Kronos

by Herman Rechberger

for 6 clarinets (Piccolo clarinet in Eb, 2 Bb-clarinets, Alto clarinet in Eb, Bass clarinet in Bb and double bass clarinet in Bb)

Description

In Greek mythology, Kronos (from Greek: Κρόνος), was the leader and youngest of the first generation of Titans, the divine descendants of Uranus, the sky, and Gaia, the earth. He overthrew his father and ruled during the mythological Golden Age, until he was overthrown by his own son Zeus and imprisoned in Tartarus. According to Plato, however, the deities Phorcys, Kronos, and Rhea were the eldest children of Oceanus and Tethys. Kronos was usually depicted with a scythe or a sickle, which was the instrument he used to castrate and depose Uranus, his father. From the detached penis, thrown into the sea, Aphrodite emerged. In Athens, on the twelfth day of the Attic month of Hekatombaion, a festival called Kronia was held in honour of Kronos to celebrate the harvest, suggesting that, as a result of his association with the virtuous Golden Age, Kronos continued to preside as a patron of the harvest. Kronos was also identified in classical antiquity with the Roman deity Saturn. Because it was predicted, that one of his children will overthrow his power, he ate them all (Famous paintings by Francisco de Goya and Peter Paul Rubens). His wife Rhea saved first Zeus and made Kronos then vomate the rest of the children, who later on overthrow his power and sent him to Tantaros (the deepest part of the underworld) wher he was tortured in eternity by the Furies (in Greek: Erinyes)

The use of six clarinets in this piece, has its roots in the Ancient tradition of the AULOS, which was one of the most important woodwinds in Greek antiquity. We cannot be quite sure if the Aulos used only double reeds or also single reeds like in the modern clarinet. Similiar instruments played in the Mediterranean include also the Sardinian launeddas, a triple pipe sounded by single reeds, as well as hosts of double clarinets that are played in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

As in former works of mine with connection to Greek mythology, I made extended use of Ancient and modern Greek modes, superposing them and so receiving new scale material.

Instrumentation

cl in eb, 2cl, acl, bcl, dbcl

Category

Chamber Works

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Archive number

MF33319

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