Herakles
General Info
Publisher: Dutch Music Partners
Difficulty: Intermediate
Duration: 00:07:30
Cost: €99.50
Movement
1. The Nemean Lion
2. The Cretan Bull
3. Capturing the three-headed hound Cerberus
Instrumentation
Plaeyr 1: Snare Drum & Conga & Lions Roar Player 2: Field Drum & Conga Player 3: Bongos Player 4: Tom Toms Player 5: Timpani Plaeyr 6: Temple Blocks Player 7: Triangle & Tambourine & Wind Chimes Player 8: Wind Chimes & Sleigh Bells & Whip & Tambourine Player 9: Claves & Whip & Sleigh Bells Player 10: Suspended Cymbal & Gong Player 11: Gong & Hand Cymbals Player 12: Bass Drum & Wind Machine Player 13: Concert Bass Drum & Lions Roar
Description
Driven mad by Hera, Heracles slew his own children. To expiate the crime, Heracles was required to carry out ten labors set by his archenemy, Eurystheus, who had become king in Heracles' place. If he succeeded, he would be purified of his sin and as myth says, he would be granted immortality. Heracles accomplished these tasks, but Eurystheus did not accept the cleansing of the Augean stables because Heracles was going to accept pay for the labor. Neigher did he accept the killing of the Lernaean Hydra as Heracles' nephew, lolaus, had helped him burn the stumps of the heads. Eurysteus set two more tasks (fetching the Golden Apples of Hesperides and capturing Cerberus), which Heracles performed successfully, bringing the total number of tasks up to twelve. In this composition, three of the twelve myths are set to music.
1. The Nemean Lion: While searching for the lion, Heracles fetched some arrows to use against it, not knowing that its golden fur was impenetrable; when he found and shot the lion and firing at it with his bow, he discovered the fur's protective property when the arrow bounced harmlessly off the creature's thigh. After some time, Heracles mad the lion return to his cave. The cave had two entrances, one of which Heracles blocked; he then entered the other. In those dark and close quarters, Heracles stunned the beast with his club and, using his inmmense srength, strangled it to death. When he returned on the thirtieth day carrying the carcass of the lion on his shoulders, King Eurystheus was amazed and terrified. Eurystheus forbade him ever again to enter the city; in future he was to display the fruits of his labours outside the city gates.
2. The Cretan Bull: Heracles was sent to capture the bull by Eurystheus as his seventh task. He sailed to Crete, whereupon the King, Monios, gave Heracles permission to take the bull away. Heracles snuck up behind the bull and then used his hands to strangle it, and then shipped it back to Athens. Eurystheus, who hid his pithos at first sight of the creature, wanted to sacrifice the bull to hera, who hated heracles. She refused the sacrifice because it reflected glory on Heracles. The bull was released and wandered into Marathon, becoming known as the Marathonian Bull. Theseus would later sacrifice the bull to Athena and / or Apollo.
3. Capturing the three-headed hound Cerberus: Capturing Cerberus alive, without using weapons, was the final labour assigned to Heracles (Hercules) by King Eurystheus. After having been given the task, Heracles went to Eleusis to be initiated in the Eleusinian mysteries so that he could learn how to enter and exit the underworld alive, and in passing absolve himself for killing centaurs. He found the entrance to the underworld at Tanaerum, and Athena and Hermes helped him to traverse the entrance in each direction. Heracles found Hades and asked permission to bring Cerberus to the surface, which Hades agreed to if Heracles could overpower the beast without using weapons. Heracles was able to overpower Cerberus and proceeded to sling the beast over his back, dragging it out of the underworld through a cavern entrance in the Peloponnese and bringing it to Eurystheus. The king was so frightened of the beast that he jumped into a pithos, and asked Heracles to return it to the underworld in return for releasing him from his labors.
Works for Percussion by this Composer
Small Ensemble
A New Adventure - Percussion Quartet
Ad Valorem - Percussion Quintet
Confrontations - Percussion Sextet
Eendracht Maakt Macht - Percussion Trio
Fire-Starter - Percussion Octet
Impetuoso - Percussion Quintet
Legacy - Percussion Septet
L' Ultimo - Percussion Nonet
Rag-Tag - Percussion Quintet
Rodeo Drive - Percussion Trio
Sticky Fingers - Percussion Quintet
The New Drum Major - Percussion Quartet
Unity - Percussion Quintet
Until Further Notice - Percussion Septet
Large Ensemble
Australia - Percussion 17
Bananas to the Beat - Percussion 11
Bulls-eye - Percussion 11
Diabolo - Percussion 17
Herakles - Percussion 13
Four Times Junior Latin - Percussion 12
Lust for Life - Percussion 13
Mount Everest - Percussion 14
Retrospection - Percussion 12
Ritual & Dance Variations - Percussion 10
South Agrican Sceneries - Percussion 12
The Canterbury Tales - Percussion 14