Enescu - Octet Op. 7

What is this tempo for ? Tarantellas
are a poison danced out of the body,
but this is the violins’ quinella
at a photo-finish of Horse all bloodied.

This is the pressure of being 19
again. The sunflowers know vertigo
in that gale. The boy is too quarantined
from childhood, for Erlkoenig delicto,

so maybe Prince Hamlet is on the run.
Apollo is torturing Marysas.
Mazeppa is borne underneath the sun
of the moon. Enescu’s partitas

have their moment, but black falls out the disc,
in the tall waltz of the sunflower’s whisk.

Woodford Halse - 27 August 2025

I found this an arresting piece of music. For me, it is about being 19 all over again.

George Enescu ( 1881 - 1955 ) composed it in 1899 but he had to wait until 1909 for it to be premiered, because it was considered too risky. Yes, I can count; Enescu was 18 not 19 in 1899, but life is so breakneck at that age, that 18 looks ahead to 19, though not 30.

I refer to .Lord Byron’s Mazeppa ( 1819 ) about how Ivan Mazepa ( 1639 - 1709 ) was condemned to be splayed across the back of a horse, by a jealous Pplish nobleman, and left to the steppes.

I listened to a vigorous version by the Moldavan National Chamber Orchestra. I thank those musicians for introducing me to this piece !