre les toxicomanes dans le centre d'Athènes. 

#rbnews international show 09 March 2013: Culture in the time of the crisis, part 3 - Interview with crime fiction writer Petros Markaris

On #rbnews international this week, we continued our series about culture in the time of the crisis. The first two shows focused on theatre and dance; today we moved on to books and had the pleasure to interview Petros Markaris, a Greek crime fiction writer whose latest novel, Bread - Education - Freedom, is the last installment of his Crisis Trilogy. Mr. Markaris told us of his approach to crime fiction, of his thoughts on Athens and Greek society during the crisis, and of his assessment of the impact of the crisis on cultural life.

Special thanks to @amaenad who translated the excerpts of Bread - Education - Freedom that you can hear in the show.

The podcast is available, as usual, after the jump.

#rbnews international show 02 February 2013 - Culture in the time of the crisis (2): The Dance Box at the Greek National Opera

On #rbnews international on 02 February 2013, we continued our series about culture in the time of the crisis in Greece with a show dedicated to dance. We interviewed Renato Zanella (@ZanellaRZ), the head of the ballet company at the Greek National Opera, who launched, among other things, the Dance Box, a bridge programme for unemployed graduates of the Opera's dance academy. The Dance Box company will be officially presented in a dance gala in the Olympia theatre in Athens on Sunday 03 February.

The pieces of music in the show are excerpts from:

• Gioachino Rossini: Overture of "La Gazza Ladra"
• Johann Strauss, Jr: Tritsch-Tratsch (polka, opus 214), Frühlingstimmer (waltz, opus 410), Klipp-Klapp (gallopade, opus 466), 
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate (motet, opus 165). 

You can listen to the podcast after the jump. 

#rbnews international show 19 January 2013: Culture in the time of the crisis, part 1 - Our Great Circus

On #rbnews international on 19 January 2013, we inaugurated our series about culture in the time of the crisis in Greece with a show dedicated to the play "Our Great Circus", which is currently staged in the National Theatre of Northern Greece (@NTNGreece) in Thessaloniki. Director Sotiris Chatzakis, actors Tasos Nousias and Marina Aslanoglou, and singer Zaharias Karounis told us about this seminal text of contemporary Greek political theatre, the reasons behind its success in 1973 as well as 2012-2013, and the changes and challenges posed by the crisis to the performing arts scene in Greece.

The music excerpts in the show are the songs composed by Stavros Xarchakos for the play, with the voice of Zaharias Karounis from the 2012-2013 run of the play and Nikos Xylouris from the 1973 run, and "Ta Lianotragouda" from the "Megalo Erotiko" by Manos Hatzidakis.

Special thanks to @northaura, @ippotis_nyktos and @Skoufokokinitsa for helping with the voiceover.

You can listen to the podcast after the jump.

"Corpus Christi" censoring attempts and the politics of faith in Greece

By @inflammatory_

 Protester’s jumper against “Corpus Christi” reads
“Orthodoxy or Death” via lifo.gr

Back in May of 1998, Manhattan Theater Club (MTC) in NY cancelled the scheduled production of the three-times Tony Award winner Terrence McNally’s Corpus Christi play, prompted by anonymous telephone threats to burn down the prolific theater and kill its staff and the playwright. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights that was already campaigning against the play for blasphemy, disavowed responsibility for the phone-calls.  Those developments swiftly sparked outrage in the artistic community over the religious group's intimidation and MTC's administration for backing off and not standing firm.

Apparently the play was set on schedule again, following talks among NYC Police and MTC's artistic director Lynne Meadow, who was seeking reassurance that security will be adequate. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's office also issued a statement, reading "Although the mayor doesn't agree with the tone of the play, threats of violence in New York City will not be tolerated." During opening day, there were two counter demos outside MTC, one supporting the play and another demanding to get banned. Police officers and journalists were on the spot and the audience had to pass through metal detectors.