Sub Navigation
Work
Add to wishlist- for mixed chamber ensemble
- By:
- Duration:
- 03' 00"
- Instrumentation:
- horn, double bass, cello, bass trombone, bass clarinet
Availability
- This work has 1 Media on Demand and 2 recordings
Programme Note
In Irish mythology there is the frequent occurrence of the geis, which is a ritual injunction to avoid certain actions in some circumstances and to perform others if necessary. One of the most famous incidences of the geis was in the defeat of the great mystical warrior C Chulainn. In his final battle, the conspiracy of several geasa diminished his powers and ensured that he was mortally wounded. In his death agony he bound himself to a pillar and defied his enemies to the end, thus dying with his honour unimpaired. ‘geis’ depicts the unpredictable and volatile nature of C Chulainn, with the material constantly switching direction and undergoing change. The harmonic interval of the seventh and second feature strongly and the rhythmic interest is always agitated, often frenetic.
