Agamemnon Suite is a collection of mystical, fiery, and primal pieces written for a production of the ancient Greek tragedy Agamemnon by Aeschylus (trans. Anne Carson), in collaboration with director Faith Roche. Faith's vision was to explore how themes relating to Dionysus (god of wine, theatre, madness, ecstasy,...) and Dionysic ritual are present in the Agamemnon and general ancient Athenian tragedy, which I also happened to be deeply interested in- particularly the role of the 'New Music' genre of dithyramb associated with Dionysian ritual.

I. Dithyramb
The play opens with a dithyramb, a rhapsodic hymn to Dionysus characterized by the ancient double pipe instrument the aulos (here simulated with two half clarinets!) which traditionally preceded Athenian tragedy performances. The performance is heralded by a wailing conch shell, alluding to Dionysus' frequent connection to the sea in art and myth.

II. The House of Atreus
The second movement is a bold and zealous storytelling dance inspired by ancient Greek rhythms and modes, recalling the tragedies surrounding the Trojan War.

III. Sacrifice of Agamemnon
The finale is a writhing blend of madness, tragedy, prophecy, and ectasy which accompanied a culminating scene that the director would often call a 'pscyho-sexual murder dance'.