Liner Notes

1. LABYRINTH
In 1951, when I was artistic director of a small ballet company attached to the National Theatre of Wiesbaden, I wrote this psycho-chamber-jazz ballet for it. It was never staged because the company dissolved before we could put it on. I conducted the score in a concert on the Darmstadt-Frankfurt a.M. Music Festival on May 29th, 1952.

The ballet tells the story of Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur, in a condensed, anagogical and anagrammatical fashion. It is, as a subject, quite similar to Gozzi's "The King Stag" which I composed as an opera three years later.

I. Permanent Menace: Adolescents of Knossos under the threat to be fed to the Minotaur.
II. Cantus choralis: Plea to Theseus to kill the monster.
III. Conflict: Ariadne tries to prevent Theseus from facing the dangers involved by going into the Labyrinth and challenging the Minotaur. But Theseus is adamant.
IV. Variation: She invents the device of the thread stuck to Theseus, made to pull him back out of the Labyrinth in case he would get lost in it.
V. Minotaurus Blues: Theseus in the Labyrinth fights the Minotaur and kills him.
VI. Fantasy in Rose: Theseus and Ariadne happily reunited among the people of Crete who are grateful to be liberated from their nightmare.

THE LONDON SlNFONIETTA
Nona Liddell, Violin . Violon . Violine
Joan Atherton, Violin . Violon . Violine
Donald McVay, Viola . Alto . Bratsche
Jennifer Ward Clarke, Cello . Violoncelle . Violoncello
John Steer, Double-bass . Contrebasse . Kontrabass
Sebastian Bell, Flute . Fllite . Fldte
Janet Craxton, Oboe, Cor anglais . Hautbois, Cor anglais . Oboe, Englischhorn
Tony Coe, Saxophone . Saxophone . Saxophon
Antony Pay, Clarinet, Bass-clarinet . Clarinette, Clarinette basse . Klarinette,
Bassklarinette
* John Stenhouse, Bass-clarinet . Clarinette basse . Bassklarinette
Brynly Clarke, Bassoon . Basson. . Fagott
Barry Tuckwell, Horn . Cor . Horn
Elgar Howarth, Trumpet . Trompette . Trompete
David Purser, Trombone . Trombonne . Posaune
John Constable, Piano . Piano . Klavier
Howard Shelley, Celeste . Celesta . Celesta
Sidonie Goossens, Harp . Harpe . Harfe
James Holland, Percussion . Percussion . Schlagzeug
David Johnston, Percussion . Percussion . Schlagzeug
Terence Emery, Percussion . Percussion . Schlagzeug
John Donaldson, Percussion, Marimba . Percussion, Marimba . Schlagzeug, Marimba
* Robert Howes, Percussion . Percussion . Schlagzeug
* Stephen Henderson, Percussion . Percussion . Schlagzeug
* John Beadle, Percussion . Percussion . Schlagzeug
* Anne Collis, Percussion . Percussion . Schlagzeug

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