Alexandros Livitsanos: Paraphrasis

Paraphrases of known and not-so-known timeworn melodies by virtue of the power of orchestration that lies beyond any temporal and stylistic context.

Countless timbres and techniques, from beatmaking and improvisation to the sound palette of the symphonic orchestra, become the vessel in the burned forest, forging new synapses and highlighting musical affinities hitherto unimaginable.

This research aims to document the perceptions and the imprint of the composer-cum -orchestrator’s penetrative gaze onto our era.

During my fellowship at Onassis AiR, my work was not organized around a single project, but around a specific compositional method and way of thinking, summarized under the term “Paraphrasis.”

As I understand it, “Paraphrasis” does not refer to imitation or simple reworking of material, but to the conscious transformation of heterogeneous musical elements—historical, vernacular, or art-music–based—into a unified and coherent sonic body.

The concept of “Paraphrasis” and my orchestral approach did not emerge as a new direction during the fellowship, but as a continuation of an already established practice. In the context of my collaboration with Onassis Stegi for “Spirtokouto: The Musical” in 2022, polythematic and multistylistic orchestration constituted a foundational element of the work’s dramaturgy.

A central focus of this period was the completion and recording of the soundtrack for the film “The Birthday Party,” including a song featuring Willem Dafoe. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival.

In parallel, I completed “Sunbeam,” a large-scale symphonic work commissioned by the Athens State Orchestra, composed over an extended period beginning in 2018, which premiered on May 30, 2025.

Within the same framework, I worked on arrangements of eight 20th-century works for string quartet, orchestra, and other ensembles, focusing on Napoleon Lambelet, Giorgos Lambelet, and Spyridon Samaras, two of which are already recorded and scheduled for release in 2026.

The concept of “Paraphrasis” was articulated through a completed performing act for string quartet, piano, and electronics, presented in March as part of the Onassis AiR Spring Open Days 2025. The work will be recorded in 2027 with a large ensemble, in expanded form.

Additionally, I completed an arrangement for the film “Broken Vein” by Yannis Economides.

At the same time, I initiated a large-scale, long-term orchestral and electronic “Paraphrasis” project based on the works and songs of Pavlos Pavlidis.

Overall, the period at Onassis AiR functioned as a condensed laboratory of practice. The works completed or initiated there constitute moments within an ongoing compositional practice grounded in the transformation of material as a structural tool.