The Enchantment of Venus

First Performance: Colin Lawson, Howard Blake (first concert performance), The Concert Room at 49 Queen’s Gate Terrace, London as part of an all-HB programme for woodwind and piano: first concert performance of ‘Six Romantic Pieces’ for clarinet and piano by Janet Hilton and HB, Serenade for Wind Octet and Burlesque Suite for Clarinet, bassoon and piano, 1 November 2006.

‘The goddess Athena invents the Aulos and plays it at banquets of the gods.  Finding it distorts her features she discards it and pronounces a curse against whoever picks it up. The satyr Marsyas comes upon it and wins such esteem that the the lyre-playing Apollo is furious and challenges him to a duel. Despite his wonderful playing Marsyas is tricked and tragically condemned to the underworld; but he sets himself the task of creating an instrument of such range and beauty that he can re-challenge Apollo and triumph. He mounts the steps of Olympus, plays brillliantly and seductively and Venus is enchanted.’