Byron's Greece for Baritone Voice

Byron’s Greece takes its inspiration from sections of Byron’s “Childe Harold,” in which the Philhellene poet celebrates the glories of ancient Greece amid the unhappy conditions of its subjection to the Turks in his own day. “Byron’s poetry offers many contrasting images,” the composer writes, “which gave me the idea of employing contrasting musical groupings: solo versus ensemble and adult chorus versus children’s chorus.”

The work is an uninterrupted sequence of sections, mingling techniques of contemporary composition (clusters, microtones, choral speech) with modal lyricism representative of Greek folk music. It begins with an instrumental introduction based on the intervals of major seventh and perfect fourth, followed by a textless vocal section employing cluster effects. The vocal section leads to a declamation by the solo baritone voice, with contributions from the children and adult choruses. Another textless vocal-cluster section leads to varying solo and ensemble combinations. Solo clarinet and children's voices finally resolve in a spoken fugue and a rousing crescendo.

The work was premiered at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York on May 5, 1985. It was commissioned by Peter Tiboris, who conducted the premiere with soloists, combined choruses, the Colorado Children's Chorale, and the American Symphony Orchestra. That summer, Tiboris took the piece on tour in Yugoslavia and Greece.