Metamorphosis of Narcissus (2011) 

For chamber orchestra and fixed electronics
Duration: 7 minutes
Commissioned by Metropolis Ensemble

Reviews:

“Metamorphosis of Narcissus, by Gity Razaz, an Iranian composer, was a world apart: a narcotic mix of dreamy French horn and clarinet calls, limpid Impressionist timbres and electronically induced expanse. Ms. Razaz’s music was ravishing and engulfing throughout a nine-minute duration…”
—New York Times

“There’s an uncompromising beauty to these works by the Iranian-born American composer. The opening title work, [The Strange Highway], for cello octet, is a wild, rhythmic ride, while the closing Metamorphosis of Narcissus offers some fantastic musical storytelling. Impressive.”
—BBC Music Magazine

Program Note:

I first encountered the story of Narcissus in the prologue to "The Alchemist," a novel by the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho. Many years later, I saw “The Metamorphosis of Narcissus,” a painting by Salvador Dali that captures Narcissus’ myth in eerie and haunting double imagery. These sources have inspired me to re-tell the story of Narcissus in a version of my own: a musical drama reflecting on the internal and psychological transformation of Narcissus, beginning with his obsessive self-infatuation, moving through his drowning in the pond that reflected his image, and ending with his rebirth as the narcissus flower.

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