Geryon, A Romance in Red after Anne Carson's "Autobiography of Red" (2014)

(Full Orchestra: 2(II=picc).1.eh.2.bcl.1.cbn-4.2.2.btb.1-perc (3): glk/chi/mtam/cym/sd/ mscym/vib/stri-1harp-1pft-solo vln-strings

  Chamber Orchestra: 1(=picc).1(=eh).1.1(=cbn)-1.1.0.0-perc (1): sd/bd/ltam/lscym/cym-1harp-pft-solo vln-2vn.1va.1vc.1db

  Piano Reduction available.)

Total duration ca. 10' 

Single-movement work

​

Listen to a recording of this work (Violin and Piano Reduction) on Soundcloud

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Audio clip performed by Nathan Lowry and Sean Calhoun

​

Purchase the orchestral score and parts from

Peter Dayton Music (ASCAP) for: $175.00

​

​

Purchase the orchestral score from

Peter Dayton Music (ASCAP) for: $50.00

​

​

Purchase the piano reduction and parts from

Peter Dayton Music (ASCAP) for: $15.00

Geryon is the titular character of Anne Carson’s verse novel “Autobiography of Red,” a radical reimagination of the ancient Greek poet Stesichoros’ radical reimagination of the myth in which Herakles kills Geryon (a red, six-winged monster) for his red cattle in one his 12 labors. Carson (following Stesichoros’ lead) moves Geryon from the periphery into the heart of the story, casting him as an artist in a world whose cruelty and moments of beauty make it eerily resemble our own. Herakles still appears and gives Geryon a mortal wound, but it is nothing that we would expect. “A Romance” is the way Carson herself describes her verse novel, a word whose musical resonances form the basis of my own composition. The piece attempts no literal depiction of events (which would be difficult given the frequent jumps in time within the narrative), but instead tries to convey my impressions of the imaginative and moving language with which Anne Carson recounts this romance.