A Review of Maestro in Blue

Maestro in Blue is currently topping the charts on Netflix. It is the first of what promises to be more gems produced for Greek television making its way to Netflix. On the surface, Maestro in Blue is a story of a musician brought to a small Island village to reinvigorate the soul of its people during the waning days of COVID with music. His job is to organize and produce a multi-day all-island music festival. The goal is to feature local talent as the air is filled with music, the thoughts of the soul, from every generation.

It is a drama that explores the human condition of relationships through multiple generations. The characters alone and in relation to each other grapple with love, regret, longing, remorse, greed, corruption, violence, morality, and family dynamics. It explores the themes of classic Greek tragedies ingrained in the culture since the 5th century BCE.

It is set on the island of Paxos, an island that has played a role in history since 229 BCE during the First Illyrian War. It has been conquered and occupied by the Romans, French, Russo-Turkish alliance, and the British which accounts for its multi-cultural heritage. As an island in the Ionian Sea, it maintains its pristine aqua-blue waters, and vibrant terrain making it a visual feast as the setting for Maestro in Blue.

Although Spanakopita has a co-starring role, Maestro in Blue is more like Moussaka with many layers of flavor and nuance. Each episode colors in the depth of a character through their current interaction, flashbacks, and foreshadowing. As the layers are peeled away the depths of the characters are fleshed out not only in their relationship to self but to others.

Maestro in Blue is a modern Greek Tragedy. Themes include domestic violence, a May-December love, homosexuality, a desire to conquer and rule as well as the underlying forces of the family unit. It explores morality, judgment, condemnation, and sacrifice. Without revealing too much of the plot. it is obvious that the writers intended Maestro in Blue to be a modern incarnation of the Greek tragedy.

The Maestro is named Orestis, which in ancient Greek means, “he who stands on the mountain”. His love interest is Klelia, a takeoff of the Greek name Kleo, one of the nine Muses. In rough translation, Klelia means “to make famous”. Other character names include Faris, the power-hungry patrician of the island, a compound name taken from the ancient Greek which means “manifestation of the deity”. The wife of Fanis is Sophia which translates to “wisdom”, while her mother is Haris, the Greek meaning of which is “grace”. Haris is played by Haris Alexiou a famed Greek singer whose original composition “Prayer” is the ending song in Maestro in Blue. Each of the named characters have names that translate into meanings that further the story.

The soundtrack is purposeful in expanding the shades of blue in this intricate drama of many layers. From modern hip-hop to classical compositions, the musical soundtrack of Maestro in Blue is a journey through a century of music. The soundtrack includes Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield, Love Poem 1986 by Kid Moxie, snippets from Johann Strauss, Chopin, and Bizet along with I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You by Elvis, and repeated as sung by Mariza Rizou over the closing credits.

Maestro in Blue may not be for everyone, but it is a fascinating series on many levels. Its simple plot line encompasses layered emotions that make this Modern Greek Tragedy a drama that most can enjoy. The scenery alone is a visual journey. I recommend Maestro in Blue to anyone interested in a visually enthralling drama with interesting characters and multiple layers. Maestro in Blue is great fodder for a college thesis.

Daniel Dachille 3-28-23