CHRISTOPHER PAINTER

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HANES TALIESIN

TALIESIN’S TALE

 

Taliesin’s Tale is a work for solo clarinet which may be performed as a solo concert item, as a work with improvisatory dance elements for the performer or as a work for clarinettist and dancer, either choreographed (by the performers) or improvised by the dancer – it is intended that when performed as a duo, the dance element should be organic and should flow from the performers and not be pre-defined by the score.
 

The work may be performed either in its entirety or as individual, distinct, movements.
 

The four movements of the work derive from tales from the Mabinogion and reflect elements of the birth and early life of Taliesin, the great Welsh visionary poet and mythical hero, companion of Bran the Blessed and of King Arthur.

 

PAIR DADENI

THE CAULDRON OF REBIRTH

 

Taliesin began life as Gwion Bach, a servant to the enchantress Ceridwen. Ceridwen had a beautiful daughter and an ugly son named Morfran, whose appearance no magic could cure. Ceridwen sought to give him the gift of wisdom as compensation and cooked a potion granting inspiration, which had to be constantly stirred and cooked for a year and a day. A blind man named Morda tended the fire beneath the cauldron, while Gwion Bach stirred. The first three drops of liquid from this cauldron would give wisdom; the rest was a fatal poison. Three hot drops spilt onto Gwion's thumb as he stirred, and he instinctively put his thumb in his mouth, instantly gaining wisdom and knowledge. The first thought that occurred to him was that Ceridwen would kill him, so he ran away.

 

GWION YN HEDFAN A GENIDIGAETH TALIESIN

GWION'S FLIGHT AND THE BIRTH OF TALIESIN

 

All too soon he heard her fury and the sound of her pursuit. He turned himself into a hare on the land and she became a greyhound. He turned himself into a fish and jumped into a river: she then turned into an otter. He turned into a bird in the air, and in response she became a hawk.

Exhausted, he turned into a single grain of corn and she became a hen and ate him. She became pregnant. She resolved to kill the child, knowing it was Gwion, but when he was born he was so beautiful that she couldn't, so she threw him in the ocean in a leather bag.

 

MORDAITH TALIESIN

THE VOYAGE OF TALIESIN

 

Sewn into the leather bag and cast adrift in the ocean, the baby floated endlessly and without purpose. Riding aimlessly on the waves, in calm and in storm, it finally drifted towards the shore.

 

MYFI, TALIESIN

I, TALIESIN

 

The baby was found by Elffin, the son of Gwyddno Garanhir, 'Lord of Ceredigion', while fishing for salmon. Surprised at the whiteness of the boy's brow, he exclaimed "dyma Dal Iesin", meaning "this is a radiant brow." Taliesin, thus named, began to recite beautiful poetry and to display the gift of prophesy.