Hear the full recording (Hal Leonard)

 

The Odyssey was written by Homer about 2700 years ago.  It tells of the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus (Ulysses in Roman mythology) during his harrowing return to Ithaca after being away for twenty years, ten of which he had spent fighting the Trojan Wars.  In one part of the journey, Odysseus is aware that he is about to encounter the sirens, famous for luring sailors to their death with their beguiling wind-like song.  Intensely curious to hear them, he has all his sailors plug their ears and tie him to the mast, with instructions not to untie him, no matter what he says.  As they approach, the sirens begin singing and Odysseus screams to be untied, but the sailors can’t hear him and they are all saved.

 

According to some versions of the myth, the sirens are fated to die if sailors were to hear their song and escape.  So after Odysseus’ ship passes by, the sirens fling themselves into the sea and are drowned.

 

This piece suggests this dramatic encounter.  If you listen carefully, you can hear the wind-song becoming evermore insistent, the rocking of the ship, Odysseus’ screams, and finally the sirens plunging to their death.

 

It might also be mentioned that sirens are still found in our stories today. Perhaps most recently, the Marvel Comics superhero “Siryn” (associated with the X-Men) is an Irish mutant that possesses a “sonic scream.” And the term "siren song" still refers to an appeal that is hard to resist but, if heeded, will lead to disaster.

 

Finally, as part of the American Composers Forum's BandQuest commission that supported the creation of this piece, the composer worked with the Boynton Middle School Concert Band, which also happens to live in Ithaca (though this one is in New York).

                                                       

 

Related Activities from Dana Wilson

 

The Odyssey is one of the few books I vividly recall reading as a very young person, and I hope students playing this piece will explore this terrific story.  In fact, a school “unit” could easily be designed around this subject, in the spirit of two of the National Standards for Music Education:

             

           8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts,

                and disciplines outside the arts.

           9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture. 

 

Odysseus and the Sirens 

Rehearsal and Performance Notes

 

1.  It is urged that the passages without exact rhythm be introduced before rehearsal of the piece begins.  Two, three or four pitches (at “concert” pitch) could be written on the board and each player could perform them (in the key of their instrument) on the conductor’s cue, in any order and any speed.  Once this idea is comfortable, the intensity and dynamic level can be conducted for the whole ensemble.  Perhaps a short piece could be created on the spot by having one family of instruments passing the gesture along to another family (via the conductor’s arm motions).  One family could be featured, alternating with the whole ensemble being featured; percussion could be added—freely or in specific accompanying rhythm.  Leading to this piece, these gestures could be created specifically to suggest wind—gentle murmuring at first, and then violent gusts.  It is important that everyone plays right to the next conducted “downbeat,” so that the players get used to playing these gestures in the piece right up to the next downbeat.

 

2.  The “concert” pitch of this piece is basically in the G Aeolian mode (in part because Aeolus was the ancient Greek god of the wind, and it seemed appropriate to this story).  That scale today is often referred to as the G natural minor scale (the Bb major scale but starting on G); it could be practiced in advance so that, for example, the rapid runs in the woodwinds near the end of the piece will be easily accessible. 

 

The pitch Ab is also introduced in the piece, so the Eb major scale could be practiced, particularly starting on G; finally the Db is introduced in the piece, so the concert Ab major scale could be practiced, particularly starting on G. 

 

As an aside, this can also help to introduce the idea of modes: the Bb scale starting on G is Aeolian; the Eb scale starting on G is Phrygian; the Ab scale starting on G is Locrian.  Interestingly, these mode names that we still use—and perhaps the modes themselves--come from the ancient Greeks, thus creating another link to the story of Odysseus.)