Introduction
The Myth of Europa is a work in progress written by composer and performer Stevie Wishart and was first premiered by the composer and Sinfonye in an early concert version at the Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s 2007 Styriarte Festival, Graz.
Stevie Wishart takes as the musical inspiration the late Renaissance and Baroque musical concepts and weaves them into a contemporary musical expression of the Europa myth for today’s audience.
The work was especially written for Sinfonye, a group of musicians, combining voices, theorbo and strings, keyboard and hurdy-gurdy. It requires the musicians to use their individual expertise in improvisation and embellishment, text setting, and their sense of ensemble co-ordination based on the composer’s musical notation.
The Myth or Europa will be developed into a work of approx. 1 hour in duration and in concert oratorio and staged versions, using the elements of classic greek drama and embracing multi media technology where appropriate.
The Myth of Europa – an oratorio - “The bisected rim of the horned moon”
“The bisected rim of the horned moon” is taken from the Greek poet Moschus, on whose epic poem the lyrics for this oratorio are mainly based. Europa first appeared as the goddess of the sea-faring Minoans with her companion the white bull - its white colour is that of the moon, and its horns are the crescent of the waxing or waning moon. She is a symbol of the moon, of majesty, and of erotic desire, and of a feminine continent embracing both East and West.
The Europa myth has been retold in various versions by writers and artists throughout history. The essential story tells how Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian gods, glimpses the young woman Europa and is overcome by her beauty and grace. Disguised as a sensual white bull, he enters the flower-scented meadow where Europa and her female companions are playing. Europa is so attracted to the bull that she climbs onto his back and is carried across the seas, eventually reaching the island of Crete.
Europa first appeared as the goddess of the sea-faring Minoans with her companion the white bull - its white colour is that of the moon, and its horns are the crescent of the waxing or waning moon. She is a symbol of the moon, of majesty, and of erotic desire, and of a feminine continent torn between West and East.
Europa fascinated artists of the Renaissance, and as the symbol of the continent of Europe her body was represented as a map reaching from East to West. She also features as a heroine on the Baroque stage, and for musical inspiration the composer has taken late Renaissance and Baroque musical concepts and woven them into a contemporary musical expression of the Europa myth.
In this oratorio we use poetic accounts of Europa by the Greek poet Moschus and by the Latin poet Ovid at the end of his second book of Metamorphoses. The texts are sung in Greek, Latin and English, sometimes as solo songs and sometimes polyphonically.
Following the song-form of the late medieval and Renaissance motet, the songs can share the same text, or can have different texts sung simultaneously. The instrumental parts are freely composed and inspired by modes of improvisation from the 16th century and subsequent basso continuo techniques of the Baroque.
The oratorio is composed by Stevie Wishart especially for this group of musicians, combining voices, theorbo, organ and hurdy-gurdy. It requires the instrumentalists to use their individual expertise in improvisation and embellishment, and their sense of ensemble co-ordination based on the composer’s musical notation.
The music
“The bisected rim of the horned moon” - songs and music from the myth of Europa :
- Soft-footed on the eyes in gentle bondage …
- The golden basket - the gift of Telephassa
- The immortal scent …
- Across the surface of the Middle Sea
Sinfonye Director/Composer : Stevie Wishart
- Jocelyn West, voice
- Penelope Turner, voice
- Paula Chateauneuf, theorbo
- David Vance, organ
- Stevie Wishart, hurdygurdy, voice, composer
Production directed by Thomas Hoeft
Note : players as for first premiere at 2007 Styriarte Festival
For more information on the music of Stevie Wishart