Demeter Prelude by Margaret Brouwer, 2000

Margaret Brouwer following her composition of Pluto-A Sequel, which was meant to continue Gustav Holst’s The Planets, wrote the Demeter Prelude. As she studied the myths of Pluto/Hades, Brouwer was drawn to the story of Demeter and her stolen child Persephone. The music takes over after the rape of the Persephone and follows the mother’s desperate search for her daughter. The music acts as Brouwer’s interpretation of the feelings and movements of Demeter as she seeks her lost daughter, growing furious and desperate, fighting Zeus and Hades for her daughter’s return. The music is often wild and fast with a 12/8 rhythm.