Ampelos

Notes

Ampelos, for voice and pre-recorded voices, is an extension of my earlier vocal quintet, hamadryads, and, like that earlier piece, makes use in the generation of its pitch material of Josquin’s Déploration on the death of Johannes Ockeghem, Nymphes des bois. It follows Karya (2011) for Disklavier, Syke (2013) for marimba and accordion, Balanos (2013) for organ and fixed media, Ptelea (2014) for bass clarinet, and Morea (2014) for violoncello in a series of pieces taking Josquin’s lament as a starting point, each based on a particular ‘reading’ of the source text and taking the title of one of the eight types of hamadryad named in the Greek mythological tradition. As well as being the names of the hamadryade bonded to vines, Ampelos was also the name of a satyr beloved of Dionysius. On his death, Dionysius transformed the youth into the vine, making wine from his blood.

Ampelos was written for Jeffrey Gavett and lasts a little over twelve minutes.