May 16, 2008

Britten – Six metamorphoses after Ovid: I. Pan

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Seems like Patty was right after all, from what I read in Tales from Ovid.

“…Being a rustic god, Pan was lustful and constantly chased the nymphs.

Like Apollo, he was a musician, though not such a good one. (Does that mean I get away with not playing it nicely?)

Pan’s instrument was the syrinx, or Pan-Pipes (named after himself?) to which the nymphs and satyrs used to dance. He obtained his pipes on one of his amorous adventures, when he was chasing the nymph Syrinx or Nonacris. She reached the River Ladon, and finding, in despair, that she was unable to cross it, asked the nymphs to make her into a reed-bed (why, of all things, reeds?). They complied with her request. Pan cut the reeds and set pieces of different lengths together to make his pipes.”


Interesting. Perhaps he thought, “If i can’t get the girl because she’s turned to reeds, then I’ll make something out of her. ” How brutal of Pan!

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