John Tavener: The Myrrh-Bearer (Viola Part): Solo pour Alto

The remarkable text of the Troparion, written by the great Byzantine poetess-nun Cassiana, was the inspiration of The Myrrh-Bearer. The text informed the architecture of the music. The viola solorepresents MaryMagdalen, as the cello solo represented the Mother of God on The Protecting Veil. This is where the resemblance between the two pieces ends.

In The Myrrh-Bearer the Chorus symbolises ‘us’, the ‘sins of theworld’, from‘stylized dictatorships’ to ‘the frivolous inane escapist vanities of the world,’ the to cries of ‘help’ after the cosmic catastrophe, and finally reaching an apocalyptic climax in the words, ‘We have no king byCaesar;’ adownright condemnation of God in the Earthly power.

In a surreal way the Magdalen’s ‘sin’ shines through in the viola music, because she recognises the Godhead, and the endless ‘Kyrie eleison’ chanted by thesemi-chorusrepresents her repentance and whatever is left of a ‘repentant’ world.

The Myrrh-Bearer explores the whole range of the viola, climbing from the depths up to the highest notes, and then falling again at theend, after theMagdalen’s recognition of the Risen Christ ‘Rabboni.’

The last stroke of the gong in the viola’s final bottom C, gives a deliberately ominous end to the piece.

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