Welcome to the Ether Game Weekly Podcast! We're studying some "string theory" this week, looking at all things string in a show we're calling " Fiber Arts." To get you started (or for those of you who just cannot wait for Tuesday nights), you can sharpen your skills with our podcast selection. Remember to keep your ears out for a portion of Tuesday night's Teaser selection. And don't forget to tune into the full show on Tuesday, December 6th at 8:00pm for a chance to win a prize!
Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643): L'ORFEO: Prologue
Chiaroscuro and London Baroque. Monteverdi: L'Orfeo (EMI)
We're looking at music all about strings this week, and we'll start with one of the earliest known string instruments: the lyre. The lyre is similar to a small harp, although it was usually strummed like a guitar. According to Greek Mythology, the lyre was invented by the god Hermes as part of a plot to steal Apollo's cows, although Apollo, the god of music, eventually became the master of the instrument. He taught Orpheus how to play the lyre, who then used it to charm all living creatures. Monteverdi's opera L'Orfeo, one of the very first operas, tells the story of Orpheus and his wife Eurydice, and the legend of how he (unsuccessfully) tried to bring her from the underworld. Orpheus's lyre, according to mythology, is now immortalized in the stars as the constellation Lyra.