Introduction

In ancient times music was a very important part of society. Representatives of Hellenistic thought believed that music could express and even generate qualities of good and evil. Music was as important as sport in the education of young men. Sport taught the harmony of the body, while music was thought of as the harmony of the spheres. Music had a psychological meaning. Children being brought up in Greek society were supposed to have particular dosages of different sorts of music. For sorts of music the Greeks used the word "ethos". This means much more than a mode, but the medieval church modes probably were much like the tonal line found in the ethos. Included in a particular "ethos" werethe expressive qualities of a melody, the particular rhythm and its poetic form. Aristotle wrote that the Mixolydian "ethos" made you sad, Phrygian inspired enthusiasm, Dorian produced a moderate and settled temper. Plato considered Dorian the only true Hellenic "ethos". Little is known about the exact melodic line of these different "ethos", but we do know from writers like Plato, for example, that these different musics could convey almost any emotional attitude.

Because of its transposability, the lyre was considered the most important instrument in education. It could be changed to play all different modes by simply retuning it. It was generally favored by most writers as the best all around instrument. The opposite of this was the aulos, a reed instrument. This instrument was used to express ecstasy, emotion and unreason. All performances of tragedy, comedy or satire were accompanied with these double reed instruments. Plato believed that if one listened too much to these pipes he could become too emotional and become dangerous. The pan flutes were considered colorless. Plato thought they we're "unlikely to cause any dangerous agitation of the soul." But in general Plato considered the wind instruments too intimate, and not passing in the collective ideals of the times.

I contend that it is possible to place the Six Metamorphoses in the context of ancient times. I believe that they can be explained completely in a programatic way. In the following six parts I will explain each of the six movements of Britten in the direct context of the myths in the Metamorphoses by Ovid.

I. PAN

The mythical story of the forming of the pan pipes is the story conveyed in the first movement of the Six Metamorphoses. The story is told by Mercury in the first book. Pan relates the story later himself on his flutes in a contest with Apollo. As was related in the introduction, the pan flute was one of the lesser instruments not one of the academic. It is said that in the contest with Apollo he played rustically but also with wild strains which charmed Michas, a person near at hand. The myth as Mercury tells it is as follows: "In the chill mountains of Arcadia there lived a nymph, the most famous of all wood nymphs of Nonacris. The other nymphs called her Syrinx .... As she was returning from mount Lycaeus, Pan caught sight of her. He spoke sweet words to her, but she scorned in return. Off she ran into the pathless forest till she came to the still waters of sandy Ladon. When the river halted her flight she prayed her sisters of the stream to transform her; and when Pan thought he had at last caught hold of Syrinx, he found that instead of the nymph's body he held a handful of marsh reeds. These he bound together and were his memory of her."

The two figures in the myth are held excellently apart with the use of two tonalities in the first movement. It is said that in the later development of the pan flutes they had two different scales. Both whole tone scales one being a halfs tep higher than the other. The programmatical explanation follows; The "sweet" unknown words of Pan,

followed by the "scorning" return of Syrinx,

return of Syrinx,

the return of Pan,

followed by the pursuit of Syrinx,

Her final words,

his last plunge,

ending with the wind blowing over the pipes.




II. PHAETON

The story of Phaeton is told in the beginning of the second book of Ovid. It is quite a long story so I will try to make a synopsis of the important events with the musical material thereunder.

Phaeton was frequently teased by other children as to the authenticity of his mother's claim that lie indeed was the son of the sun god, Phoebus. One day he went up to his father, and Phoebus addressed him, "Why have you come? What do you want in this citadel, Phaeton, my son? Son O call you, for indeed you are one whom no parent would fail to acknowledge." Phaeton answered: "O god, give me evidence, to prove that I am indeed your son, and remove this doubt from my mind." He bade Phaeton to come closer and said; "To clear away your doubts, ask any boon you wish, and you shall have it front me." Scarcely had these words left the sun's lips, than Phaeton asked for his father's chariot: to be allowed for one day to control and drive the wing-footed steeds. Then his father repented of his oath. Shaking his head, he said, "It is a major privilege that you are asking for, and one unsuited to your strength or to your boyish years." But Phaeton, in pride of youth and strength, leaped into the light chariot, delighted to hold the reins his father gave him. The skies lay open before the horses. (Here is where the music begins.) They hurled themselves forward, and galloping into the air, tore through the clouds.

But the sun's horses felt that their burden was too light, this chariot lacking its normal load leaped into the air and was thrown on high.

They did not recognize the chariot which he drew.

Finally, when the luckless Phaeton glimpsed to the earth spread far below, he grew pale, his knees trembled in sudden terror. He was so completely numbed with fear that he dropped the reins.






They fell from his hand, and lay loose on the horses' backs. At once the team galloped away, out of their course,

now soaring up to the heights of the sky, now hurling down its steep decline.

The earth caught fire, even Atlas himself was in difficulties and could scarcely hold up the glowing skies on his shoulders. The father gathered all the gods together and to prevent the complete destruction of the earth, he sent forth a lightning bolt.

