Sappho - The roses of Pieria is a play inspired by the poetry of Sappho, "The twelfth Muse", as Plato called her. Her poetry reached our era fragmented and yet it still is as strong as contemporary poetry and it distills eroticism and truth when speaking about girls, love, death, the sun, the sea and the moon.

Nikos Ksydakis's extraordinary music bestows to the verse and the motion a magical cloak, following up the same traces that poetry and dance leave to the senses of the audience. The play uses the translation made by Odysseus Elytis.

The stage is dominated by a golden tree, the tree of goddess Aphrodite. Upon his branches, love is being born and passing away. Aphrodite, Sappho, inspiration, the dreams. Around the bole, young girls dance.

Upon this tree the tender poet will lean seeking comfort and inspiration.

Eleven fragments from Sappho's poems.

A landscape of bodies distilled through the music and sounds. Words and phrases in ancient and modern Greek unlock the door of the senses. In my own way, I have tried to express what moved me and "I beg your grace to allow me to cut the roses of Pieria".

Sofia Spyratou