Photo: Fritz Heede
ABOUT THE MUSIC
1. SIRENS (Hila Plitmann & Sangeeta Kaur, sopranos, Brendan White, piano)
Sirens are perhaps the best known and most enduring element of Greek mythology; their appearance was interchangeably described as part fish or part bird, with the upper body of a woman. Their songs were reputed to be irresistibly alluring, but famously caused the demise of all who heard them. These myths have inspired every art form – from music and sculpture, to painting and written word – filling cultures across the world with iconography of mermaids for millennia.
Sirens are perhaps the best known and most enduring element of Greek mythology; their appearance was interchangeably described as part fish or part bird, with the upper body of a woman. Their songs were reputed to be irresistibly alluring, but famously caused the demise of all who heard them. These myths have inspired every art form – from music and sculpture, to painting and written word – filling cultures across the world with iconography of mermaids for millennia.
Art by Greg Spalenka
2. POSEIDON & ODYSSEUS (Hila Plitmann & Sangeeta Kaur, sopranos, Wouter Kellerman, contrabass, bass & soprano flutes, Danaë Xanthe Vlasse, piano, Nadeem Majdalany, percussion)
Homer’s Odyssey portrays the struggles of king Odysseus returning home to the island of Ithaca after the Trojan wars. A major setback in Odysseus’ journey is the loss of his ships in a storm sent by Poseidon, the mighty god of the sea. Odysseus survives the shipwreck through the intervention of the goddess Athena and continues the long journey home to his Ionian palace where his wife Penelope faithfully awaits his return.
Homer’s Odyssey portrays the struggles of king Odysseus returning home to the island of Ithaca after the Trojan wars. A major setback in Odysseus’ journey is the loss of his ships in a storm sent by Poseidon, the mighty god of the sea. Odysseus survives the shipwreck through the intervention of the goddess Athena and continues the long journey home to his Ionian palace where his wife Penelope faithfully awaits his return.
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Poseidon & Odysseus (Lyrics by Danaë Xanthe Vlasse) Trident of ancients commanding currents. A seafarer’s god with tidal ballade. Odysseus, heroically scened in myths through eons winged! Warrior true, loyal king and mighty idol: through time immortal. |
Forever a cloud
of hurricanes shroud his ship, his heart crystalline; toward home, weaving. Sailors plunge to the realm of Poseidon, pleading for breath, for salvation. They float unseen in rivers dark with sunken dreams. Yet fate falls with Athena merciful, on one brave Ionian, valiantly hopeful, on journey aeonian. |
Art by Greg Spalenka
3. PENELOPE (Hila Plitmann & Sangeeta Kaur, sopranos, Wouter Kellerman, alto and soprano flutes, Danaë Xanthe Vlasse, piano)
One of the best known figures from Homer’s Odyssey is queen Penelope of Ithaca, wife of king Odysseus, who employs astute strategies to fend off her suitors' advances while loyally awaiting her husband's return.
Penelope is a strong example of female independence in her era. She epitomizes loyalty to her own heart, trust in her choices, and a perceptive understanding of how to navigate social expectations while maintaining her power and defining her destiny.
One of the best known figures from Homer’s Odyssey is queen Penelope of Ithaca, wife of king Odysseus, who employs astute strategies to fend off her suitors' advances while loyally awaiting her husband's return.
Penelope is a strong example of female independence in her era. She epitomizes loyalty to her own heart, trust in her choices, and a perceptive understanding of how to navigate social expectations while maintaining her power and defining her destiny.
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Penelope
(Lyrics by Danaë Xanthe Vlasse, inspired by David Brunt) Within Penelope are seas of hope for time. Faith and uncertainty are in and out like the tide. Both wife and widow, caught in ebb and flow of yearning to know! What's love from duty? Choice tangled daily and unraveled nightly. |
A decade-long thread
stretched in a slow dance on a loom of dread; threading dreams of romance. Her love in shadow for suitors stringing Odysseus’ bow. His love shown steady by the roots reaching from an old olive tree! A dawn in every day; bright tapestries weaving a promise, while planning to live and rule all her way. |
PBS "Front And Center presents Sangeeta Kaur and Friends"
"PENELOPE"
Performed by: Sangeeta Kaur & Hila Plitmann (sopranos),
Featuring: Caroline Campbell (violin) & Robert Thies (piano).
