«Μια λυρική “αφηρημένη ενότητα”: Η συνεργασία Σπύρου Ευαγγελάτου και Γιώργου Πάτσα για την όπερα Κώστας Καρυωτάκης (1987) του Μίκη Θεοδωράκη»

The world premiere of the opera Kostas Karyotakis by Mikis Theodorakis took place in 1987 at the Greek National Opera under the direction of Spyros Evaggelatos and set design and costume design by Giorgos Patsas. The narrative of the opera develops fragmentarily through well-known events and periods of Greek history without chronological sequence. The composer uses figures and events from the mythical and symbolic world of Greece - ancient, modern and contemporary - to help the people "to see through the symbols the essence of their lives". This paper focuses on the staging of the play in its first release. Spyros Evangeliatos viewed the work as "a dreamlike conception", in which lyrical, grotesque and dramatic elements alternate with realistic, historical and political experiences "in an 'abstract' unity". It is a composition of heterogeneous scenographic elements that refer to Greek nature in combination with historical architectural fragments, and at the same time, a mixing of costume elements from different time periods, depending on the shift of the dramaturgy. The present study is based on the reading of the libretto from a scenographic and costume point of view, which captures the intentions of the composer, and its comparative analysis in relation to the design of the final stage result through the scenographer's work.