The Captured Goddess

DD3 Publications, Distributed by Graphite Publishing

Over the housetops,
Above the rotating chimney-pots,
I have seen a shiver of amethyst,
And blue and cinnamon have flickered
A moment,
At the far end of a dusty street.

Through sheeted rain
Has come a lustre of crimson,
And I have watched moonbeams
Hushed by a film of palest green.

It was her wings,
Goddess!
Who stepped over the clouds,
And laid her rainbow feathers
Aslant on the currents of the air.

I followed her for long,
With gazing eyes and stumbling feet.
I cared not where she led me,
My eyes were full of colours:
Saffrons, rubies, the yellows of beryls,
And the indigo-blue of quartz;
Flights of rose, layers of chrysoprase,
Points of orange, spirals of vermilion,
The spotted gold of tiger-lily petals,
The loud pink of bursting hydrangeas.
I followed,
And watched for the flashing of her wings.

In the city I found her,
The narrow-streeted city.
In the market-place I came upon her,
Bound and trembling.
Her fluted wings were fastened to her sides with cords,
She was naked and cold,
For that day the wind blew
Without sunshine.

Men chaffered for her,
They bargained in silver and gold,
In copper, in wheat,
And called their bids across the market-place.

The Goddess wept.

Hiding my face I fled,
And the grey wind hissed behind me,
Along the narrow streets.

May 2011; revised December 2013

The Captured Goddess is a colorful setting of Amy Lowell's poem of the same name. Written for soprano Misha Penton, the work grew out of our collaboration on Klytemnestra. It was designed as a "couture song" to fit Misha's voice, while at the same time portraying the sad and awful realization of lost innocence inherent in Lowell's words.   

At Misha’s request, I created a revised version with viola in winter 2013. The viola writing is at times very vocal, drawing the maximum amount of emotional energy out of the contact of string and the reverberation of wood.

The Captured Goddess
A new music video and digital EP release

Fiery flames and smoldering vapor plumes. Wildflowers and wild grasses. An elemental goddess at the mercy of humankind. 

American poet Amy Lowell’s 1914 prescient and haunting poem, The Captured Goddess, is told through intense imagery: from Houston's Memorial Drive wildflowers to the blazing flares and glowing smoke plumes of our city's ship channel. A seven minute mini-opera, The Captured Goddess illuminates contemporary urban life and our ever-pressing forward, ever-changing world. 

The Captured Goddess
Music by Dominick DiOrio

Misha Penton, soprano

Meredith Harris, viola

Kyle Evans, piano

Toni Valle, dancer and choreographer

Misha Penton, director
Raul Casares, director of photography

Cliff Davis, editor

Audio recorded by Todd Hulslander at The Geary Performance Studio, Houston Public Media.

Online release: Tuesday, October 27: mishapenton.com

In addition to the The Captured Goddess, the digital EP includes two scenes from the chamber opera, Klytemnestra, the original subversive female, with music by Dominick DiOrio and words by Misha Penton. On iTunes and Bandcamp Tuesday October 27.

Photos:
Link to photo 1. Penton_Valle_Goddess1.jpg: http://bit.ly/1N5jZVK

Photo info: L-R: Toni Valle, dancer and choreographer. Misha Penton, soprano and director. The Captured Goddess, a new music video with music by Dominick DiOrio. Directed by Misha Penton. Photo credit: Dave Nickerson, Raul Casares.

Link to photo 2. Goddess_Penton.jpg http://bit.ly/1Lcs6gE

Photo info: Misha Penton, soprano and director. The Captured Goddess, a new music video with music by Dominick DiOrio. Directed by Misha Penton. Photo credit: Dave Nickerson, Raul Casares.

Link to photo 3. Penton_Valle_Goddess2.jpg http://bit.ly/1P6iauY

Photo info: L-R: Toni Valle, dancer and choreographer. Misha Penton, soprano and director. The Captured Goddess, a new music video with music by Dominick DiOrio. Directed by Misha Penton. Photo credit: Dave Nickerson, Raul Casares.

Link to photo 4: Penton_Valle_DiOrio.jpg http://bit.ly/1LaZCDP

Photo info: L-R: Misha Penton, soprano and director. Toni Valle, dancer and choreographer. Dominick DiOrio, composer. Photo credit: Kerry Beyer, Les Campbell, Matthew Fried.

