Tauro Y Europa, Op. 71
By Victor Morrison
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$40.00
Solo piano with narration c.9'20 plus narrator introduction c.3'30
In ancient Greek mythology (derived from ancient Cretan mythology found in art at Knossos), Europa, a woman of high-birth and seen as a Goddess due to her beauty, was abducted by the most powerful God, Zeus, who disguised himself as a white bull. Ancient Roman mythology continued this story, substituting Jupiter for Zeus. The character of the very masculine bull was seen as strong-willed and possessing great determination.
However, in ancient Egyptian mythology, Taurus was seen as the Goddess Hathor, who represented the virtues of joy, feminine love and motherhood. This Goddess is commonly depicted as part human, part bovine animal, with horns in which is set a disk of the sun.
Therefore, Taurus in this piece is a combination of the masculine and the feminine, and Europa, as the beautiful yet powerfully independent muse, exploits these attributes by enticing and mesmerizing him with interpretations of a Paso Doble - ironically the dance of "a kill" in the Bull Fight tradition of Spain.
This subverts the Paso Doble form as well as the ancient myth of Taurus' seduction of an unwitting Europa and her abduction across the frothy seas to Olympus.
The lowest notes on the piano can represent both the bull's dark physical power and the seductive power of Europa. The highest notes can signify Europa's winsomeness and Taurus’ social education, as well as the portentous froth of ocean spume as desire.
And it is certainly Europa who calls the shots.
Composed 2019Download samples
ISMN 9790720226224
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