Faerie Suite
Years Composed: 2006, 2013
Duration: 13:00
Instrumentation: Violin Solo (2006)
Transcribed for Clarinet Solo (2013)
Program Notes:
Faerie Suite, written in 2005, gives you a glimpse into my search for artistic identity. Looking towards my Irish heritage for inspiration, I became interested in Celtic folklore. Each of the four movements of Faerie Suite depicts a different type of fairy. Today’s performance is the premiere of the first two movements.
Movement I describes Titania, the fairy queen in Shakespeare’s tale, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Classified as a Pixie, Titania possesses a golden aura, delicate translucent wings, and a friendly yet capricious nature. Her favorite pastimes are dancing and playing pranks.
Movement II depicts Eurydice, the famous nymph from Greek mythology, and tells the story ofOrpheus and Eurydice through her eyes. Classified specifically as a Dryad, Eurydice is playful and spontaneous and possesses a gorgeous voice, which is very compelling to humans. Eurydice’s tale of misfortune begins innocently as she is frolicking through the forest, stopping occasionally to sing to her lover. Suddenly, she is bitten by a serpent and dies. She weeps bitterly for her lost love, until she unexpectedly sees Orpheus standing before Hades, playing his lyre. For a small moment, she is hopeful that he will rescue her. But when Orpheus makes the fatal mistake of looking back at her, she is destined to remain there forever alone.
Movement III portrays a Siren, aka Lorelei, who is a lovely young woman fairy that sits on ocean cliffs and sings, luring sailors to their tragic deaths in the rocks below.
Movement IV, Lugh’s Dance, descibes the leprechaun. The ancient origins of what we know today as the leprechaun was a Euro-Cletic god named Lugh (pronouced "Luck"). Lugh was the great Sun God of the Irish and Euro-Celts and patron of Arts and Crafts. A leprechaun’s favorite pastimes include music, dancing, and drinking Irish whiskey. It is said that once a leprechaun begins dancing to a human’s song, he cannot stop until the tune ceases. His exhausted state may cause him to make outlandish offers, including his crock of gold.