Steve Hackett
Metamorpheus

Metamorpheus is the musical transposition of the myth of Orpheus. Steve picks up the classical guitar, and accompanied by the Underworld Orchestra and John Hackett on flute, paints a musical picture of a mythical world from another time. The quest for sound leads the author to record each orchestra instrument individually, resulting in a clear and powerful sound rarely heard before. A meticulous process that will require a year of hard work to complete.
The work inherits the legacy of all previous acoustic experiences, from "Bay of kings" to "Momentum", with the guitarist's maturity allowing him to lead the orchestra in person. Metamorpheus is a timeless masterpiece, the ideal follow-up to the previous work "A midsummer night's dream", with which the guitarist drew critical attention. The first track of Metamorpheus is titled: "The Pool Of Memory And The Pool Of Forgetfulness", and from the first notes, it is clear we are in the presence of a tragedy, heralded by a guitar with a decidedly Spanish mood. The orchestra picks up the main theme, aligning with the leading instrument without ever trying to overshadow it. In unison, they usher us into another dimension, where legends were born among the shadows, and where Orpheus becomes aware of his destiny. Then the rush to the Land of Men, "To Earth Like Rain", the rhythm changes, the instruments seem to rejoice in forgetting the ominous notes of the previous piece, chasing the protagonist's rapid descent into human misery. Having arrived on Earth, Orpheus is enraptured, picks up the lyre and, with his music, enchants men, animals, even inanimate things. "Song To Nature" with its sweet guitar arpeggios, reflects Nature's amazement as it stops to listen to Orpheus' music. A tribute to nature, from which the following "One Real Flower" takes shape, when Orpheus meets Eurydice and falls hopelessly in love. The sense of joy is expressed in "The Dancing Ground" with the orchestra setting the tempo in joyful whirling and some fleeting guitar interventions. The god seems intoxicated by so much love, overwhelmed by so much happiness that he does not notice the sudden change of tone at the onset of Eurydice's ominous foreboding. These dramatic notes project the listener towards something completely different. A punch to the stomach that hints at imminent tragedy. Then a pause, followed by a twelve-minute guitar piece, "That Vaste Life", where the musician's melodic vein is all too evident. A story illustrating how things could have gone, how wonderful it would have been if the tragedy had never happened, and if Eurydice had not died. Orpheus turns to observe the course of his sinister earthly destiny, realizing that nothing can be done to prevent the events from unfolding as already established. In the following "Eurydice Taken" the tragedy unfolds. Taking advantage of Orpheus's absence, adverse gods frighten Eurydice, causing her to flee; as she runs through the meadows, she is bitten by a snake. The music seems to paint these events, and the orchestra reinforces the content by changing mood as the serpent sinks its teeth into the flesh of the young lover.

Desperate, Orpheus seeks the traces of his beloved, and upon finding the mortal remains of Eurydice, he loses grace. Desolate, he wanders through the fields full of sorrow and resentment towards adverse fate. He remains in that state for entire days before finding the strength to react. He picks up the harp and with a resolute step, heads towards the entrance of the underworld to demand the return of his woman. In the next three tracks, the guitar ceases to play, leaving room for the orchestra and the necessary tension that only many instruments played in unison can create. "Charon's Call" is the first orchestral piece, Orpheus's prayer to Charon, the soul ferryman, to lead him down, into the underworld, where he can address his heartfelt prayer to Pluto. Thanks to the charming sound of his harp, he even surpasses Cerberus, the three-headed dog guarding the entrance. "Cerberus At Peace" outlines with onomatopoeic sounds how the animal becomes enchanted with the harp and gently falls asleep on its side, allowing Orpheus to pass. In "Under The World - Orpheus Looks Back" our hero finally stands before Pluto and his court, addressing them with such a heartfelt plea as to achieve the miracle. Eurydice will return to life once out of the underworld if Orpheus leads her by the hand and never turns to look at her face. Orpheus accepts the condition and climbs back to the land of the living. The musical description of these passages, set to the rhythm of a Bolero, is very beautiful, as the listener can easily imagine the protagonists climbing back up through the dark regions of the underworld. Yet another abrupt change of tone indicates something unexpected and ominous has occurred. Not feeling the consistency of Eurydice's hand, Orpheus, seized by doubt, turns, and in doing so loses his beloved forever. Like a floating ghost, the woman's body halts and gradually vanishes, returning to the underworld. After a few appropriate seconds of silence, Steve sketches Orpheus's despair. He arpeggiates the poignant "The Broken Lyre", with harmonic passages of incredible sensitivity and beauty. Overcome with anguish and loss, Orpheus abandons everything: himself, Nature, music, choosing a fate of complete solitude.

The Maenads, wicked female creatures, observe him in secret and try in every way to seduce him. When they realize their efforts are in vain, they attack him as a group and kill him savagely. They then throw his head into the river, making a mockery of his flesh. The dramatic "Severange" underscores these moments and is interpreted solely by the orchestra. In fact, "Severange" was salvaged by Steve, who had already composed it for a television documentary about Hitler's history, and it perfectly underscores the violence of the narrated scenes. Finally, "Elegy" restores serenity to the listener. Something is about to change, as hinted by the melody's progression, by the vaguely suggested themes by the guitarist replaying the opera's pivotal moments with passion. Orpheus's head, floating on the river, seems to produce music itself, is collected on the shores of the island of Lesbos, and placed as an oracle for the gods. It is said that sparrows sang more joyfully near the small temple. Nature itself was strangely so lush around the structure as to attract the gods' attention and benevolence. Then the unthinkable happens: along with the increasingly quick notes of "Return To The Realm Of Eternal Renewal" Orpheus's spirit is lifted from the ground and united with Eurydice's. The two are accompanied by the gods to the edges of the celestial sphere, taking abode among the constellations of the sky. Love triumphs over death, redemption for two souls destined to be united only among the immortal things of the sky. "Lyra" is the concluding piece of this exceptional work, a piece where the guitar fades as if it wanted to describe events so distant from us that they must become only part of our memories. The Lyre, the constellation we still see in the starry sky today, will forever bear witness to events narrated in other eras and brought back to life in all their beauty by one of the greatest contemporary musicians: Steve Hackett.