Threnos of Creon: for oboe and string orchestra

Abstract

Threnos of Creon for oboe (or English horn) and string orchestra was written for and dedicated to oboist Sarah Mueller, who gave its world premiere with the Louisiana Sinfonietta at the George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, Washington DC, on May 23, 2004. The music derives from the last portion of the composer’s opera Antigone. It depicts the state of mind of King Creon at a time when he had lost everything in life: children, wife, and the respect of the citizens of his kingdom Thebes. It is a lament throughout the work, portraying resignation, sadness, and drama.