There are a large number of pieces written for solo flute that are inspired by myths, legends, and spiritual practices. This performance combines storytelling, movement, and concert performance to follow one mythological theme over many cultures and geographical areas.
With thanks to The Thousand Faces Festival for the opportunity to workshop the first performances of this program.
Music:
Syrinx by Claude Debussy
Story:
This piece is the invocation to the beginning of the concert. It was originally written as incidental music to the dramatic poem Psyché by Gabriel Mourey. I use lines from the original poem to invite the listener to listen with joy to what follows.
Music:
Doen Daphne d’over schoone Maeght variations by Jacob van Eyck
Story:
Daphne was the daughter of the river god. Apollo, the god of the sun, fell in love with her, but she did not return his affection. According to the ancient Greek myth, this is because Cupid shot Apollo with a love-arrow but used an arrow with the opposite effect on Daphne, in order to enact revenge upon Apollo. When Apollo pursued Daphne through the forest she cried for help to her father, the river, and he turned her into a laurel tree. Apollo loved the tree, and took branches to fashion a laurel wreath for his head. To this day, the laurel wreath is used as an image for victorious generals and athletes, and the term “laureate” designates poets and other artists and creative people who have accomplished big things. Maybe Daphne would have preferred to meet a bear in the woods rather than Apollo.
Music:
Pan by Anita Perry
Story:
The story of Pan and Syrinx also inspired the opening piece of this program. Syrinx was the daughter of the river god, and Pan fell in love with her. Pan pursued her through the forest, and Syrinx cried for help to her father who turned her into a bunch of reeds. Pan loved the reeds, and cut them to fashion a flute from the hollow stems – a “pan-pipe” or “syrinx”.
Music:
Yuhwa, Goddess of the Willow Trees by Adolphus Hailstork
Story:
Yuhwa was also the daughter of the river god. The sun god, Hae Mo-su fell in love with her, and approached her and her sisters when they were bathing in the river. When they fled from him, Hae Mo-su built a beautiful palace in the forest and invited Yuhwa and her sisters to a great feast. Interestingly, according to some sources this in one of the earliest times that becoming intoxicated with an alcoholic beverage is mentioned in any ancient story. So after they all became drunk after the feast, Hae Mo-su was able to kidnap Yuhwa, but her sisters escaped. Their father, the river god, was angry and challenged Hae Mo-su to a duel of transformations, changing into various animals to fight with each other. After losing this duel, the river god conceded that the sun god was the more powerful deity, and approved of the marriage between Hae Mo-su and Yuhwa. After the wedding feast, Yuhwa and Hae Mo-su were sewn together into a bag, prepared to ascend to heaven. But Hae Mo-su picked apart the seams of the bag with Yuhwa’s hair pin and fled to heaven by himself, leaving Yuhwa in disgrace. Her father exiled her to a pond under the willow trees, and stretched her lips until she could not speak. When she was was found, her lips were cut so that she could talk again, and she gave birth to the first ruler of a Korean dynasty of kings.