Featuring: Caroline Campbell (violin) & Robert Thies (piano).
4. NEPENTHE (Lili Haydn, violin, Éru Matsumoto, cello, Robert Thies, piano)
This piece represents a journey from sorrow into hope. The word "Nepenthe" first appears in the fourth book of Homer's Odyssey, where he describes a potion of the gods that allowed mortals to forget their troubles.
“Then Helen, daughter of Zeus […] cast into the wine which they were drinking, a drug to quiet all pain and strife and bring forgetfulness of every ill.” (Translated from the original Greek text)
This piece represents a journey from sorrow into hope. The word "Nepenthe" first appears in the fourth book of Homer's Odyssey, where he describes a potion of the gods that allowed mortals to forget their troubles.
“Then Helen, daughter of Zeus […] cast into the wine which they were drinking, a drug to quiet all pain and strife and bring forgetfulness of every ill.” (Translated from the original Greek text)
Art by Greg Spalenka
5. EUTERPE'S LAMENT (Hila Plitmann & Sangeeta Kaur, sopranos, Virginie d’Avezac de Castéra, viola, Éru Matsumoto, cello, Danaë Xanthe Vlasse, piano & lyra)
Euterpe was the ancient Greek muse of music. She and her eight sisters were daughters of the great god Zeus; each muse was responsible for safeguarding major cultural elements, including history and all the arts.
This piece was written during the first global pandemic of this century, which brought about an unprecedented worldwide shutdown that included concert halls, museums, and cultural venues; the lyrics to this music depict the suffering of Euterpe and her sisters, as they face the isolation of a desolate artistic landscape, while expressing faith in a fulfilling future.
Euterpe was the ancient Greek muse of music. She and her eight sisters were daughters of the great god Zeus; each muse was responsible for safeguarding major cultural elements, including history and all the arts.
This piece was written during the first global pandemic of this century, which brought about an unprecedented worldwide shutdown that included concert halls, museums, and cultural venues; the lyrics to this music depict the suffering of Euterpe and her sisters, as they face the isolation of a desolate artistic landscape, while expressing faith in a fulfilling future.
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Euterpe’s Lament
(Lyrics by Danaë Xanthe Vlasse, inspired by Cécilia Tsan) My distance from you, cruel as it is, it tells of my love, my love for you! Confined, I am nonetheless not alone! Your voice, virtual or real, soothes my aching soul! |
My Soul! Unprecedented and unbearable!
The universe speaks and we must go deep into our souls to discover the truth, Truth essential in our lives! And after the storm goes away, away, together we will build the genuine beauty, beauty of human nature. |
Art by Greg Spalenka
6. METAMORPHOSES
(Danaë Xanthe Vlasse, piano)
Paying homage to the Hellenistic practice of evolving myths through collections of poetry, Ovid’s epic work Metamorphōseōn librī (8 AD) recounts the history of the world through 15 books, encompassing 250 myths, told in poetic verse.
Also inspired in that practice, this musical composition develops gradually through variations on two themes by Georg Philipp Telemann. The structure of the music is designed to evolve in a way that parallels the natural transformation of stories, as each generation imprints new perspectives upon history.
7. SIRENS (CINEMATIC) (Hila Plitmann & Sangeeta Kaur, sopranos, Brendan White, piano, Nadeem Majdalany & Emilio D. Miler, percussion)
This version of SIRENS offers a more immersive experience featuring an extended piano performance, expanded by the use of an eclectic assortment of percussion instruments.
This version of SIRENS offers a more immersive experience featuring an extended piano performance, expanded by the use of an eclectic assortment of percussion instruments.
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"Sirens" (Poem by Greg Spalenka) Lusty storms of promise desires of ancient lore Sirens whisper songs of love Beckon sailors to their door Death and longing intertwined on rocks of distant shore Enticing waves soon become a shipwrecks dying roar |
Photo: Fritz Heede
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