Dittany

Notes from the composer

Dittany is my impression of a magical, dreamlike, and mythological world. The most legendary of the Greek healing herbs, Dittany was an essential element in pharmaka, which was the Greek’s word for potion making—in other words, sorcery. As I started to sketch I wanted to capture the energy and the other worldly nature associated with this herb and the potions in which it was contained. The bubbling textures, energetic melodies, and subsequent harmonies are inspired from the great Late Romantic and Minimalist composers (Korngold, Pärt) as I felt this style was also perfectly suited to capture the magical, joyful, and at times—crushingly dark soul of Greek mythos. I am quite happy with the end result, especially because I feel there isn’t enough energetic, lush, and beautiful music written for harp duo.

–Kyle Gordon