《Morpheus》

Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)

Clarke wrote Morpheus in 1917. The following year she used her pename Anthony Trent to premiere the piece in New York. It received wide acclaim from music critics after the performance, and continued to be passed from generation to generation, going on to become an important piece in the violin repertoire. It was officially published by Oxford University Press in 2002. The title of the piece comes from the Greek god Morpheus, who was in charge of sleep and dreams, and is greatly influenced by the incomparable love shared between Ceyx and Alcyone. Morpheus is in the pleasant key of B-flat major. The melody is gorgeous and moving, while the harmonies are rich and colorful, blending simplicity with sophistication in such a way that it evokes both the beauty of tranquility and the eruption of intense emotions. Clarke’s works are abundantly unique, much like her personal life. This recording uses a viola made by British luthier Barkar Norman (1651-1724) in 1705.