The Odyssey (Smith)

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The Odyssey Symphony is a symphonic band symphony composed by Robert W. Smith. It contains four movements, all of which begin and end either in the key of B-flat or its relative minor, with few changes during the piece. It is Smith's second symphony. Both symphonies contain percussive and wind effects.

Background

Smith had studied the Odyssey and Dante's Divine Comedy at Troy University. In his programming notes, he suggested that the continuity of the piece compared to Homer's original epic poetry. He had altered the sequence slightly, with "The Winds of Poseidon" coming before "The Isle of Calypso", to provide contrast between the mournful third movement and the action-filled fourth movement.

Movements

Movement one: "The Iliad"

Subtitled "...in the 10th Year of the Trojan War", this piece retells the story of the victory of the Greeks against the Trojans, using the Trojan Horse.

The final sustained note of the fanfare decrescendos into a flute/horn duet backed by a harp (usually on synthesizer), playing their own call-and-response theme. The full band returns with fanfare before entering a section where the woodwinds play rapid alternating triplet patterns while the brass re-enter.

In this piece, Smith has instructed the cymbal players to grind the edge of one cymbal into the inner dome of the other, producing the sound of the squeaky wheel. While the Greeks wheel the horse into the city, the flute duet melody returns briefly, highlighted by a clarinet choir. The music eventually fades away, and the "Fire" effect is initiated, by crinkling paper gently while brake drums provoke a sword fight. The "fire" eventually comes to the crescendo, which reintroduces the "Aggressive" theme. If the band is transitioning to movement II, "The Winds of Poseidon", an optional fine is supplied, in which the flute/horn duet is repeated one more time with a different ending.

Movement two: "The Winds of Poseidon"

"The Winds of Poseidon" is the second movement of the "Odyssey Symphony". In this movement, Smith captures the essence of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea and storms. The music likely evokes the power and unpredictability of the ocean, reflecting Poseidon's domain and his role in shaping Odysseus' journey. It may feature dynamic shifts, turbulent passages, and perhaps moments of calm before sudden storms.

Smith's use of orchestration, melody, and rhythm would contribute to creating a vivid sonic portrayal of the sea's vastness and the deity's formidable presence. Like the other movements in the symphony, "The Winds of Poseidon" likely contributes to the overall narrative arc, conveying a specific episode or aspect of Odysseus' mythic voyage.

Movement three: "The Isle of Calypso"

This movement laments the story of him being stranded on the island belonging to the goddess Calypso. He can have anything he wants, but he remembers that he promised his beloved Penelope that they would grow old and die together. After a full year, Zeus and Hermes finally persuade the Calypso to let Odysseus go free so that he can once again rule Ithaca.

This lyrical piece opens with a special "Clock" effect, which can be achieved by knocking pieces of wood back and forth against each other, amplifying the sounds of a real antique clock, etc. A prominent cymbal scrape leads to the entrance of an ocean drum, while the piano begins the background theme. An English Horn solo is soon joined by a euphonium duet and the rest of the wind. The song reaches a fake climax, before descending back into the original English Horn melody. A flashback to the flute/horn duet in the first movement is featured. Finally, the climax is reached, with "soaring" woodwind lines coupled by the brass/saxophone solo. The band joins together for a final melancholy re-statement of the English Horn solo, which resumes after a dramatic fermata. This lets go too, with the waves lapping on the shore (the ocean drum), the clock ticking away (the "Clock" effect), and the tolls of the clock bells (these can either be made by tubular bells, handbells, a synthesizer, or cut helium tanks) being left.

Movement four: "Ithaca"

The final movement of Symphony No. 2 sharply contrasts "The Isle of Calypso". The piece opens with a piano/chimes/triangle trio, interrupted at certain points by the return of the English Horn from movement 3. After a few seconds, the ocean drums enter, and a horn duo repeats the motif that opened the symphony itself. The horns continue this melody, accentuated by blasts from the rest of the band, and then all parts crescendo into the first section. The entire section is punctuated by "biting" brass lines and flute/piccolo melodies.

Finished off triumphantly, the sections decrescendo. Smith uses a spring drum, wind wands, and wind whistles to simulate the sound of a bow being strung and arrows being released, all topped off by repetitions of "Odysseus' Theme" (the horn duet). As it continues playing, bodhráns and brake drums simulate the sounds of battle, which lead into the third section. The third section begins with a repeat of the "Aggressive" theme, once again modified, from the first movement. A series of chromatic triplets led the band back into the "Victorious" theme from movement 1. As the chimes mimic the sound of "all the bells of Ithaca", the roaring fanfare that originally opened the symphony returns to close it, with a modified ending.

Percussive effects

  1. The Iliad
    The "Groaning and Squeaky Wheel" effect
    In order to simulate the Trojan Horse being wheeled into the city, two cymbals are placed in a perpendicular arrangement while the percussionist grinds the edge of one into the inner dome of the other. Two pairs of cymbals are scored in order to produce the sound of wheels on either end of the stage.
    The "Fire" effect
    As the city of Troy burns, the band softly crumples pieces of paper.
  2. The Winds of Poseidon
    "Lightning" effect
    Smith advises that an extra-large thundersheet be used during the first part of the second movement in order to enhance the effect of rumbling thunder and flashing lightning.
    "Siren" effect
    When Odysseus hears the singing of the sirens, the percussion section uses toy "spinning tubes" cut to produce the B-flat, E-flat and F pitches in order to create an eerie effect.
  3. The Isle of Calypso
    "Clock" effect
    Used to symbolize the passing of time on Calypso's island, Smith suggests knocking a piece of wood between two wooden boxes with holes cut in them, or amplifying the ticking of an antique clock. The tolling of the bells may be produced by a set of chimes, a synthesizer, or even two helium tanks cut to sound a third apart.
  4. Ithaca
    "Odysseus and the Arrow"
    To produce the sound of arrows being released/flying by, the percussion section strikes a spring drum with a large triangle beater and bends a timpani pitch up as the bow is strung. When the arrows fly by, wind whistles and wind wands play in rapid succession, creating the illusion of arrows whizzing by at high speeds.

References