ATHENS: Vangelis, the Greek electronic composer who wrote the unforgettable Academy Award-winning score for the film “Chariots of Fire” and music for dozens of other movies, documentaries and TV series, has died at 79.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other government officials expressed their condolences Thursday. Greek media reported that Vangelis — born Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou — died in a French hospital late Tuesday.
“Vangelis Papathanassiou is no longer among us,” Mitsotakis tweeted.
The opening credits of “Chariots of Fire” roll as a bunch of young runners’ progress in slow motion across a glum beach in Scotland, as a lazy, beat-backed tune rises to a magisterial declamation. It’s one of the most instantly recognizable musical themes in cinema — and its standing in popular culture has only been confirmed by the host of spoofs it has sired.
The 1981 British film made Vangelis, but his initial encounter with success came with his first Greek pop band in the 1960s.
He evolved into a one-man quasi-classical orchestra, using a vast array of electronic equipment to conjure up his enormously popular undulating waves of sound. A private, humorous man — burly, with shoulder-length hair and a trim beard — he quoted ancient Greek philosophy and saw the artist as a conduit for a basic universal force. He was fascinated by space exploration and wrote music for celestial bodies, but said he never sought stardom himself.
Still, a micro-planet spinning somewhere between Mars and Jupiter — 6354 Vangelis — will forever bear his name.
Born on March 29, 1943 near the city of Volos in central Greece, Vangelis started playing the piano at age 4, although he got no formal training and claimed he never learned to read notes.
“Orchestration, composition — they teach these things in music schools, but there are some things you can never teach,” he said in a 1982 interview. “You can’t teach creation.”
At 20, Vangelis and three friends formed the Forminx band in Athens, which did very well in Greece. After it disbanded, he wrote scores for several Greek films and later became a founding member — together with another later-to-be internationally famous Greek musician, Demis Roussos — of Aphrodite’s Child. Based in Paris, the progressive rock group produced several European hits, and their final record “666,” released in 1972, is still highly acclaimed.
Aphrodite’s Child also broke up, and Vangelis pursued solo projects. In 1974, he moved to London, built his own studio and cooperated with Yes frontman Jon Anderson, with whom he recorded as Jon and Vangelis and had several major hits.
But his huge breakthrough came with the score for “Chariots of Fire” that told the true story of two British runners competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Vangelis’ score won one of the four Academy Awards the film won, including best picture. The signature piece is one of the hardest-to-forget movie tunes worldwide — and has also served as the musical background to endless slow-motion parodies.
Vangelis later wrote music scores for Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” (1982) and “1492: Conquest of Paradise” (1992), as well as for “Missing” (1982) and “Antarctica” (1983), among others.
He refused many other offers for film scores, saying in an interview: “Half of the films I see don’t need music. It sounds like something stuffed in.”
Vangelis was wary of how record companies handled commercial success. With success, he said, “you find yourself stuck and obliged to repeat yourself and your previous success.”
His interest in science — including the physics of music and sound — and space exploration led to compositions linked with major NASA and European Space Agency projects. When British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking died in 2018, Vangelis composed a musical tribute for his interment that the ESA broadcast into space.
Vangelis brought forth his symphonic swells playing alone on a bank of synthesizers, while flipping switches as his feet darted from one volume pedal to another.
“I work like an athlete,” he once said.
He avoided the lifestyle excesses associated with many in the music industry, saying that he never took drugs — “which was very uncomfortable, at times.”
Vangelis said he didn’t ever experiment with his music and usually did everything on the first take.
“When I compose, I perform the music at the same time, so everything is live, nothing is pre-programmed,” he said.
The composer lived in London, Paris and Athens, where he bought a house at the foot of the Acropolis that he never dolled up, even when his street became one of the most desirable pedestrian walks in town. The neoclassical building was nearly demolished in 2007 when government officials decided that it spoilt the view of the ancient citadel from a new museum built next door, but eventually reconsidered.
Vangelis received many awards in Greece, France and the US little was known of his personal life besides that he was an avid painter.
“Every day I paint and every day I compose music,” he said — in that order.
Vangelis, the Greek ‘Chariots of Fire’ composer, dies at 79
https://arab.news/66nc2
Vangelis, the Greek ‘Chariots of Fire’ composer, dies at 79
- Greek media reported that Vangelis — born Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou — died in a French hospital late Tuesday
- “Vangelis Papathanassiou is no longer among us,” Mitsotakis tweeted
Emirati designer Hamda Al-Fahim dresses Anya Taylor-Joy for Tiffany event
DUBAI: US actress Anya Taylor-Joy this week was spotted at the Tiffany & Co. celebration of the launch of Blue Book in Beverly Hills wearing a dress by Emirati designer Hamda Al-Fahim.
