Hatzis wrote Easter Kontakion after being asked write music reflecting the Greek Orthodox tradition for a special choral Easter Celebration. Choosing the kontakion "I ke en tapho katilthes athanate", which is sung during the Easter Liturgy, the work consists of two settings of the actual chant. In the first setting, Hatzis uses a drone to subvert the major-sounding mode of the Byzantine octaechus, while the second setting is in a more conventional Western chorale setting.
Born in Greece, educated in the United States and a Canadian citizen since 1985, composer Christos Hatzis (b.1953) is becoming widely known as a leading figure in contemporary classical music. His works are performed and broadcast throughout the world, and their frequent combination of a powerful spiritual foundation with an immediately accessible appeal has made a deep emotional impact upon audiences and performers alike.
