Rome's Pantheon, based on Greek mythical legends was first constructed over 2,000 years ago as a temple "of all the gods". In the year 609, it became a Catholic church.

Pantheon for Violin, Horn, and Piano by the great Canadian composer Elizabeth Raum is a seven-movement suite of chamber music depicting various of the Greek gods:

1. Eos: Goddess of the Dawn

2. Moirae: Gods of Fate

3. Aphrodite: Goddess of Love and Beauty

4. Zeus and Hera

5. Artemis (Diana) Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt

6. Hermes (Mercury) of the Winged Sandals

7. Apollo: God of Sun and Light

Here are the comments about Pantheon from composer Elizabeth Raum:

Pantheon alludes to a temple, a musical temple in this case, devoted to the gods of ancient Greek mythology, several of whom are represented in this work.

The first movement opens with a horn call as Eos, Goddess of the Dawn begins her rosy-fingered awakening, and rising from her couch, ascends the heavens in her horse-drawn chariot. She heralds the approach of her brother, Helius, the sun god, whose superior brightness causes her color to fade.

In the second movement, The Fates (Moirae) spin their thread of life and death. The minimalist quality of the music, representing the steady turn of the spindle, becomes more and more agitated as Atropos, the Fate who holds the shears, prepares to cut the thread. The hand stopped horn and the Bartok pizzicato signify the final snip. A moment of contemplation, and they begin again. Some try to persuade Atropos to delay a moment, but she cannot be deterred.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, is the third movement. She arose from the foam of the sea and all were charmed by her grace, but she could also be coy and flirtatious as she is in this version.

Zeus and Hera, the king and queen of the gods, make up the fourth movement. The opening theme suggests the regal stride of Zeus while Hera, furious at his many infidelities, quarrels with him and schemes to thwart his affairs.

In the fifth movement, Artemis (Dawn Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt), holds high her silver bow that gleams in the night sky like the new moon. The clouds drift silently past while she runs with her hounds and dances with her nymphs.

Hermes (Mercury) of the Winged Sandals, sixth movement, is scored for violin and horn alone. He is a very mischievous and cunning god, and his exceptional swiftness is aided by his winged sandals as he flies to carry out his divine duties.

And finally in the seventh movement, Apollo the horn again summons the gods. A hymn to Apollo celebrates the god of eternal youth, beauty, and music.

This is a major chamber work for Violin, Horn, and Piano of about 26 minutes in length written for Erika Raum, Phil Myers, and Peter Allen and is appropriate for very advanced artists.

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YouTube video of live performance of Pantheon by Jessica Elder, Mei-En Chou and Ivan Suminski

Raum

Raum - Pantheon for Violin, Horn and Piano

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