Description

In Greek mythology, Kharon was a ferryman of Hades who carried souls of the deceased across the river Styx that separated the world of the living from the world of the dead. As a psychopomp his task was not to judge those which he carried, but just to guide them.

Silence of Kharon for piano, a work commissioned by Eriko Takahashi, draws its inspiration from this world of afterlife. This piece consists of two, somewhat violent Kharon-sections alternating with three, more contemplative Silence-sections with many hidden messages. During this journey guided by Kharon, starting from the funeral bells, one experiences the need to think one’s own past life and see all the good and bad things, hope, love and pain, and finally find and see the serene balance – or the truth – between them. But what is the truth?

Section after section the sound of piano turns to more and more alienated from the ordinary piano sound and thus leads away from this world. At the same, this work is also a journey to the more silent side of the piano sound, ending up to harmonies created with harmonics.

The biggest moon of Pluto – Charon – one of the most silent and coldest places one could imagine, has also been named after the ferryman of river Styx.

Instrumentation

pno

Category

Works for Solo Instrument

Premiere

Eriko Takahashi, May 11, 2022, Vienna, Austria

Commisioned by / dedications

Commissioned by and dedicated to Eriko Takahashi

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More

• Listen to Ari Romppanen's Silence of Kharon

Archive number

MF34761

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