Verdaguer brought together pre-history and history: a child (Christopher Columbus) is the sole survivor of a shipwreck of a Genoese boat off the Spanish coast. After reaching shore, he is adopted by a hermit who recounts the history of the earth and seas. He begins the legend with Alcide (Hercules) arriving from Greece to attack the Atlanteans reaching the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. He finds a huge fire started by Geryon, a three-headed African monster. King Tubal of the Pyrenees is killed and his daughter Pyrene gives her father to Alcide imploring him to set forth to kill the monster, before dying. Alcide decides to make a port where a white barque (barca) had landed. After arriving in Cadiz from Barcelona, Alcide goes to the Hesperides, finding the orange tree, Atlas's widow and three daughters, and kills the dragon wrapped on the tree defending the entry to the continent. The Hesperides die (ascending to the heavens as the Pleiades) and Alcide returns to Cadiz; he kills Geryon and sees the waters break over Mount Calpe and rush over Atlantis. Still accompanied by the hermit, the adult Columbus dreams of unlocking the mystery of Atlantis and appeals to Queen Isabella of Spain who gives him jewels to pay for his venture. The old man bids Columbus to fly.Ansermet, Ernest. "Notes for programme for concert in Geneva on 3rd April 1963", reproduced in the booklet for Cascavelle VEL2005, 1990, a recording of a concert performance of 'fragments' with Montserrat Caballé and Heinz Rehfuss.
