On June 21, Hungarian flautist Noemi Gyori will give the UK premiere of Thaleia-Christian Mason's new flute concerto spotlighting the story of the eponymous nymph. Gyori will perform with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by her husband, Gergely Madaras.
The orchestration of Thaleia is deeply inspired by Claude Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune. Like Debussy's work, Mason's concerto also draws from Greek mythology. Unlike the famous Prélude, however, it gives centerstage not to the faun, but to Thaleia, a nymph such as was often fauns' objects of attention. In mythology Thaleia is impregnated by Zeus, so to avoid Hera's jealousy, she hides underground where she gives birth to twins who become the Palici, Sicilian deities of hot springs and geysers. The idea of the twins is conjured in the canons permeating the second movement.
More importantly, "Mason opens up space for a female character of a nymph, to portray her voice and to provide substantial material for a female character to vocalise and detail her sentiments through the sound of the flute and piccolo," wrote the British Flute Society. "The concerto, and the programming of the concert therefore not only celebrate femininity, the capacities of the flute and Debussy's music, but also reflect on these and their historic content with a contemporary musical and societal perspective."
Flanking Mason's Thaleia are Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and Nocturnes, and part III of the orchestral version of Cesar Franck's Psyché. The performance happens at the BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff.
Thaleia-Mason's first concerto-was given its world premiere in Belgium last April, and was written as part of Gyori's project, Contemplation of the Nymph, where she brings the female voice-symbolized by nymphs-under the spotlight. Besides music, the project has also produced dresses and jewelry.
