John Tavener - Sappho

Sappho: Lyrical Fragments, for 2 sopranos & strings (1981)

Patricia Rozario, soprano
Julia Gooding, soprano

The Orchestra of the Academy of Ancient Music
Paul Goodwin

When John Tavener suffered a stroke in 1980 at the age of 36, his former wife Vicky Maragopoulou flew in from Greece; they had remained close friends even after their marriage ended. She was shocked at his appearance but even more amazed that he wanted to compose. He pressed her in to service, as he was setting some poetry by the Classic Greek poetess Sappho. He intended to write it in Greek, and asked her to be sure he did not betray the Greek language.

Art by Lawrence Alma-Tadema

[bernab]

There are some moments which I doubt if there is a classical guitar or an arp.