Pestis Atreus - A Short Oratorio

Abstract

Probably most known today from Aeschylus' trilogy The Oresteia, the curse on the house of Atreus was a popular myth for artistic works in ancient Greece and Rome. This fabled curse begins with Tantalus, who killed his own son (Pelops) and fed him to the gods in order to test their omniscience. Horrified, the gods cursed Tantalus and his lineage, thus dooming his descendants for several generations until the curse was finally lifted by Orestes' humble plea to the goddess Athena. The curse runs its course through the well-known tale of Helen and Menelaos and the sacrifice of the unsuspecting Iphigenia by her father Agamemnon. Aeschylus' The Oresteia picks up with the subsequent murder of Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra, the resulting matricide by Orestes, his bout with the Furies, and his eventual redemption. Pestis Atreus (The Atreus Curse), for chorus and orchestra, depicts manifestations of this cursed lineage into five movements. Menelaos - The chorus reflects on the curse of Atreus' lineage and ominously reveals that Menelaos is brooding over the loss of Helen. Helen's Flight - Portrays Helen's tantalizing journey to Troy with her lover, Paris. Agamemnon and Iphigenia - Expresses Agamemnon's sorrow at fulfilling his duty: sacrificing his innocent daughter in order to ensure favorable winds for the Greek fleets' journey to Troy in pursuit of Helen. Clytemnestra's Vengeance - Encapsulates Clytemnestra's rage at Agamemnon for murdering their daughter, spending ten years fighting at Troy, and then returning with the prophetess Cassandra as a lover. In a fury, she murders Agamemnon and Cassandra, and would have killed the young Orestes as well if Electra had not rescued him. The Torment of Orestes - Orestes has avenged his father's death by killing his mother. He wanders the land, tormented by guilt while the Furies pursue him for matricide, the most heinous of crimes.