Performed at the Oregon Bach Festival Composers’ Symposium
Jonathan Dinsfriend, Violin
Krista Abrahamson, Cello
Oren Fader, Electric Guitar
Bryan Coughlin, Electric Bass
Kathryn Christensen, Piano

A Fate Forsaken is the programmatic sequel to the earlier work An Odyssey. It was composed for the Oregon Bach Festival Composers’ Symposium in June 2009. The piece depicts the events occurring after the conclusion of An Odyssey:

Tormented by the despair of having to watch his true love die by his own hands, the hero is driven into a deep state of madness. Once a hero determined to save the world so that he could live happily, he is now determined to destroy the place that gave him love only to take it away. He has turned to dark magics to find his power.

The hero’s younger brother watches his brother’s anguish and eventual destruction. He attempts to dissuade his afflicted sibling from taking the dark path but is met with resistance. He knows he must defeat his brother and save the world from destruction but it hurts him greatly.

The fallen hero uncovers the dark magic required to resurrect the dead. He attempts to resurrect his beloved, believing that her great power as a sorceress is the key to his taking over the world. She awakens free of the power that once made her evil, and cannot help her former lover. She is heartbroken by his change. The hero’s brother arrives in an attempt to stop the resurrection but is too late. He must battle, and then kill his brother.