Review Summary: One of the defining albums of the Greek music scene, merging orchestral music with immaculate melodies.
Manos Hatzidakis is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed composers in Greece, with a career starting from 1947 until his unfortunate demise in 1994. During his career, he released a number of classic albums, pushing the Greek music scene forward with each release.
Gioconda’s Smile is one of his best works and one of his most beloved, too.
So what is so great about this album that thrills Greeks so much? First, this album is a
cathartic experience. It is an emotionally devastating ride of melancholy, sadness and nostalgia but not the generic, pretentious kind of these emotional states. Manos was an extremely sincere artist, pouring his heart into his songs and this album is no exception. Listen to
Portrait Of My Mother for instance. It is an ode to all the mothers, brimming with nostalgia at every note. The violin gives us a wonderful melody and on the background the harp fills the song with subtle passages. The harpsichord(?) features the main motif of this beautiful composition, resulting in a major highlight of the album. Another prime example is the opening
When The Clouds Come which sets the main mood for the rest of the record. Sincere and moving, it kicks off the concept of the album, which is -in a summary- a woman alone in New York. Each song is an inner monologue of the woman and all of them compound her story. This one is about, you guessed it, clouds, that are really a metaphor for her inner fears I think. Listen and decide for yourself, it is a really loose concept.
'Ok, but why should I listen to an album with such a monotonous mood?', I hear the objectors shouting. But here’s the real treat of the album; It has perfect pacing! At only 30 minutes and with each track rarely going over 3 minutes, it is impossible to get bored by it. Think of
AC/DC or
Ramones for instance; they may not have any diversity in their records, but they don’t make ‘em boring or anything. The same applies to this album, not to mention that it is not
really monotonous, it’s that most of the tracks are in general moody. But there are subtle hints of other emotional states.
Rain for example possesses hints of anger and intensity melding with the ‘regular’ feel of the album. Notice the screeching sound that amplifies the whole song in the climax. There is also an ethereal eroticism on
Mr.Knoll and a sense of loss, and a great ‘’jazzy’’ main melody as well.
The Assasins now, is like a march; intense, what with the pounding rhythm section and with a great line played on the harpsichords that gives a sense of anxiety.
'That’s all very nice, but it is still a 30 minute instrumental album. Isn’t it a bit boring?'. No, no and no, my dear objectors. The best aspect of this album is its immaculate melody-crafting. All the songs have something in common, now that I think of it. It is perfect melodies, counter-melodies and motifs. Look at the magnificent
Returning In The Evening for example; the melody in it is flawless, and demonstrates the melancholy of the song in the best way possible. It is the culmination, the climax if you will, of the record, because it is at the same time sad, melancholic, bitter and nostalgic and wonderfully arranged as well. It features the best sides of the record and is in my opinion the best song of the album. And the closing
Dance With My Shadow has dynamics in spades, blending softness with the ‘’marching’’ drumming exceptionally well.
Other highlights include
Countess Esterhazy with its superb introduction and
The Virgin In My Neighborhood which features tear-inducing violin and flute interplay. And what about
The Concert? Another great number, with more immaculate melodies and wonderful, rich arrangements. I could talk more about these songs, but I feel there’s no need to it. I believe that by this time the record should be on your you-tube playlist.
So this is
Gioconda’s Smile; an emotional record, a melodic record, a pioneering record even -the vast majority of Greek composers and songwriters all followed Manos’ path of merging classical values with the traditional values of Greek music. Not that they all succeeded as much; today, 'Entekhno' artists are for the most part pretentious and bloated, mixing elements of rock, greek traditional music, and Manos’ highly personal style with next to no care. Nevertheless, if you like this album, be sure to check out the rest of Manos’ prime ones as well as other artists of the era such as Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Loizos and Nikos Ksylouris .
