I wrote a theme for Icarus

"Then, reading him the rules
Of flight, Daedalus fixed his arms with untried wings,
And worked and warned while his old cheeks grew wet.
With trembling hands, the father gave his son
A kiss that would not be returned, then flew
Ahead in fear. Just like a bird who guides
A fledgling from its nest, he urged the boy
To follow him and learn the fatal skill.
[And flapped his wings and glanced back at his son’s.]
In wonderment, an angler’s curving rod,
A shepherd’s crook, and plowman’s plow were clutched
To see men take the skies-they must be gods!'
[...]
The boy began to frolic in his flight
And boldly left his guide to roam at will
Through higher heaven, so close the searing sun
Made soft the perfumed wax that bound his wings-
The wax thawed through! He flapped his naked arms,
But, featherless, they could not ply the air,
And, calling out his father’s name, he plunged
Into the azure sea named after him."
(Lines 208-230, Book VIII of Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by C. Luke Soucy)
Imprisoned by the tyrannical King Minos of Crete, the famous inventor Daedalus longs for freedom for himself and his son, Icarus. Unable to escape by land or sea, he decides to take the skies, inventing intricate sets of wings for himself and his son. He binds the wings to their bodies with wax, and before taking flight, warns Icarus not to fly too low for fear of the wings becoming heavy with moisture from the sea, or to fly too high for fear of the sun's heat melting the wax. They soar into the sky together and are free at last, only for Icarus to lose himself in the wonder of their flight. He flies too high, the sun melts the wax, and he tragically falls to his death in the sea far below.
Vividly retold in Ovid's Metamorphoses, the tale of Icarus is one of the most well-known stories from classical mythology. While some focus on the tale's moral teachings of human limitation, ambition, hubris, or failing to heed advice, I wanted my theme for Icarus to capture the strong bond between Daedalus and Icarus, the crafting of the ornate wings, and Icarus' wonder as they fly to freedom. Only at the end does the piece hint at the tragedy of Icarus' final fall.
This piece was written entirely using the BBC Symphony Orchestra from ‪@spitfireaudiollp‬
What should I write next? Let me know in the comments!
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