Massed Ensembles

TWELVE LABORS OF HERCULES

Narrator, 2 Dolçaines & Field Drum, Choir, Brass Quintet, Plucked String Orchestra, String Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Drum Ensemble, Film (optional)

[30 Minutes] Difficulty V

An archeological dig commenced when bits of a mosaic-tiled floor made of tiny stones were uncovered at a construction site in Llíria in 1917. The mosaic depicting the twelve mythological labors of Hercules is over 18 feet long by almost 15 feet wide. It is exhibited in Madrid at the National Archaeological Museum of Spain. A replica of the mosaic may be viewed in Llíria. The tiles consist of varying sizes of stone. This monumental discovery became the inspiration and impetus for this composition.

Wagnerian scholar Hans von Wolzogen coined the term Leitmotiv (Leitmotif), an easily recognized musical theme, either melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic. While previous composers utilized thematic materials, Richard Wagner’s Leitmotifs provide grounded symbolic structural meaning to his operatic “Ring Cycle.”  In this work, I have employed Leitmotifs for Hercules, King Eurystheus, and Queen Hera. The programmatic music portrays the trials, travails, and tribulations that the heroic Hercules faces during his redemptive journey.

Please contact info@composers.com