All the works of Christou’s later phase (Mysterion, Praxis for 12, The Strychnine Lady, Anaparastasis, Epicycle, Enantiodromia) are primarily defined by features that transcend the traditional perception of music: stage action, dramatic tensions, the irrational element, panic. The audience is no longer composed of mere listeners but of spectators and participants. The musical composition is now a gesture that calls for the transcendence of media, of the performative condition, and of art in general.
Christou coins the term metapraxis (meta-action) to describe an action that challenges the logic of the performer’s relationship to their expressive medium. They are called upon to perform an action that carries them beyond their normal manner of functioning – that is, beyond praxis.
The concept of these two “opposites” is reflected in both the composer’s personal work and his particular stance vis-à-vis the artistic act, not to mention his overarching rejection of Western culture and its systems. “Music is the sound of the common man’s steps”.