Misha Penton's Web Archive for The Captured Goddess

DD3 Publications, Distributed by Graphite Publishing

Over the housetops,
Above the rotating chimney-pots,
I have seen a shiver of amethyst,
And blue and cinnamon have flickered
A moment,
At the far end of a dusty street.

Through sheeted rain
Has come a lustre of crimson,
And I have watched moonbeams
Hushed by a film of palest green.

It was her wings,
Goddess!
Who stepped over the clouds,
And laid her rainbow feathers
Aslant on the currents of the air.

I followed her for long,
With gazing eyes and stumbling feet.
I cared not where she led me,
My eyes were full of colours:
Saffrons, rubies, the yellows of beryls,
And the indigo-blue of quartz;
Flights of rose, layers of chrysoprase,
Points of orange, spirals of vermilion,
The spotted gold of tiger-lily petals,
The loud pink of bursting hydrangeas.
I followed,
And watched for the flashing of her wings.

In the city I found her,
The narrow-streeted city.
In the market-place I came upon her,
Bound and trembling.
Her fluted wings were fastened to her sides with cords,
She was naked and cold,
For that day the wind blew
Without sunshine.

Men chaffered for her,
They bargained in silver and gold,
In copper, in wheat,
And called their bids across the market-place.

The Goddess wept.

Hiding my face I fled,
And the grey wind hissed behind me,
Along the narrow streets.

May 2011; revised December 2013

The Captured Goddess is a colorful setting of Amy Lowell's poem of the same name. Written for soprano Misha Penton, the work grew out of our collaboration on Klytemnestra. It was designed as a "couture song" to fit Misha's voice, while at the same time portraying the sad and awful realization of lost innocence inherent in Lowell's words.   

At Misha’s request, I created a revised version with viola in winter 2013. The viola writing is at times very vocal, drawing the maximum amount of emotional energy out of the contact of string and the reverberation of wood.

The Captured Goddess
A new music video and digital EP release

Fiery flames and smoldering vapor plumes. Wildflowers and wild grasses. An elemental goddess at the mercy of humankind. 

American poet Amy Lowell’s 1914 prescient and haunting poem, The Captured Goddess, is told through intense imagery: from Houston's Memorial Drive wildflowers to the blazing flares and glowing smoke plumes of our city's ship channel. A seven minute mini-opera, The Captured Goddess illuminates contemporary urban life and our ever-pressing forward, ever-changing world. 

The Captured Goddess
Music by Dominick DiOrio

Misha Penton, soprano

Meredith Harris, viola

Kyle Evans, piano

Toni Valle, dancer and choreographer

Misha Penton, director
Raul Casares, director of photography

Cliff Davis, editor

Audio recorded by Todd Hulslander at The Geary Performance Studio, Houston Public Media.

Online release: Tuesday, October 27: mishapenton.com

In addition to the The Captured Goddess, the digital EP includes two scenes from the chamber opera, Klytemnestra, the original subversive female, with music by Dominick DiOrio and words by Misha Penton. On iTunes and Bandcamp Tuesday October 27.

Photos:
Link to photo 1. Penton_Valle_Goddess1.jpg: http://bit.ly/1N5jZVK

Photo info: L-R: Toni Valle, dancer and choreographer. Misha Penton, soprano and director. The Captured Goddess, a new music video with music by Dominick DiOrio. Directed by Misha Penton. Photo credit: Dave Nickerson, Raul Casares.

Link to photo 2. Goddess_Penton.jpg http://bit.ly/1Lcs6gE

Photo info: Misha Penton, soprano and director. The Captured Goddess, a new music video with music by Dominick DiOrio. Directed by Misha Penton. Photo credit: Dave Nickerson, Raul Casares.

Link to photo 3. Penton_Valle_Goddess2.jpg http://bit.ly/1P6iauY

Photo info: L-R: Toni Valle, dancer and choreographer. Misha Penton, soprano and director. The Captured Goddess, a new music video with music by Dominick DiOrio. Directed by Misha Penton. Photo credit: Dave Nickerson, Raul Casares.

Link to photo 4: Penton_Valle_DiOrio.jpg http://bit.ly/1LaZCDP

Photo info: L-R: Misha Penton, soprano and director. Toni Valle, dancer and choreographer. Dominick DiOrio, composer. Photo credit: Kerry Beyer, Les Campbell, Matthew Fried.

Misha Penton's Web Archive for The Captured Goddess