• Premiere: March 2016 Club Allegro Molto, Paris, France, Mirror Visions Ensemble: Vira Slywotzky, soprano; Scott Murphree, tenor; Jesse Blumberg, baritone; Tobé Malawista, Artistic Director

• Instrumentation: soprano, tenor, baritone, and piano

• Duration: 16:00

• Text: by Lawrance de Ferry, Hesiod, John Nieuhoff and Claudius Ælianus, adapted by the composer

  I. SEA-SNAKE

  II. DRAGON

  III. WINGED SERPENT

  IV. UNICORN

TEXT

 SCALES AND TALES

a historical account of mythological beasts

I. SEA-SNAKE

"The latter end of August, 1746, as I was on a voyage in a very calm, hot day, I heard a murmuring from amongst the men at the oars.  I observed that the helmsmen kept off from the land.  Upon this I inquired what was the matter and was informed that there was a sea-snake before us.

“The head of this snake rose more than two feet above the water, resembling that of a horse. It was gray with black eyes and a long white mane that hung down from the neck to the surface.  Its mouth was dark and fierce. We saw eight thick coils and we guessed there was a fathom distance between each.  

“The snake swam faster than we could row. I took my gun and fired. He plunged under the water. When the monster plunged down, the water appeared thick and red.”

—Lawrance de Ferry, captain in the Norwegian Navy, Bergen, 1751

II. DRAGON

"Unspeakable. The terror glancing backward, eyes gleaming with fire.

His mouth filled with teeth, a white line of dread.  Unapproachable strife.

Unspeakable. The head of a terrible serpent,

who was wont to scare the race of men on earth."

 —Hesiod, Grote, 750 B.C.

III. WINGED SERPENT

"In the woods of Java are certain flying snakes, or rather drakes.

They have four legs, a long tail, and skin, speckled with many spots.

They have wings not unlike those of a bat.

They fly nimbly, but cannot hold it long, so they fly only from tree to tree.

They feed upon flies and other insects."

—Mr. John Nieuhoff, Voyages and Travels, Churchill, London, 1732

IV. UNICORN

 “They say that there are mountains in the innermost regions of India inaccessible to men, and full of wild beasts.  Among them they enumerate the unicorn.

“They say that it possesses a mane and reddish yellow hair;

that it excels in swiftness through the excellence of its feet and body.

“Its one black horn projects between the eyebrows, not awkwardly, but with a certain natural twist, terminating in a sharp point. 

“It is said to be gentle to other beasts, but to fight with its fellows. 

In the breeding season it is gentlest towards the female; they feed and wander together.

When this time has passed, it again becomes fierce and wanders alone.”

—Claudius Ælianus, De Naturâ Animalium, 744