Mysterion is a staged oratorio for an actor-narrator, triple chorus, orchestra, and tapes. It draws upon the sacred funerary texts of ancient Egypt, while its concept bears similarities to the visionary, albeit unfinished, Mysterium by Russian composer Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915). The script follows the journey of the sun-god Ra’s boat through the twelve divisions of the Underworld, as it sails along the river that merges with the celestial ocean by day.
“The whole work is like a nightmare,” says the composer in an interview. “The chorus will not sing as usual. They will express themselves in movements, whispers, cries, everyday words, but nothing will be distinctly comprehensible, as if they are speaking in an ancient language. The entire spectacle is like a sacred rite. The members of the chorus will wear masks and costumes reminiscent of mummies. As for the music, it is religious and primitive, as before musical forms were discovered. It will not simply be an artistic event. I composed this work in accordance with my musical Credo. The point is not to make art, but to be able to connect with the forces that surround you”.
By 1966, Christou has the work ready for performance but without the use of tapes. The premiere is announced by the Athens Festival later that year. The work is to be performed by the Athens Experimental Orchestra, directed by Manos Hadjidakis (1925-1994); the performance, however, is cancelled. In the summer of 1969, he works on the composition anew, so that it may be presented in its full stage version in a television broadcast in Denmark. While a number of rehearsals are held in Copenhagen, this plan, too, fails to come to fruition. Under the direction of Miltiades Caridis (1923-1998), the orchestral and choral parts are recorded.
After Christou’s death, the composers Stefanos Vassiliadis (1933-2004) and Haris Xanthoudakis (1950-2023) worked to combine the musical material with the tapes to produce a comprehensive audio record of the work. The version heard here is the work of musicologist Ianos Eliades (1976-); through a methodical study of the score and the entirety of the composer’s notes, Eliades has produced a new mix that serves as the first complete auditory performance of a work its creator never lived to hear.
