Nataraja

Nataraja Synopsis

Jonathan Harvey's Nataraja for flute (doubling piccolo) and piano was composed in 1983. Taking its name given to the Hindu god Shiva in his aspect as the cosmic ecstatic dancer, this 8-minute work is a dazzling celebration of the four-armed deity whose movements create and destroy matter throughout eternity. The outer sections, characterised by dancing rhythms, frame a more tranquil melody that winds its way through static harmonies.

'A bright, flashing and explosive piece.'
The New York Times (Tim Page), 14 December 1986