Art "Zorba The Greek" dance music - based on traditional themes?

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The music from "Zorba The Greek," composed by Mikis Theodorakis in 1964, is heavily inspired by traditional Greek folk melodies, particularly Cretan dances, and has become a cultural trademark for Greece. The main theme, known as the 'Syrtaki dance,' reflects influences from older melodic content, though it remains unclear if it directly copies any specific melodies. Some comparisons have been drawn between its structure and Russian folk music, particularly wedding dances that start slowly and build in intensity. The discussion highlights the challenge of identifying traditional Greek dance music due to the overwhelming popularity of "Zorba The Greek." Overall, while the composition is rooted in traditional themes, its originality remains a point of debate.
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Is the dance music from "Zorba The Greek" based on themes from older and traditional folk music? - or is it essentially an original melody?
 
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From the above reference:
During 1964, Theodorakis wrote the music for the Michael Cacoyiannis film Zorba the Greek, whose main theme, since then, exists as a trademark for Greece. It is also known as ‘Syrtaki dance,’ inspired from old Cretan traditional dances.

This excerpt jibes with what I was taught in a film studies seminar cerca 1967. The professor also compared the Greek/Cretan tunes in "Zorba" to Russian folk 'wedding dance' music played primarily on the balalaika where the song often begins at a slow pace becoming increasingly more frenzied. The article hints at Russian influence on Theodorakis during his French period.
 
jim mcnamara said:
Try: https://walkerhomeschoolblog.wordpr...s-and-zorbas-dance-from-zorba-the-greek-1964/

Music repeats a lot of older melodic content as described above.

From that article:
During 1964, Theodorakis wrote the music for the Michael Cacoyiannis film Zorba the Greek, whose main theme, since then, exists as a trademark for Greece. It is also known as ‘Syrtaki dance,’ inspired from old Cretan traditional dances.

However, this doesn't answer my question because a composition may be "inspired by" or "influenced by" other pieces of music and yet not copy any melodic themes from those pieces. The popularity of the "Zorba The GreeK" theme makes it difficult to find (online) any other music for traditional Greek dances!

(By contrast there are situations such as Copland's "Appalachian Spring" where the source of the theme "Tis a Gift To Be Simple" can be found in its original form.)
 
Klystron said:
This excerpt jibes with what I was taught in a film studies seminar cerca 1967.
Since this forum section also deals with linguistics, it's on-topic to mention that cerca is Spanish (pronounced "sair' ka") or Italian (pronounced "chair' ka"). In Spanish, it's often appears as cerca de, meaning "near to" in the physical sense. The Latin word you're looking for is circa, representing temporal nearness.
 
Historian seeks recognition for first English king https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d07w50e15o Somewhere I have a list of Anglo-Saxon, Wessex and English kings. Well there is nothing new there. Parts of Britain experienced tribal rivalries/conflicts as well as invasions by the Romans, Vikings/Norsemen, Angles, Saxons and Jutes, then Normans, and various monarchs/emperors declared war on other monarchs/emperors. Seems that behavior has not ceased.

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