From Sappho’s Lyre
From Sappho’s Lyre is a cantata for large chamber ensemble based on Sappho’s two major surviving poems (Hymn to Aphrodite and He Appears to Me). The work is based on—and heavily inspired by—The Lesbian Lyre: Reclaiming Sappho for the 21st Century, a groundbreaking book by classicist Jeffrey M. Duban (Clairview Books, 2016). It uses the author’s translations to sonically portray, interpret and dramatize the charm and elegance of the originals so magnificently conveyed in the English language.