SKU: BT.GOB-000835-120

The Netherlands have been an important trading nation for a long time partly as a result of their geographical situation.
One of the first multinationals in The Netherlands was the ‘Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie’ (VOC).
The aim of the VOC was to send ships to Asia in order to buy pepper and spices, and to take over the Portuguese monopoly in this field. The Company was successful. An era of great prosperity resulted, in which the art of painting (Rembrandt van Rijn) as well as science (Constantijn Huygens) flourished alongside a thriving economy.

1. The Sails are set : There is a lot of hustle and bustle on the quay. The crew are preparing fordeparture. Goodbyes are said and once the sails have been hoisted the ship sets out to sea.

2. A Visit to the Rajah of Yogyakarta: After a voyage of many months the place of destination is reached. A visit to the Radja, the king of the area around Yokyakarta, follows. The dishes and beverages and the native culture in general are very pleasant after having been on a diet of ship’s biscuit and water for such a long time.

3. The Holds have been loaded: The holds have been loaded to the brim, and the voyage home can be begin!

4. Death sails along: Life at sea is rough. not seldom did a sailor die of a tropical disease or scurvy. After a memorial service, the Captain would speak the words ‘One, two, three, in God’s name ...’ and the body, wrapped in canvas, would be committed to the sea.

5. A joyful homecoming: After many months of hardship coming home is perhaps the best part of the entire voyage. The quay is filled with people eager to give the crew a warm welcome.

Nederland is, mede door de geografische ligging, sinds lange tijd een belangrijke handelsnatie.
Eén van de eerste multinationals was de ‘Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie’ (VOC).
Het doel van de VOC was schepen naar Azië testuren om peper en specerijen te kopen en het Portugese monopolie over te nemen.
De VOC werd een succes. Het was een tijd van grote welvaart (Gouden Eeuw), waarin naast een bloeiende economie ook de schilderkunst (Rembrandt vanRijn) en de wetenschap (Constantijn Huygens) floreerden.

1. The Sails are set: Aan de kade is het een drukte van belang. De bemanning maakt het schip klaar voor vertrek. Er wordt afscheid genomen en als de zeilen gehesenzijn zetten we koers naar volle zee.

2. A Visit to the Rajah of Yogyakarta: Na een maandenlange reis wordt de bestemming bereikt. Er volgt een bezoek aan de Radja, de koning van de streek rond Yokyakarta. De spijzen, drankenen de inheemse cultuur zijn zeer aangenaam na maanden scheepsbeschuit en water.

3. The Holds have been loaded: De laadruimtes zijn volgestouwd. De thuisreis kan beginnen.

4. Death sails along: Het leven op zeeis hard. Niet zelden vond een zeeman de dood door een tropische ziekte of scheurbuik. Na een herdenkingsdienst sprak de kapitein de woorden: ‘Eén, twee, drie in Godsnaam .....’, waarna het in zeildoek gewikkelde lichaam aan de golvenwerd toevertrouwd.

5. A joyful homecoming: Na maanden van ontberingen is het thuiskomen misschien wel het mooiste van de hele reis. De kade staat weer vol om de bemanning een warm onthaal te geven.

SKU: BT.GOB-000432-120

The Odyssee tells the story of Odysseus, the undaunted hero.
In times long ago the blind poet Homer wrote this famous epic.
The Odyssey follows the Iliad, the story of the bloody war between the Greek and the Trojans. This battle endsafter ten years thanks to the Odysseys famous trick. the Trojan Horse.
The Odyssey is not a war epic, but a story about perseverance, loyalty, adventure, and the survival instinct of its ingenious hero.
In The Odyssey, Homer describes howOdysseus, the king of Ithaca, had to endure another ten years of affliction after the ten years of war in Troy before he could finally return to his home land.
During those years, his wife, Penelope, had to try and keep her many admirers away.These men not only wanted het hand but also the kingship. To prove her husbands worth, she played a trick: As soon as I have finished weaving this shroud for my father-in-law, Laertes, I will choose one of you to become my husband, she promisedthem.
But during the night, she secretly loosened what she had woven during the day, prolonging the time until Odysseus would finally return. After twenty long years, when he finally stood at the door, she wondered: Is this really my husband? Ishe an imposter? Cunningly, she asked him to move the bed, because only she and her husband know that the bed was immovable and was build around an old three trunk! Odysseus was deeply moved: this really was his wife, his Penelope!
Nearly threethousands years later, the loyalty and strength of this character, and all the dangerous adventures that Odysseus survived thanks to courage and intelligence, still moves us today.

Odyssee by Jan Bosveld is not just an adventure story, butrather a characteristic piece in which memories of Homers story can be heard.
The composition opens with a firm, stirring theme describing our hero, Odysseus, in detail: This man is not to be taken lightly.
The further development of thisshort introduction completes this character sketch: trustworthy, perseverant, and a genius.
After that we can picture Odysseus on the lonely beach of Ogygia. Do the trumpets depict his memories of the war of Troy? Does he think of his wife, as werecognise the weaving loom of Penelope in the murmuring eighth?
In the solemn, plaintive part that follows, we can imagine Penelope feeling lonely, sitting in the womens room with her servants.One of the girls plays the harp, but that does notclear the sombre atmosphere. Then we can imagine seeing the sorceress Circe, who changed Odysseus men into swine. After she gives a simple magic sign something follows that reminds us of the sound of pigs grunting. Then the Odysseus theme resounds:the hero comes to savi his comrades. Assisted by Hermes, he forces Circe to lift the spell.
The piece ends the same way as it began, with an animated theme: Odysseus is still the same, undefeated and not to be taken lighty!

Het muzikale relaas van de Griekse schrijver Homerus over de held Odyssee in een karakterstuk vol herinneringen.
Een stevig opgewekt thema symboliseert de grootsheid van Odyssee en zijn karaktertrekken - betrouwbaar, volhardend en vernuftig. Detegenslagen welke hij tegenkomt en in het tweede tragische gedeelte dreigen te escaleren, nemen in het derde snelle gedeelte bij zijn verschijning toch weer een positieve wending.
Nijmegenaar Jan Bosveld bewijst in dit originele werk dat hij opde hoogte is van de onmogelijkheden, maar vooral de ongekende mogelijkheden van muzikanten uit de lagere afdelingen.

Gobelin Music Publications.