Cupid & Psyche: An Electronically Composed Pop Opera

Authors

William Barnett, The College of WoosterFollow
CeCe Underwood, The College of WoosterFollow

Abstract

Love is not love without betrayal. Based on the classic myth, a kingdom has raised their princess of unmatched beauty named Psyche to the status of a goddess, even calling her "a new Venus," thus making the true Venus jealous and hateful. Despite her status as a princess, Psyche longs for someone to love her as a person and not a princess. The jealous Venus sends her son Cupid to make her fall in love with something horrible, and instead he falls in love. An oracle foretells that Cupid is in fact Psyche's prophesied husband, but with one little shortcoming: Psyche must never see Cupid's face. For if she does, they cannot be together. Months pass. Feeling unloved, a now pregnant Psyche looks upon Cupid's face, betraying him and making his jealous mother only angrier. Venus confronts Psyche, but in a surprise act of love, Cupid demands that Venus let him marry Psyche. Venus refuses and Cupid & Psyche run away to Olympus together, and live happily ever after.

Advisor

Slawson, Greg

Department

Music

Recommended Citation

Barnett, William and Underwood, CeCe, "Cupid & Psyche: An Electronically Composed Pop Opera" (2018). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 7937.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/7937

Disciplines

Composition

Keywords

Cupid, Psyche, pop opera

Publication Date

2018

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis