Lambelet Georges – I Anthostefanoti (Girl wreathed with flowers)
Georges Lambelet or Georgios Lambelet is a Greek composer, musicologist and music critic. He was born in Corfu on December 24, 1875 and died in Athens on October 31, 1945. He wrote songs, choruses and instrumental scores, as well as theoretical works on Greek national and popular music. He is considered one of the pioneers of the National School of Greek Music.
Fofi Sarantopoulou was born in Athens, Greece in 1937. She studied at the National Conservatory under Maggie Karatzas and won first prize and an award for excellent performance at graduation (1963). After gaining a Maria Callas scholarship, she continued her studies at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien with Luise Scheit and Anton Dermota (oratorio, lead). She received an award at the Concours international de chant de Toulouse, performed at Toulouse’s Théâtre du Capitole and gave several recitals on French radio and television. She interpreted the Queen of the Night [The Magic Flute/Die Zauberflöte] at Volksoper Vienna (Wiener Volksoper) and gave a recital on Austrian Radio. She interpreted the same opera in Sofia, as well as Violetta [La Traviata], Rosina (The Barber of Seville/Il barbiere di Siviglia) και Gilda (Rigoletto) in Bulgaria, and La Traviata in Aachen. She collaborated with the Greek National Opera (GNO) during the 1967-1985 period, interpreting leading or/and basic roles, mainly of coloratura sopranos in 29 operas, in 67 productions or/and reproductions: The Pearl Fishers [Les pêcheurs de perles], Anna Bolena, Ariadne auf Naxos, Mother’s Ring [To Dahtylidi tis Manas], Così fan tutte, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Bat [Die Fledermaus], The Tales of Hoffmann [Les contes d’Hoffmann], La Traviata, La sonnambula e.a.. She participated in GNO’s premieres of The Magic Flute [Die Zauberflöte], Dido and Aeneas, Il campanello, Spring’s Tale [Το anixiatiko paramythi], L’enfant et les sortilèges, Julius Ceasar in Egypt [Giulio Cesare in Egitto] e.a.. She also participated as vocal soloist in recitals of the Athens State Orchestra.
She tragically died in a traffic accident, at age of 48.
