Patrick Egge

Palace of Knossos

The composition "Palace of Knossos" is a programmatic piece for wind orchestra based on a fictional adventure. A group of adventurers set out to uncover the truth behind the legends of the underground labyrinth in the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete. It is said that a wild, man-eating beast—the Minotaur—lives and is imprisoned there. The work begins with the adventurers’ crossing of the Mediterranean Sea to Crete. While the waves are initially very small and can be faintly heard in the accompanying parts, they soon tower meters high and become impossible to ignore in the music. Once the sea has calmed down again, they finally manage to dock on the island. Upon arriving at the palace, the adventurers are deeply impressed, and majestic sounds attest to the architecture and beauty of the imposing complex. Eventually, they make their way into the underground passages built by the architect Daedalus, and there, to their horror, they indeed catch sight of the giant Minotaur. The beast is portrayed by a wild melody in the lower voices. The adventurers immediately try to flee unnoticed but get lost in the maze of the labyrinth. The Minotaur draws ever closer and spots the intruders. At the last second, the beast misses its prey, and the adventurers find the exit just in time—an exit the Minotaur cannot pass through. The successful escape is expressed through a "happy ending." In this finale, all three themes of the piece are heard together.

NOTE: The audio sample is a MIDI recording!