"Una Iliade" - Marco Beasley & Guido Morini, The Hilliard Ensemble, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble
Una Iliade
"Prologo" & "Pensiersi sparsi"
Marco Beasley, libretto and voice
Guido Morini, music and piano
live recording 2009
with The Hilliard Ensemble
and the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble
The Iliad deals with many important themes: pride, a source of both ruin and greatness; glory, the destiny of every warrior; the beauty and the horror of war. These values playes a fundamental role in Homeric society. Alongside these are other more intimate themes which constitute the poetic nucleus of the work: love of family, grief for the death of loved ones, sorrow over the pain of the enemy.
[...]
Una Iliade does not thrust man into battle but rather encourages him to confront himself: facing the mirror, alone, listening to his own breathing, the man is transformed into the hero he would like to be, acknowledging his own fragility and weaknesses, and learning to live with himself. His mirror is the woman, the loftiest witness of dignity, wisdom, knowledge of the world and its rules: sybils, mothers, lovers, voices reduced all too often to silence and at times subject to derision. Yet, in looking at the world around us, we wonder how things might be different if the man would just stop and listen...
(Marco Beasley and Guido Morini, 2009)
PROLOGO
Sono gabbiani, Padre, quelli che vedo all'orrizonte?
E'loro questo volo verso terra, alla ricerca di cido?
Padre, non vedo gaiezza nelle loro ali.
Sono i neri corvi, Figlio, e non hanno leggerezza le loro ali.
Sono gli uccelli neri che accompagnano l'ombra.
Sono il nero colore delle navi Greche.
Come andrà, Padre, se i corvi arriveranno?
Saremo storia, Figlio, perchè i corvi arriveranno.
PENSIERSI SPARSI
Rousignol che canti
Vieni a cantare ciò
Che la mia voce cantare non sa.
E vola su di noi, su tutti quanti noi.
Sui padroni della pace.
Sui signori della guerra vola
Con tragica voce
Racconta la tragica storia:
Di che celebra il sangue con gioia.
Le grida del giusto urleranno la loro rabbbia.
Fa che il sole no tramonti, Cielo,
Fa che il buio non armi la mia mano omicida.
Ma la morte dell'empio
Non darà requi alla mia anima.
Translation:
PROLOGUE
Are those seguils, Father, that I see on the horizon?
Is this their flight toward the earth, in search of food?
Father, I do not see their slow turning, I see no gaiety in their wings.
They are black crows, my Son, and they have no lightness in their wings.
They are black birds which accompany the shadow.
Their color is the black of Greek ships.
What will happen, father, if the crows arrive?
We will be history, my Son, because the crows will arrive.
SCATTERED THOUGHTS
O Nightingale, who sing,
Come to sing that
Which my voice does not know how to sing.
And fly above us, above all of us.
Above all the masters of peace,
Above the lords of war, fly,
And with your tragic voice,
Tell the tragic tale
Of those who celebrate joy with blood.
The cries of the righteous will scream their anger.
O Sky, do not let the sun set,
Do not let the darkness arm my murderous hand.
But the death of the wicked
Will bring no rest to my soul.
paintings:
1. J. A. Watteau, The Jugdment of Paris, 1718-21
2. A. Kauffmann, Venus induces Helen to fall in love with Paris, 1790
3. G. Reni, The Rape of Helena, 1647
4. D. Creti, Achilles handing over to Chiron
5. P. Puget, The Education of Achilles by Chiron, 1690
6. G. de Lairesse, Achilles dicovered among the daughters of Lycomedes, 1685
7. F. Fontebasso, The Sacrifice of Iphigenia, 1749
8. F. Perrier, The Sacrifice of Iphigenia, 1632-33
9. R. Westall, The Reconciliation of Helen and Paris
10. G. Hamilton, Achilles lamenting the death of Patroclus, 1760-63
11. C. A., Coypel, Fury of Achilles, 1737
12. P. P. Rubens, Achilles defeating Hector
13. A. A. Ivanov, Priam asking Achilles to return Hector's body, 1824
14. J. L. David, Andromache mourning Hector, 1783
15. Tiepolo, The procession of the Trojan Horse in Troy, 1773
16. G. Pittoni, The Sacrifice of Polyxena
17. S. J. Solomon, Ajax and Cassandra, 1886
18. A. Elsheimer, The Burning of Troy, 1601
19. S. de Vlieger, The Burning fo Troy