Morea

Notes

Morea, for violoncello, 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 for Disklavier (2011), Syke for marimba and accordion (2013), Balanos for organ and fixed media (2013), and Ptelea for bass clarinet (2014) 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. Morea is named for the hamadryad who was bonded to the mulberry.

Morea was written for Seth Woods and lasts ten minutes and fifteen seconds or so.