January - July 2007, Kessel-Lo
This work is meant to be performed as music theater. It's for 3 singers, electric guitar, cello, organ (played by midi or network) and laptop. The work consists of two parts: Construct and Destruct. Construct is actually wod which I wrote before. Destruct is much longer, so the whole work takes about 50 minutes to perform.
Note from 2012: A staged performance took place in august 2007 and was part of my final composition examination. I realize now that I wasn't ready for such a large concept. I keep this page here for the sake of completeness, nothing more.
Euridice realizes she can no longer stay with her king, Orfeo. She loves him, but this is not the kind of life she wants. Unable to tell Orfeo the truth, she makes up a story: she will be abducted by the elven king (which symbolizes here alter-ego).
King Orfeo loves her very much, and although he knows her story is not true, he will let Euridice go. But after she leaves he feels incapable to rule the land any further. He appoints a steward and recluses to the wood, where he starts drinking to forget about Euridice. In a state of delirium he sees Euridice back and follows her to her home, convinced that he can gain her back.
But it's not the Euridice he knows that he has to convince, but the part of her that is in doubt. First he tries to enchant her with a lovesong, but he's too delirious to sing it through the end. So he tries to argue with her. The story ends when Euridice is tired of the conversation and turns her back, not even answering his question.
I started out from a Celtic version of the original Orpheus myth. Therein, the abduction by the elven king should be taken literally, but the story ends with a happy-end which i really did not want. This modern version uses the original text, but takes it out of its context to give it new meaning.
This work can be performed by 3 entities, each of them consisting out of a voice and an instrument: Orfeo (counter and electric guitar), Euridice (soprano and cello) and the elven king (high-soprano and organ). Apart from that, a lot of electronic sounds are made by a computer.