Kathros
for violin

"Kathros" is an ancient string instrument mentioned in the Bible – Book of Daniel 3. This book contains a long list of musical instruments, the looks and sounds of which we can no more than take guesses at, although there can be no doubt that similar instruments are found to this day with peoples of the Near East. In "Kathros" the composer tries to recapture the sound of a string instrument – as he hears it in his imagination – across between ancient lyre and the lute (or the Eastern oud). To realize the imaginary sound of this instrument he makes use of the modern violin, asking, however, to play it also in somewhat unusual ("Eastern") ways.