He was both a captain and a poet. From Kasos.
A figure immortalized in six essays written about him by G. Seferis, Z. Lorentzatos, Klem. Paraschos, G.M. Myloyiannis, K.D. Tsatsos, G. Theotokas, and A. Karantonis—compiled in a book published in 1961 by Typographia (F. Konstantinidis & K. Michalas, Athens).
For this episode, I chose the text by A. Karantonis, focusing on Antoniou’s connection to music, which resonates deeply in his poetry.
Karantonis described him as “the most introspective lyricist of his generation.” A whole section of his work is titled “Of Music.”
Drawing inspiration from Bach’s Concert en la bémol, Debussy’s Gardens in the Rain, or Beethoven’s sonatas, Antoniou wrote poetry shaped by the sea, voyages, and endless horizons.
Karantonis writes:
“Antoniou diffused into his poetry his innate and aesthetically cultivated exoticism, his soul’s wakefulness for all things rare, precious, symbolic: metal, mineral, flower, animal, object, foreign voice, song, scent, sea breeze, and the ship’s course toward a destined port—as if that were the sole purpose of his life.”
He was inward-looking, enchanted by music, moon-struck—one who constantly saw the stars blinking like the eyelashes of the beloved form (Woman).
And yet, he was also the Greek mariner, the seafarer, the one who carried within him the Odyssean “longing of Romiosyni,” as Seferis so insightfully wrote.
An Odysseus, who bitterly strayed far from his Ithaca.
The article was originally published in 1958 in “Introduction to Modern Poetry.”
Special thanks to poet Katerina Tsakou (Corto Maltese)—a fellow “Odysseus” in her own right—who introduced me to this rare volume on the Captain-Poet from Kasos.
With Nikol Liakostavrou
Enjoy!
Tracklist: 1) Bachianas Brasileiras – Μαρία Κάλλας & Heitor Villa Lobos, 2) End of an Era – Michel Gurevich, 3) Who will take my dream away – Angelo Bandalamenti & Marianne Faithful, 4) Volver – Los Lobos, 5) Bella Maria de mi alma (Beautiful Maria of my soul) – Los Lobos, 6) Show me the face – Michel Gurevich, 7) Dance of the Waves – Νίκος Σκαλκώτας, 8) Concert, Sonata BWV 1016 II Alegro – Γιόχαν Σεμπάστιαν Μπαχ, 9) Ήσουν μια βρύση του ουρανού – Μάνος Χατζιδάκις, 10) What is the youth (Ai Gioggi Adio – Romeo and Juliet) – Bruno Filippini, 11) Morena de mi corazon (Cancion de mariachi) – Los Lobos & Antonio Banderas, 12) Adio del passato (La Traviata) – Μαρία Κάλλας, 13) Στη Μαρία Κάλλας (Pourquoi tu chantes) – Anne Catherine Gillet & Λαυρέντης Μαχαιρίτσας, 14) Caruso – Lucio Dalla & Luciano Pavarotti, 15) La mer – Ντέμης Ρούσσος, 16) Οι προσευχές των ναυτικών – Ξέμπαρκοι, 17) Summer time – Maria Callas, 18) Road to Mandalay – Laurie Anderson, 19) Dance of the Knights (Opera Romeo and Juliet, Act 1 – Σεργκέι Προκόφιεφ, 20) What a beautiful day – Lucio Dalla, 21) Epirotikos Dance by – Nikos Skalkotas, 22) Je veux vivre dans ce reve (Romeo and Juliet) – Μαρία Κάλλας, 23) The Trawler (from the sea), Η Τράτα – Νίκος Σκαλκώτας, 24) Dance of the Dogs – Raining Pleasure, Manos Hatzidakis, 25) Η Σονάτα του Σεληνόφωτος – Λούντβιχ Βαν Μπετόβεν
