Monthly Archives: April 2015

What is “Modern” about Modern Greece?

Opening remarks to the public debate of the Symposium on the Future of Modern Greek Studies London School of Economics and Political Science, November 7, 2014   I will open up our conversation tonight by focusing on the domain of culture, … Continue reading

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The Faithful Friend in the Bildungsroman

The female and male protagonists of the Bildungsroman (the novel of the self-cultivation) are young wanderers, supported in their peregrinations by a devoted companion, their daemon/δαίμων, who is their other/inner self. Demian, the title of Herman Hesse’s novel, refers directly … Continue reading

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Musical lives caught between melos and drama

Last night the goddess of my life, Artemis, and I went to a club to hear Detroit’s consummate pianist and composer Michael Malis (Jazz Studies, Michigan ’11). During the break Michael stopped by to chat with us, and at some … Continue reading

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Teaching Comparative Literature through Master Class

More and more people are becoming familiar with the master class, a particular teaching method very common in music schools. The method has been popularized by Terrence McNally’s play by the same title (1995), based on the famous 1971 Maria … Continue reading

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Wandering a Friendship’s Paths and Promises

“Through our friendships we learn to relate to one another as free and equal agents and, crucially, to carry what we have learnt from those friendships – by way of the exercise of freedom and the recognition of equal worth … Continue reading

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Can Greek Poets Speak with Musicians?

When we read carefully Odysseus Elytis’ poem “Mozart: Romance from Piano Concerto No. 20, KV 466” (1960),* we realize that, since he could not converse with his composer friends, the line about a “piano distant and subterranean” refers not to … Continue reading

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