"Moyses" is a descriptive poem
based on the account of the
Biblical exodus. The
composition has a diversified
character, which appears
sometimes majestic and
sometimes amusing, or obscure
and sorrowful. A distinctive
feature of this piece is the
peculiar use of percussions
and sound effects produced
with whips, hammers, chains,
and foot-stomping to recreate
noises and atmosphere of the
forced-labor camps where the
Egyptians enslaved the
Hebrews. According to the
tradition, Moses, the son of
the Hebrews Amram and
Jochebed, escaped the
Pharaoh's persecution thanks
to his mother who
intentionally abandoned him in
a basket floating on the
Nile's water. Saved by the
Pharaoh's daughter, he was
raised and educated at the
court of the Egyptian royal
family. After killing a slave-
master, Moses fled to the
village of Midian, where he
married Zipporah, the daughter
of the local priest. The Bible
says that one day when Moses
was near Mount Horeb, God
commanded him to go to Egypt
and ask the Pharaoh to deliver
his fellow Hebrews from
bondage. He went and,
eventually, the Pharaoh
ordered the Hebrews to leave
Egypt after the Ten Plagues,
the tenth of which culminated
in the slaying of the Egyptian
male first-borns. Moses led
his people away and they
camped near the Red Sea,
where, guided by God, he
divided the waters so that
they could safely pass across
on dry ground. When the
Egyptian army attempted to
follow, God permitted the
waters to return upon them and
drown them. After traveling
for three months, the prophet
reached the top of Mount Sinai
where he received the Ten
Commandments. Then, he
punished those among his
people who were involved in
the sin of the Golden Calf.
Finally, once they arrived
near the Promised Land, Moses
went up to Mount Nebo and
there God spoke to him for the
last time: "This is the land
that I promised to your
people. I will give it to your
offspring. I let you look at
it, but you will not be
permitted to enter it." With
these words in his heart,
Moses died without ever
arriving there.