The actress from “The Queen’s Gambit,” who is the ambassador for the American luxury jewelry label, impressed her fans in a head-turning dark golden brown dress that featured a corset-styled bodice paired with a fitted velvet skirt that flowed down, culminating in a short train trailing behind her.
The dress is called the Velvet Canyon and is from Al-Fahim’s Earthy collection.
Al-Fahim took to Instagram to share pictures of the star championing her design with her 498,000 followers.
“Anya Taylor-Joy (looks) stunning in our Velvet Canyon,” she wrote on her Stories.
For her jewelry, Anya chose a glitzy diamond necklace embellished with red rhinestones, accompanied by matching earrings and a ring. She completed the ensemble with a statement chunky silver bracelet.
She styled her blonde hair with a side part, which cascaded in soft waves past her shoulders.
Taylor-Joy was accompanied by a star-studded lineup of celebrities, including Olivia Wilde, Emily Blunt, Gabrielle Union, Quinta Brunson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Harrier, Suki Waterhouse and Aimee Song, among others.
Wilde flaunted a black figure-hugging dress with a plunging neckline, Blunt was radiant in a white sequin dress, Union opted for a custom-made Staud dress in black and white, Brunson wore a black velvet midi-gown from Roland Mouret and Huntington-Whiteley chose a white Carolina Herrera dress.
Al-Fahim is an Abu Dhabi-based designer known for her elegant and ethereal aesthetic, often featuring intricate embellishments, delicate fabrics and flattering silhouettes. Her creations combine femininity and sophistication, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern sensibilities.
Seen on red carpets, premieres and high-profile events worldwide, Al-Fahim’s creations have captured the attention of international celebrities including Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez.
Al-Fahim has also previously teamed up with US luxury handbag designer Tyler Ellis on a limited-edition capsule collection in 2022.
REVIEW: Sofia Boutella’s heroic efforts can’t save ‘Rebel Moon — Part Two’
DUBAI: “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire” drew scathing reviews (our writer described it as perhaps “the most discombobulating collection of mismatched sci-fi tropes ever committed to film”). “Part Two: The Scargiver” simply adds to that legacy.
The story: Former Imperium soldier Kora and the surviving band of ragtag warriors she’s recruited return to the moon of Veldt — home to simple farming folk in danger of being blown to bits by the mighty Imperium for failing to supply the unreasonable grain quota demanded of them. With just a few days before the deadline, Kora and her band must train the villagers to fight (and harvest the grain in just three days to provide a bargaining chip). What Kora doesn’t know is that Admiral Noble, the bad guy she ‘killed,’ is still alive. And bent on vengeance.
Before the enemy arrives, the warriors tell their life stories in a trust-building exercise — one of the clunkiest pieces of exposition ever written. There are slow-mo shots of the harvest gathering and a brief interlude to show that Kora and farmer Gunnar are very much in love.
Then, thankfully, we’re into the battle(s). Here, at least, director Zack Snyder doesn’t disappoint, even giving an original twist to the ‘spaceship plummeting from the sky’ trope by staging a showdown between Kora, Gunnar and Admiral Noble on a floor that becomes increasingly vertical. Below them, the villagers fight heroically against odds very much stacked against them, even with the help of Nemesis and her two flaming definitely-not-lightsabers.
The well-constructed battle scenes, though, aren’t enough. Not even with a cast fighting as heroically as the villagers to salvage something. Sofia Boutella, as Kora, emerges with most credit, proving herself a convincing action hero who deserves better than this material to work with (spoiler alert: perhaps even material that allows the heroine to kill the bad guy herself, without the intervention of her boyfriend).
Yes, no one’s sitting down to watch an “epic space opera” in the expectation of thought-provoking dialogue, but “Rebel Moon” is like the result of forcing a seven-year-old to watch all things “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” in random order, then asking them to write down what happened. The best thing to say about “The Scargiver” is that it finishes — but even that comfort is tainted by Snyder’s cynical setting up of a potential part three. Possibly because that seven-year-old fell asleep before writing an actual ending.
Saudi Arabian history on display at Abu Dhabi Book Fair
- Selections from London-based rare-book dealer Peter Harrington’s offering at the UAE fair
‘Ibn Saud press photograph’
According to notes from rare books specialists from Peter Harrington’s team, this image from archives of The Times newspaper was taken in what was then called Hejaz, following a “critical and secretive meeting between (founder of Saudi Arabia) Ibn Saud (center) and the British representative Sir Gilbert Clayton (left) — one of a pivotal series of negotiations which led to the Treaty of Jeddah in May 1927.” The two discussed “various outstanding questions affecting the relations of the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd with the neighboring states of Iraq and Transjordan” to help determine the northern borders of Saudi Arabia. “Discussions over the borders were protracted and complex, with the towns of Maʿan and Kaf the object of particularly intense debate,” the notes state.
