Internet Joseph Stevenson: The Crown of Ariadne was written for Canadian harpist Judy Loman, who premiered it on March 3, 1979 in Toronto. It was intended as part of Patria 5, which retells the myths of Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur. Ariadne was the daughter of the King of Crete. Periodically the city of Athens was required to send a shipload of youths and maidens to be herded into the labyrinth (a maze so complex it could not be solved) as sacrifice for the Minotaur. By unwinding thread behind her, she was able to lead the group headed by Theseus (with whom she had fallen in love) out after they slew the Minotaur. She eloped with him, but he abandoned her on the Island of Naxos, where she found true love with the god Bacchus.In this piece the harp represents Ariadne. However, the harpist also plays small percussion instruments such as ankle bells, crotales, cymbals, and wood blocks. She must also sing into the harp through a tube, slide the tuning key up and down the strings, and produce percussive techniques. The tape comes in during the closing "Labyrinth Dance." It consists of a pre-recorded harp part, on a harp tuned to a different system than the "live" one. This creates a complex, "labyrinthine" sonic texture. Crown of Ariadne is in the form of a six-movement suite, twenty minutes long. It also makes up a portion of Patria 3: The Greatest Show, where it accompanies a Javanese-style shadow puppet play. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.