Michael Levy | Hymn to Persephone (Ancient Greek Goddess of the Spring) @MichaelLevyMusic | Uploaded October 2022 | Updated October 2024, 1 week ago.
A 'live' performance for solo lyre, of "Hymn to Persephone (Ancient Greek Goddess of the Spring)" - track 1 from my 2022 album, "Orpheus Tamed the Animals: Mythological Music for Ancient Greek Lyre":
open.spotify.com/album/4aAvpWSabYWqF7rQEJBsqY?si=M48Kk9l0SaO0I44WKQER9A
Persephone is the Goddess of the underworld, spring, and rebirth. She is one of the fertility goddesses. After Hades abducts her, she became Queen of the underworld, helping to escort the souls of the dead. She only performed this role for four months of the year (due to the four pomegranate seeds she ate) the rest of the time she lived with her mother Demeter, goddess of agriculture and the harvest.
Her exit from the underworld heralds the beginning of Spring as she helps her mother to bring life and bounty back to the land. This dual role makes her a Goddess of death and rebirth.
She is the only daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Her marriage to Hades bore no children.
Usually shown as a beautiful maiden with a wreath of flowers in her hair, carrying sheaves of wheat and a torch.
The Maiden Archetype represents purity and the innocence of childhood. where the soul’s dreams, magic and make believe still prevail.
Persephone's life embodies this Archetype, she remains eternally on the cusp between childhood and motherhood. Trapped by a mother's love and her inability to fully assert her independence. [Source: goddess-guide.com/persephone.html]
In attempting to evoke these attributes of Persephone, I use the distinctively dreamy, sensual and feminine-sounding ancient Greek Lydian Mode - the conjunction of 2 tetrachords which form the equivalent intervals as F-F on the white notes of the piano, but heard here, in the pure focus of just intonation.
For me, this mode always evokes an almost tangible, floral aroma, which relates back to the legend of how Hades abducted Persephone whilst she was picking spring Narcissus flowers.
Originally recorded for the album featuring the exotic, ancient timbre of my 11-string chelys (tortoise shell form) lyre with a skin soundboard, in this live version, I feature the lovely, pure harp-like timbre of my 10-string lyre - as can be seen in the performance, the limited range of the lyre's open strings can be effortlessly extended by the use of harmonics.
For countless hours more 'musical adventures in time travel', please see all my official artist links below - many thanks for watching!
Subscribe:
youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=Klezfiddle1
Official Artist Links:
Official Website:
ancientlyre.com
Digital Music Artist Profiles:
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v
iTunes & Apple Music:
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/michael-levy/id4324920
Amazon:
amzn.to/2zmJph3
Bandcamp:
michaellevy.bandcamp.com
Facebook Page:
facebook.com/beautifullyre
Twitter:
twitter.com/AncientLyre
Instagram:
instagram.com/mlevy1400bce
Patreon:
patreon.com/Michael_Levy_Ancient_Lyre_Music
A 'live' performance for solo lyre, of "Hymn to Persephone (Ancient Greek Goddess of the Spring)" - track 1 from my 2022 album, "Orpheus Tamed the Animals: Mythological Music for Ancient Greek Lyre":
open.spotify.com/album/4aAvpWSabYWqF7rQEJBsqY?si=M48Kk9l0SaO0I44WKQER9A
Persephone is the Goddess of the underworld, spring, and rebirth. She is one of the fertility goddesses. After Hades abducts her, she became Queen of the underworld, helping to escort the souls of the dead. She only performed this role for four months of the year (due to the four pomegranate seeds she ate) the rest of the time she lived with her mother Demeter, goddess of agriculture and the harvest.
Her exit from the underworld heralds the beginning of Spring as she helps her mother to bring life and bounty back to the land. This dual role makes her a Goddess of death and rebirth.
She is the only daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Her marriage to Hades bore no children.
Usually shown as a beautiful maiden with a wreath of flowers in her hair, carrying sheaves of wheat and a torch.
The Maiden Archetype represents purity and the innocence of childhood. where the soul’s dreams, magic and make believe still prevail.
Persephone's life embodies this Archetype, she remains eternally on the cusp between childhood and motherhood. Trapped by a mother's love and her inability to fully assert her independence. [Source: goddess-guide.com/persephone.html]
In attempting to evoke these attributes of Persephone, I use the distinctively dreamy, sensual and feminine-sounding ancient Greek Lydian Mode - the conjunction of 2 tetrachords which form the equivalent intervals as F-F on the white notes of the piano, but heard here, in the pure focus of just intonation.
For me, this mode always evokes an almost tangible, floral aroma, which relates back to the legend of how Hades abducted Persephone whilst she was picking spring Narcissus flowers.
Originally recorded for the album featuring the exotic, ancient timbre of my 11-string chelys (tortoise shell form) lyre with a skin soundboard, in this live version, I feature the lovely, pure harp-like timbre of my 10-string lyre - as can be seen in the performance, the limited range of the lyre's open strings can be effortlessly extended by the use of harmonics.
For countless hours more 'musical adventures in time travel', please see all my official artist links below - many thanks for watching!
Subscribe:
youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=Klezfiddle1
Official Artist Links:
Official Website:
ancientlyre.com
Digital Music Artist Profiles:
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v
iTunes & Apple Music:
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/michael-levy/id4324920
Amazon:
amzn.to/2zmJph3
Bandcamp:
michaellevy.bandcamp.com
Facebook Page:
facebook.com/beautifullyre
Twitter:
twitter.com/AncientLyre
Instagram:
instagram.com/mlevy1400bce
Patreon:
patreon.com/Michael_Levy_Ancient_Lyre_Music