‘Pilgrimage to El-Medinah and Mecca’ by Richard F. Burton
In this three-volume first edition, complete with illustrations, of “one of the most extraordinary travel narratives of the 19th century,” the British explorer, writer and polyglot Richard Francis Burton recounts his Hajj journey, made “in complete disguise as a Muslim native of the Middle East” at a time when fewer than half-a-dozen Europeans had made the pilgrimage — forbidden to non-Muslims. “It surpassed all preceding Western accounts of the holy cities of Islam, made Burton famous, and became a classic of travel literature, described by T. E. Lawrence as ‘a most remarkable work of the highest value,’” the team from Peter Harrington note. In Makkah, Burton performed all the rites of the pilgrimage and his subterfuge remained undiscovered.
‘Map and Overview Presenting the Hejaz Railway Route’
This map from 1903 depicts the route of the ambitious Hejaz Railway project. It “depicts a very broad area, extending from just north of Hama, Syria, all the way south a little way past Makkah, in the Hejaz; it covers most of Syria, all of Palestine, the Sinai Peninsula, the Suez Canal, and all the north-western Arabian Peninsula,” Peter Harrington’s rare book experts write. “It clearly delineates those parts of the railway that are in place and those under construction … with each station labelled. Additionally, it depicts the two alternative routes proposed for extending the line to Makkah, employing broken lines, while another line traces the proposed (but unrealized) route of a rail line from Makkah to Jeddah. The map also labels important roads and caravan routes.”
Four years after this map was published, the book seller’s notes state, the railway reached AlUla, which is not marked on this map, although Mada’in Salah (now Hegra) is, which today is the site of one of two museums dedicated to the Hejaz Railway.
By 1908, the railway had reached Madinah, where, the notes state, “for various political reasons, it had to be terminated.” Nevertheless, they continue, “until the outbreak of the First World War, it allowed hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to make the Hajj in safety and with relative ease.”
‘Material from the library of Peter O’Toole by T.E. Lawrence’
Billed by Peter Harrington as an “insightful archive, spanning Lawrence’s transformation from man of the moment to unwilling celebrity, from the library of Peter O’Toole, whose breakthrough portrayal in David Lean’s 1962 biopic still shapes perceptions of the famous Arabist. Autograph material from Lawrence is always highly prized, but rarely is its provenance so apposite.”
The centerpiece of the material is a photograph and an unpublished letter written by Lawrence (who became known as Lawrence of Arabia following his journeys across the Middle East, including modern-day Saudi Arabia), framed as a piece and gifted to the English actor who played Lawrence in the aforementioned biopic by his wife, Sian, and a friend not long before the premiere of the movie. The letter makes clear Lawrence’s difficult relationship with his celebrity, and is cutting about his own book, “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom,” saying that he did not own a copy himself (“No man yet has ever wanted to read his own book”) but that his mother and “little brother” did, “and that is plenty for the family. Nobody reads it: it is worth too much money. ... It is a rotten book, you know.”
‘Oil Region in the Desert of Saudi Arabia’
This 1950 image, “after a painting by the German artist Michael Mathias Kiefer,” is one of a series of geographical pictures intended for use in the curriculum of German schools. “The painting juxtaposes Arab figures in traditional garb with images of drilling rigs, a lorry, and oil storage tanks, creating a strikingly orientalist image,” Peter Harrington’s notes state. “In the middle of the composition, a pipeline bisects the image, a forceful reminder of the centrality of oil to the modern Saudi Arabian economy. In the foreground, members of a group of travelers, possibly intended to be Bedouins, rest on a carpet and let their camels drink from a water tank. Away in the background, before a distant oasis, more travelers arrive at a campsite, their camels heavily laden. Their destination is the oil infrastructure that crowds the right of the image.”
Recipes for Success: Chef Antonio De Crecchio offers advice and a gnocchi with duck ragu recipe
DUBAI: Antonio De Crecchio began his career back in 2006, working as a pizza chef in Naples, Italy. He was, he says, just 14 years old.
“I’ve always loved food and cooking, but that’s when I truly fell in love with cooking,” he tells Arab News. “My first boss was tough on me, but it taught me a lot about handling the job and pushing myself to get better.”
