What if Sisyphus was Happy?

written for the University of Florida String Orchestra (Dr. Raymond Chobaz, director)

recorded Spring 2022 - Steinbrenner Band Hall at UF (Gainesville, FL)

edited & premiered October 28, 2022 - UF Recital Hall (Gainesville, FL)

What if Sisyphus was Happy? explores the question posed most notably by French philosopher Albert Camus. In his essay titled The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus relays his philosophy of the absurd: the juxtaposition of the human need to attribute meaning to life pitted against life’s silence. In the final chapter, Camus compares the absurd to the eternal situation of the Greek figure, Sisyphus. Camus relays that “[the] struggle itself . . . is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

duration: ~3:30

PREMIERE PERSONNEL

Emelia Ulrich (she/her), violin

Evan Thornton (he/him), violin

Catherine Ziegler (she/her), viola

Sean Muller (he/him), cello

Ryan Klitz (he/him), euphonium