Sizifova Pesma

duration 7'30

Sizifova pesma (Sisyphus' Song) for harpsichord solo is inspired by The Myth of Sisyphus. As punishment for betraying the gods, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a rock to the top of a mountain, but each time he reached the top, the stone rolled back down to the bottom, forcing Sisyphus to start over.
The rock is symbolically presented as a music interval of a compound third. This interval is uncompromisingly used from the beginning to the end of the work, as a distance between performers left and right hand.
Composition starts at harpsichords's lowest register, gradually reaching harpsichord's highest register and than goes back to the beginning position, where it starts the new circle. Musical flow is referring to the different music styles, starting from renaissance like, reaching the first climax with baroque-like music material, descending through classicism and ascending again with romanticism, going back and forth with impressionism and finally declining with the material that was used at the beginning of the piece, but this time in retrograde with 12 extra notes, which represent composers initials.

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written for Goska Isphording
program: Harpsichorpeus
Goska Isphording - harpsichord
Mendel Hardeman - video & stage act
Philip Curtis - regie

Premiere:

De Suite Muziekweek
De Ysbreker
Amsterdam, 28 October 2002

Followed performances:

Nieuwe Muziek op Oude instrumenten
performed by Goska Isphording
15 March 2003, Middelburg / Kloveniersdoelen

Roentgen Connection Plus
performed by Goska Isphording
1 May 2003, Eindhoven / Axes

International Review of Composers
performed by Dejan Subotić
17 May 2003, Belgrade / SKC

To be Sung & 
Goska Isphording  
performed by Goska Isphording
23 May 2003, Utrecht / Vredenburg

Ysbreker concert by KonCon students
performed by Goska Isphording
13 November 2003, Amsterdam / De Ysbreker

The Roentgen Connection
performed by Goska Isphording
3 December 2006, Belgrade / Guarnerius Centre

*Austrian harpsichordist Anne Marie Dragosits included Sizif's Song in her Mythos program.