Spyros Samaras

Spyros Samaras (1861- 25.3.1917) was a Greek composer, student of Xyndas, Stancampiano and others.

Music studies in Athens and 1882-1885 in Paris.

In 28.12.1912 he married the 26 years younger pianist Anna Antonopoulou.

His most famous work is the Olympic Anthem, the words of which were contributed by Kostis Palamas. The Anthem was first performed during the opening ceremony of the 1896 Summer Olympics, the first modern Olympic Games. It was declared the official anthem of the Olympic movement by the International Olympic Committee in 1958 and has been used at every Olympic opening ceremony since the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Works (not complete)

Opera

La Furia Domata (Δαμασμένη Μαινάδα) (1885) based on Shakespeare
Flora Mirabilis (Φλόρα Μιράμπιλις) (1886)
Medge (Μετζέ)(1888)
Lionella (Λιονέλλα) (1891)
La Martire (Μάρτυς)(1894)
Una Storia d'Amore (Histoire d'amour ) (1903)
La Mademoiselle de Belle-Isle (Δεσποινίς ντε Μπελ-Ιλ) (1905)
La Biondinetta (1905) (a new version of Una Storia d'Amore)
Rhea (Ρέα) (1908)
Polemos en polemo (Πόλεμος εν Πολέμω)(1914)
Criticopoula (Κρητικοπούλα) (1916)

some works lost or not finished (Tigra)

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