Sylvia Glickman’s poignant duo for flute and viola, “Antigone Speaks,” is musically based on the Byzantine hymn “On Leaving the Wealth of Her Family” originally composed by the 8th century nun, Kassia, the first female composer whose works have been preserved. The implications and references of the work, including some brief spoken portions, draw specifically from Sophocles’ “Antigone” and from Kassia’s hymn.
Glickman’s longtime friend, Madelyn Gutwirth, wrote a detailed biography of Glickman’s life and accomplishments, shortly after Glickman’s death in 2006, including the following description of this work (which has also been scored for solo flute, as well as a larger ensemble):
“Sylvia’s identification with the solo singer’s voice… as well as her ability to dialogue … are evident in her eloquent piece… “Antigone Speaks.” There, she voices, sometimes with harshness, sometimes with tenderness, the protest of the girl whom, in Greek legend, king Creon’s decree deprives of her right of conscience to give decent burial to her outcast brother. Sylvia’s own individual voice, her own protest subordinated to her artistry, emerges into its fullest expression in (this and other) works.”
Kassia, the 8th century Byzantine Nun, composer, poet and outspoken intellectual whose music and words form a great deal of the fabric of this piece, deserves her own entry – I can’t bring myself to simply make her an add-on to any article! She was an amazing and remarkable woman, and it’s easy to see all of the many reasons why Glickman chose to represent her work in this composition. Click here for more thoughts on Kassia!
