In the “heart” of the old town of Xanthi, between the cobbled alleys and the well-preserved mansions, there is a house full of memories and sounds that still resonate. It is the home of Manos Hadjidakis, the composer who left an indelible mark on Greek and world music and catalyzed the thinking and expression of thousands of people around the world.
On a day like today, on October 23, 1925, Manos Hadjidakis was born. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, APE-MPE is taking a nostalgic tour of the impressive mansion of the Hadzidaki family, guided by the qualified Xanthiot archaeologist and museologist Natasa Michailidou.
The house, a typical example of urban architecture of the early 20th century, is not just a building. It is a living monument of cultural memory, full of images and the insurmountable view from the windows that, as Hadjidakis himself has said, taught him to dream.
Today, the impressive mansion “Grand Maison”, the multi-purpose space of Art and Thought, the house of Manos Hadjidakis as it is now known, is for the city of Xanthi, a priceless work of art, a preserved monument of great architectural value.
As the visitor passes through the main entrance, he feels awe and admiration for the rich architectural decoration of the building, the impressive frescoes and ceiling paintings, the mosaic floors and the glass windows. He feels that he is entering the psyche of a man who managed to transform his childhood experiences into timeless art. The tour is not only historical, it is a journey of emotion, memory and aesthetics.
The Byzantine hearings of Manos
Xanthi offered Hadjidakis his first musical origins. The sounds of the street, the songs of the neighbors, the colors and the smells of an era that followed him throughout his life. There was born the sensitivity, imagination and interiority that defined his work.
Directly opposite the house, is the church of Agios Vlasisbuilt in 1825. According to testimonies of the time, Manos, as a child, used to sit at the window and throw out teaspoons. According to some of his biographers, the sounds created by falling spoons were the first musical sounds.
When Stavros Xarchakos visited the house, he went to the window, opened it and faced the church. He felt a great thrill when he found that this particular color was really due to Manus’s music. He then turned around and said disarmingly: “Now I understand that the Byzantine elements are due to the music of Manos. From the Sunday Divine Liturgy of Ai Vlassis”.
The story of the great mansion
The building was built at the end of the 18th century and was owned by Isaac Daniel, a Jew, who was among the richest people of that time.
It is perhaps the most typical example of Xanthi’s cosmopolitan perception. After all, it is no coincidence that the house was built in a privileged position, on top of a hill, to have a view of the entire area of ​​the city at the time.
Today, unfortunately, the view is very limited due to the apartment buildings that have been built.”
After the death of Isaac Daniel, the building passed into the hands of his children, but because they were unable to pay the inheritance tax, the Ministry of Finance took the building and turned it into the tax office of the time. Then, when the civil war came to an end, it was given to the army and was the garrison of the city.
Life at home
The father of the great Greek composer, George Hatzidakis, settles in the city with his family, where he practices as a lawyer. At that time, Xanthi was experiencing the great flourishing of the tobacco trade and the commercial partnerships developed with tobacco trading houses abroad created a fertile economic environment in which Georgios Hadjidakis could work.
The Hadjidaki family is renting the second floor of the listed building “Grand Maison». According to some, Manos was born in it, while according to others he spent some of his childhood years there. In any case, however, it was in this house that Hadjidakis began his great journey into the magical world of music, thanks to the grand piano in the house and the first lessons he took from the Armenian music teacher Anna Altounian. On the same street where the mansion was located, on Eleftheriou Venizelou Street, there was the only private school in Xanthi, where Manos learned his first letters.
In 1932, the Hadjidaki family settled permanently in Athens.
Today, on the second floor of the building, old photos of Manos Hadjidakis and his family, his Armenian teacher, as well as sheet music of his works, handwritten musical notes and few personal items bear witness to the passing of the great Greek composer from the premises of the house which was undoubtedly marked by his presence.
Source :Skai
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
