Minotaurusmaterial (2026)
(New orchestra work for BR/musica viva 2026/27)

Since my childhood, the theme of the Minotaur has accompanied me throughout my life. On the streets of my home town of Heraklion in Crete, in the paintings of Picasso's in Paris, in the literature of Nikos Kazantzakis and Luis Borges, the myth of the half bull-half man is still omnipresent after 4500 years.

Like every mythological figure, this dimorphic creature of Cretan mythology is not only a polydimensional character, but also a universal symbol that has served as a source of inspiration for many artists throughout the centuries: from the symbol of the animalistic in Picasso to the lonely soul in Borges' texts, from Salvator Dali's surreal creature to the non-existent, even absent monster in the work of Margarite Yourcenar.

But its history brings with it many other symbols and stories, that unfold like a labyrinth: Ariadne's thread, the labyrinth, the hero Theseus, Icarus, the black sails....

In a 30-40 minute work for large orchestra, I would like to show the different facets of Minotaurus and his symbolism. Besides the very active woodwind and brass players, six horns in the orchestra play a protagonistic role as a sound symbol of the Minotaur. The music moves between pulsating rhythms (minotauromachy) and melancholic microtonal melody (Asteríon) to the lowest register of the orchestra (Labyrinth).

Minas Borboudakis