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.

SKU: BT.GOB-000443-120

The word ‘tsunami’ is of Japanese origin. When you look it up in a dictionary, you will find that it means ‘a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption’.
A megatsunami is the superlative of this awesome expressionof power that nature can create, and has catastrophic consequences.

When Carl Wittrock completed this composition not many such big earth movements had occurred, but since then we have become all too familiar with the disastrousconsequences which a tsunami may have.
On the 26th of December 2004 a heavy seaquake took place near the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Tidal waves 10 meters in height ravaged the coastal regions of many countries for miles around. The tsunamitook the lives of thousands of people and destroyed many villages and towns.

There are more areas which run the risk of being struck by a tsunami, such as the island of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands. This island is based on oceaniccrust at a fracture zone and as such is one of nature’s time bombs. The consequences of a natural calamity like a megatsunami are immense.
In the case of La Palma, the tidal wave will move in the direction of South America, where it may reach 50km inland, destroying everything on its way.

In his composition Wittrock describes an ordinary day which will have an unexpected ending.
Right from the beginning there seems to be something in the air, the music creating an oppressiveatmosphere of impending disaster.
Themes are interrupted, broken off suddenly, followed by silence, suggesting the calm before the storm.
Suddenly a short climax (glissandi in the trombone part) indicates the seaquake, and the megatsunami isa fact. Hereafter follows a turbulent passage symbolising the huge rolling waves.
After nature’s force has spent itself, resignation sets in and the composition ends with a majestic ode to nature.

Het woord tsunami is afkomstig uit het Japans. Het woordenboek geeft als betekenis: een vloedgolf als gevolg van een onderzeese aardbeving. Een megatsunami is de overtreffende trap van deze vorm van natuurgeweld en heeft catastrofale gevolgen.

Toen Carl Wittrock deze compositie voltooide waren er nog niet veel voorbeelden van dergelijke grote bevingen, maar inmiddels weten we maar al te goed welke desastreuze gevolgen een tsunami kan veroorzaken.
Op 26 december 2004 vond ereen zware beving plaats in de zee nabij het Indonesische eiland Sumatra. Vloedgolven van wel 10 meter hoog teisterden de kuststreken van menig land in de verre omtrek. De tsunami eiste duizenden mensenlevens en verwoestte vele dorpen ensteden.

Er zijn meer gebieden waar sprake is van een directe dreiging, zoals op het eiland La Palma, één van de Canarische eilanden. Dit eiland ligt op een breukvlak en is daarmee een tijdbom van de natuur. Bij een calamiteit als eenmegatsunami zijn de gevolgen niet te overzien.
In het geval van La Palma begeeft de vloedgolf van enkele honderden meters zich richting Zuid Amerika met alle gevolgen van dien. Tot ongeveer 50 kilometer landinwaarts heeft de megatsunami eenallesverwoestende werking.

In de compositie schetst Wittrock een gewone dag die ongewoon zal aflopen. Al vanaf het begin hangt er iets in de lucht en is er sprake van een dreigende, beklemmende sfeer.
Themas worden onderbroken doorplotselinge afbrekingen en stiltes. Opeens is daar de korte climax (glissandi in trombones) die de beving symboliseert en de megatsunami is een feit.
Een onrustig gedeelte vangt aan, daarmee de rollende, voortstuwende golven symboliserend. Na hetnatuurgeweld is er berusting en The Power of the Megatsunami wordt afgesloten met een majestueuze ode aan de natuur.

Gobelin Music Publications.