Contaldo, Giulia
Metopes: Myths, Legends And Tales
The album opens with what is perhaps the piano masterpiece of its composer, Karol Szymanowski. He wrote it in 1914, when he returned to his Ukrainian homeland after having toured extensively Europe. He had been particularly impressed by Italy, and especially by Sicily. The triangular-shaped island, the southernmost region in Italy, is the cradle of Italian culture. In it are found some of the finest examples of Greek art and culture, miraculously preserved through the centuries and in spite of the numerous invasions and earthquakes undergone by this beautiful island. Magna Graecia - so was Southern Italy known - was a hotbed of splendid culture and artistry, which still radiates its fascination to the other regions of Italy. It has been argued by musicologist Christoph Palmer that the ultimate inspiration for Szymanowskis composition came from his visit to the Museum of Palermo, the capital city of Sicily, where some of the most exquisite surviving metopes are found. This is very likely to be the true source for Szymanowskis work, although it has also to be said that he was looking with particular interest to the Classical world, its myths, and its tropes at that time.