Pygmalion and Galatea
for cello and piano

(2021)

Duration ca. 9 minutes

Winner of the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia Composition Prize. Performed by Umberto Clerici (cello) and Daniel de Borah (piano) at Elder Hall on 13 June 2021.

The title of this piece refers to a short episode from Greek mythology. The story goes that the sculptor, Pygmalion, fell in love with the statue of a beautiful woman that he created. Pygmalion prayed to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, in the hope that she would bring the statue to life. His wish was granted, and the statue became a living woman, Galatea. The couple then lived a happy life together (a rare happy ending in Greek mythology).

The piece is structured as a series of episodes, each of which loosely represents the emotions that I consider to be associated with the myth: yearning, frustration, hope, excitement, passion, and tranquillity. Much of the thematic material is built around the interval of a minor sixth which I associate with yearning.

- Connor Fogarty, 2021