Abstract
The first act of The Sorrowing of Demeter was composed for full orchestra, with solo voices, optional chorus, and dancers. The libretto for the opera was written by writer and teacher in the University of Miami English Department, Darcy Gottlieb. Two major scenes were set including an introduction and prologue. The two scenes are the ballet "The Abduction of Persephone" and then, the aria, "The Sorrowing of Demeter." The opera/ballet contains many 20th century compositional aspects of which the concept of symmetry is the most significant, as opposed to traditional tonality which is based on an asymmetric diatonic scale. An analytical discussion of the compositional aspects used in the first act of The Sorrowing of Demeter, is the subject of the paper accompanying the work. The paper concentrates equally on the harmonic symmetries as a pitch generating source, the orchestration, the textural decisions, the use of rhythm, dynamics, pacing, the proportional balance, and the programmatic setting of The Sorrowing of Demeter text.