Phaeton, with flames searing his golden locks, was flung headlong, and went hurtling down through

the air,

the great river Eridanus received his charred body, and the nymphs buried him

III. NIOBE

The myth of Niobe is told tonally in the music of Britten. The story is; Niobe, jealous of all worshipping that the women of Thebes gave to Leto, advised those women to stop their sacrificing. Niobe felt herself much more an object to worship, as she had 14 children instead of the 2 Leto had. Leto was of course enraged by this blasphemy, and sent her two children, Apollo and Diana to kill all the children of Niobe. The grievous song that Niobe sings is the story of the death of her seven sons and seven daughters, and through her grief, her transformation to stone. First the seven sons are killed. First six and finally the last one. Notice, first six notes then seven.

then she sings of the seven daughters, first six, then seven

then fourteen declining notes, all fourteen children are dead.

Utterly bereft now she sank down, surrounded by the bodies of' her sons and daughters and grief turned her to stone. All life flew out of her, and still she wept.

A violent whirlwind caught her up, and carried her away to her own country, where she was set down on a mountain top. (Notice the 14 tones used for this passage)

the fourteen were: f, d flat, a flat, c, e flat, g flat, b flat, g, a, f sharp, b, g sharp, e, and d. There she wastes away, and even now tears trickle from her marble face.

IV. BACCHUS

Bacchus is the only movement of this piece that is really not at home in the surroundings of the other movements. Bacchus, being a god himself, undergoes no metamorphoses as all the other characters of the piece do. So there can be no narrative story told in the music. This is more a character sketch of Bacchus and all the festivities connected with him.

The typical rhythm of the dotted eighth with a sixteenth repeated and followed by the staccato sixteenths is a sort of a rondo theme characterizing Bacchus, the god of the wine, plump and jolly, keeping everyone in the best of spirits.

Between the couplets of the Bacchus' theme are two other themes; the first the shouting of boys,

the second, the unending gaggling of the women's tattling tongues.

These as well as the rondo theme are in a generally chaotic mood typical of the festivities of that time.

V. NARCISSUS

The myth of the transformation of Narcissus is one that is easy to see, in the music, but very difficult to realize when playing. The story is as follow; Narcissus, wearied after hunting in the heat of the day, lay down beside a clear pool with silvery waters. While he was quenching his thirst, he, all of a sudden was enchanted by the reflection that he saw in the water. He fell in love with an insubstantial hope, mistaking a mere shadow for a real body. Unwittingly he desired himself, and was himself the object of his own approval, at once seeking and sought, himself kindling the flame with which he burned. He tried and tried to kiss the image in the water. He plunged his arms deep into the water, trying to clasp the neck he saw. "Alas! I am myself the boy I see. What should I do? Woo or be wooed?? What I desire I have. My plenty makes me poor. How I wish I could separate myself from my body.... Now grief is sapping my strength... I have no quarrel with death, for in death I shall forget my pain: but I wish that the object of my love might outlive me; as it is both of us will perish together when this one life is destroyed." In grief he tore away his tunic and beat himself, seeing this in the water he could bear it no longer. He wasted away with love. Later instead of a corpse there was only a flower with a circle of white petals round a yellow center.

The polyphonic approach to the movement is the key to the correct performance of the piece. The two different voices, that of Narcissus, and that of his reflection, are easy to see. The two voices are frequently reflections of each other.

As the reflections become quicker and quicker, the result is a long trill, the image and its reflection have musically become one.

Later the two voices make one melody together.

That melody of two voices again ends in a trill, out of which only one voice remains.

VI. ARETHUSA

Arethusa was one of the nymphs who lived in Achaes. One day she went swimming in a stream. After hanging her garments on a drooping willow she plunged naked into the water. After swimming a while she felt a murmuring in the midst of the pool, she grew frightened and leaped up on the nearer bank. "Whither away so fast Arethusa?" cried Alpheus twice. Arethusa fled. Alpheus, taking on the form of a man went in pursuit of her. They sped on over hills and valleys. Weary of her efforts to escape, she cried out to Dictyma, "Help me, or I am lost!" The goddess was moved by her cry, and sent a thick cloud which she cast over and around Arethusa. The river god searched and searched all around the darkened cloud but could not find her. She felt like a hare hiding in the brambles, watching the jaws of hostile hounds, not daring to move. From fear a cold sweat broke out on her limbs and dark drops fell from her body, wherever she stepped a pool was formed. This turned into a stream, and Alpheus recognizing the water also transformed into water to join his waves with hers!

The movement begins with Arethusa's flight. As in the myth this goes on for a long time becoming finally very emotional as she calls Dictyma.

She then was changed to a cloud and was very frightened. This is well expressed by the chain of trills in the middle section.

At this point she is changed into a spring, or a fountain in words of Britten. With this last part, Britten does his best to draw a musical picture of a fountain, first beginning small, then the range becomes larger and larger leading to the final climax of the piece.

Bibliography
Anderson, Ethos and Education of Greek Music
Apel, Harvard Dictionary of Music
Grout, History of Western Music
Ovid, The Metamorphoses, translation M. Innes

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