Acis and Galatea
for oboe, viola, and organ

(2022)

Duration ca. 6 minutes and 30 seconds

Commissioned by Recitals Australia for the 2022 ReClassified Concert Series. Performed by Joshua Oates, Martin Alexander, and Josh van Konkelenberg at North Adelaide Baptist Church on 6 November 2022.

Acis and Galatea was inspired by the Greek myth of two lovers: the mortal Acis and sea-nymph Galatea. The story goes that one day, the cyclops Polyphemus saw Acis and Galatea resting on the seashore and became jealous, killing Acis with a boulder. The grieving Galatea then transformed his blood into a river and Acis into an immortal river spirit.

The work is in a single movement divided into three sections, each of which represents a different aspect of the story: an opening love theme, Polyphemus and the death of Acis, and the metamorphosis of Acis.

- Connor Fogarty, 2021