Telestía

op. 103, 2023

For string quartet

I. Strépsi
II. Víthisi

Duration: 10 min.

Commissioned by Auner Quartett
World premiere on 17. October 2023, Austrian Cultural Forum, New York
Auner Quartett

Composer’s Notes

Telestía connects with the concept behind the Auner Quartet’s “Rite” project and is dedicated to the ensemble. The word Telestía comes from Ancient Greek and means the precise way a certain ceremony is to be performed through specific rules and elements.

I asked myself how we experience ritual in contemporary life, and what a musical ritual might be. At the high speed at which we live, there are repetitions of several elements that could seem like a ritual. Seeking the answer, Telestía was for me the inspiration for this composition.

Motifs from my orchestral piece “Perseus and Androméda” have been incorporated into Telestía and transformed in the sense of a ritual.

Telestía consists of two movements: Strépsi and Víthisi, which mean “turn” and “descent” in Ancient Greek.

The first movement, Strépsi, consists of a rhythmic melody played mainly by the violins in alternation. It is repeatedly interrupted by various other themes, and then continues. This creates a cycle of sound actions that seems like a wild, ritual dance.

The second movement, Víthisi, acts like an echo of the first movement. It creates a mood for reflection and contemplation through calmer sequences and tempi. 

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