Festen Manos Milonakis

• 1Rise02:43
• 2Dressing02:02
• 3Lobster Soup03:06
• 4Hide and Seek01:22
• 5The Rooms03:28
• 6Father's Theme02:32
• 7Kim - Kristian01:54
• 8The Scolding01:56
• 9Gbatokai01:49
• 10Scrubber05:36
• 11Teddy Bear02:42
• 12Festen Theme03:24
• Total Runtime32:34

Info for Festen

Festen is the third solo work by Manos Milonakis, a composer/producer/performer and architect born & raised in the Greek port city of Thessaloniki. It is his original score for the theatrical adaptation of Thomas Vinterberg’s 1998 film of the same name which premiered last November at the National Theatre of Northern Greece. Milonakis spent 3 months of theatrical rehearsals and studio work fusing the sounds of piano, persephone, synthesizer, glockenspiel, violin, viola, cello, guitar, and theremin with programmed beats and loop processing into his score which has now been marvelously condensed into album form for release by Moderna Records.

The original film and, one must assume, the stage adaptation is a darkly humorous exploration of deeply painful secrets confronted at a dinner party at a family run hotel on the occasion of its affluent patriarch’s 60th birthday. By all descriptions, it is bleak if not uncomfortable viewing and even if one has not seen it (as, I confess, I have not), one has to admire Malonakis ability to musically recreate the cruel dichotomy it undoubtedly portrays between aristocratic elegance and searing emotions roiling behind a facade of etiquette and familial order. The tension only hinted at in the graceful “Lobster Soup” progressively grows and becomes palpable by the time we are introduced to “Father’s Theme” or “Scrubber” while the poignancy behind “The Scolding” and “Teddy Bear” is nearly heart rending. All of this lends a deliberate irony to the lively closing theme which reminds me in the best possible way of Rachel Portman’s scores for films like Chocolat. Add the impeccable performances by Milonakis and his guest musicians (which includes CEEYS cellist Sebastian Selke) and you have an exceptionally engaging record for modern classical fans to savor.

Manos Milonakis, all instruments
Christina Georgeli, violin
Viktor Orri Árnason, violin
Viktor Orri Árnason, viola
Thodoris Papadimitriou, cello
Sebastian Selke, cello
George Papadopoulos, guitar

Manos Milonakis
is a composer/producer/performer and an architect, born and raised in Thessaloniki, where he was trained in classical piano and music theory.

His first “conscious” musical steps were made in 2006 when, together with George Papadopoulos, they started the multi-instrumental musical duet of “Your Hand in Mine” (www.yourhandinmineband.com), which has been his main musical project until recently.

Being one of the two “Your Hand in Mine”, Manos was given the chance to get deeper into composition, music technology and street music, as well as to study and collect a large variety of instruments: wurlitzer piano, accordion, electric bass, guitars, percussion, stroh-violin, theremin, ukulele, glockenspiel, melodica, toy piano, music boxes, to name a few…

After 2014, Manos Milonakis continues as a solo artist, travels to Iceland and records his “Solfar EP”, in Reykjavik, with a local string quartet. Later on, he continues freelance composing for Theatrical plays of the National Theatres of Greece and Romania, as well as for other independent productions, documentaries, online videos, jingles etc, while he is keen on performing live at selected places and occasions.

In May 2017, his third solo work, the original soundtrack for “FESTEN”, is being released by “Moderna Records” from Montreal.

Manos is also founder of “TM arxitektones” an architecture/design studio based in Thessaloniki, Greece.

This album contains no booklet.