He continued to work as a pizza chef at various Rossopomodoro outlets across the UK, including London, Birmingham, and Newcastle, before returning to Italy to lead the team at Rossopomodoro in Torino and Milano. In 2019, he moved to the UAE, taking a job as pizza chef at Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Dubai. He is currently executive chef of Amò at Via Toledo in Dubai’s Address Beach Resort.
“Working here has been emotional for me,” he says. “After spending many years in a casual dining restaurant, opening a fine dining restaurant feels like reaching a higher level,” he said.
Here, De Crecchio — affectionately known as Chef Toto — discusses tips for amateur chefs, his love for Italian cuisine, and his most challenging dish.
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs cooking at home?
Invest in a Bimby. It’s a great tool for making pizza dough, ensuring that the result matches what you’d get at a restaurant. Plus it saves a lot of time, allowing you to focus on other tasks. Making dough correctly requires a lot of experience, so having the right equipment can make a big difference.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
Yes. Often.
And what’s the most common issue that you find in other restaurants?
One thing I notice, especially with Italian food, is that the pasta is not always cooked al dente, as it should be. This can be challenging for me because I have a strong preference for the traditional Italian food that my grandma used to make.
What’s your favorite cuisine when you go out?
My favorite cuisine is Italian, especially pasta. It reminds me of my home country and brings back fond memories.
What customer request or behavior most annoys you?
The requests that annoy me the most are when they ask for pasta with chicken and pizza with pineapple.
What’s your favorite dish to cook?
My favorite dish to cook is pasta, because it reminds me of Sundays back home when my mom used to prepare it for our family lunches.
What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right?
The most challenging dish for me to perfect is our egg dish. It requires cooking at a low temperature to maintain a soft interior, and achieving the right texture for the foam that accompanies it is crucial. If you don’t achieve the exact balance, then the dish loses its identity.
As a head chef, what are you like? Are you a disciplinarian? Or are you more laid back?
As a head chef, I prioritize discipline, but I avoid shouting at my staff. In the kitchen, maintaining both discipline and empathy with my team is essential for success.
Chef Antonio’s gnocchi with duck ragu
INGREDIENTS
1kg potatoes; 100g parmesan cheese; 15g salt; 1 egg; 375g all-purpose flour; 1kg duck legs; 250g carrots, chopped; 250g white onion, chopped; 250g celery, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
For the duck ragu:
1. Heat a pot on the stove until it reaches smoking point. Add blended oil.
2. Season the skin side of the duck legs with salt. Sear them until the outer surface of the meat is scorched, then transfer to a deep tray, cover them with their fat and place in the oven at 150°C for two hours.
3. In the same pot used for searing, add the celery, white onion and carrots to the duck fat and deglaze with approximately 4 liters of chicken stock.
4. Bring the stock to a boil, then slowly add each leg to the boiling stock.
5. Transfer the stock and duck legs into a large oven dish and heat in the oven at 160°C for two hours.
6. Remove the dish from the oven, take the duck legs out of the liquid and gently pull the meat from the duck legs, setting it aside.
7. Transfer the remaining liquid to a pot and reduce for one hour.
8. Allow the reduction to cool down, then mix it with the duck meat to prepare the duck ragu.
For the gnocchi
1. Steam the potatoes until tender, then mash.
2. Add grated parmesan cheese, salt, egg, and flour, and combine to form a dough.
3. Roll the dough into ropes and cut it into small pieces to form gnocchi.
4. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface. Remove and set aside.
5. Toast the cooked gnocchi with butter and additional parmesan cheese in a pan until lightly browned.
6. Plate the gnocchi and top with the prepared duck ragu.
Two Saudi hotels listed in Conde Nast’s Hot List of new openings from the last year
DUBAI: For those planning their next staycation, two hotels in Saudi Arabia have found a spot in Conde Nast’s prestigious annual Hot List, with one of them located in the heart of Riyadh.
The St Regis Riyadh and Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea have joined the list of best hotel openings from the last year, spanning the globe, from Argentina and Zimbabwe to Nepal and Spain, and more.
The St Regis Riyadh is “the only hotel inside Via Riyadh – a bijou mall of designer boutiques, hand-picked restaurants, and a cinema complex, wrapped within monumental sandstone walls at the edge of the Saudi capital’s Diplomatic Quarter – the St Regis Riyadh nods to the hotel brand’s New York heritage as well as its new Saudi home,” according to the publication.
Meanwhile, the new Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, is the first resort to open in the 28,000-square-kilometer expanse of sea, reefs, islands and inland desert known, simply, as The Red Sea. It’s one of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious tourism-focused giga-projects, part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aimed at diversifying the economy and heralding a new future for the nation.
