String Quartet No. 3

for 2 violins, viola, violoncello

Duration - approximately 20 minutes

Program Notes:

The Hercules Quartets is a three work collection which explores the twelve labors that Hercules performed for Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae.  The goddess Hera, angry with Hercules, made him lose his mind.  During this state, he murdered his wife and kids.  Upon awakening from his delirium, Hercules asked the god Apollo for guidance on rectifying the situation.  Apollo instructed him to serve Eurystheus for 12 years, and during this time he was instructed to perform ten impossible labors.  The number was later raised to twelve after Eurystheus denied him two of the previously completed labors.  String Quartet No. 3 includes labors 5,4 and 1.

King Augeas’ Stables

Hercules fifth labor was to clean out the stables of King Augeas. Augeas’ large amount of cattle deposited their manure in such quantity over the years that a thick aroma hung over all of Peloponnesus. After dining with the king on a large beef steaks, Hercules got greedy and propositioned Augeas for a tenth of his cattle if he could clean the stables in a single day.  Augeas, believing the task impossible, agreed to the terms.  Hercules then diverted two rivers through the stable, rather than using a shovel, and easily washed away the entire quantity of manure.  He didn’t even get dirty.  But because he had demanded payment of Augeas, Eurytheus refused to count this as a Labor.

Pholus and the Boar

For his fourth labor, Hercules was ordered to capture the Erymanthian Boar and bring it back to Eurystheus. The task was not overly difficult, so Hercules took his time, and spent awhile hedonistically enjoying the finer things in life in the company of one of his friends, a centaur, Pholus. Pholus offered him a cooked meat meal, but tried to keep the wine corked. Unfortunately, Hercules prevailed upon him to let him have a drink.

It was a divine, aged wine, with a heady aroma that drew the other, less friendly centaurs from miles around. It was their wine, too, and not really Hercules' to commandeer, but Hercules chased them away by shooting arrows at them.  One of the arrows struck and killed Hercules' erstwhile host Pholus.

After the incident, Hercules, saddened and angered by the deaths of his friend, continued on his mission. Filled with adrenaline, he easily outran and trapped the cold, tired boar. Hercules brought the boar (without further incident) to King Eurystheus.

The Loathsome Lion

Hercules’ first labor was to kill the nemean lion, which was more of a monster than a lion.  His skin was so thick that spears and arrows could not penetrate it.  Hercules blocked the entrance to the lion’s cave, crawled in, and killed the lion with his bare hands.  Afterwards he wore the lion’s skin as a cloak and its jaw as a helmet.

Portions of this piece were read and recorded by Aaron Packard (vln), Sarah Washburn (vln), Russ Podgorsek (vla), and Katie Kennedy (vc), on Oct. 6th, 2006.  It will also be read by the West End String Quartet in December, 2006.