Symphony 2: The Odyssey

Sing in me, muses. Tell them the story of that man, who wandered for years

Movements

1. ITelemachos After the war of Troy, Odysseus was not favored by all gods. He was banished to an island with the beautiful nymph Kalypso. He longed for his family and homeland Ithaka. Kalypso did not want him to leave, neither did the gods. Athena, who had always supported Odysseus, begged her father and king of gods Zeus to let him go. Meanwhile on Ithaka the wife of Odysseus, Penelopea, had her home full of suitors. Suitors, all believing Odysseus was dead, wanted Penelopea as their wife. Penelopea played a trick on the suitors: she promised to marry one of them when she finished weaving a large cloth. Each night when all the suitors were asleep, she unpicked the cloth to make little progress. Telemachos, son of Odysseus, got visited by Athena. She told him Odysseus was still alive and urged him to find a ship to start looking for his father. While Telemachos started his search, Odysseus was set free by the gods. Kalypso, obeying the gods, helped him to build a raft to cross the ocean. With his homeland in sight large waves knocked him off his vessel. Poseidon, god of the oceans, had sighted him and was determined to not let Odysseus reach Ithaka. Odysseus washed ashore half-drowned and fell asleep.
2. IIOdysseus the Storyteller Odysseus was found by princess Nausicaa of the Phaeacians. She took him to her father, the king of the Phaeacians. He provided shelter and food, not knowing the broken man was none other than the war hero Odysseus. Late in the evening he asked Odysseus to reveal his identity and tell the story of how he ended up at the land of the Phaeacians. Odysseus told about his encounter with the Cyclops: a one-eyed giant. How he and his friends were caught in his cave and managed to set themselves free. He also told about the Sirens, mermaid-like creatures whose singing lured sailors to their doom. At the end of the night, the king ordered his sailors to bring Odysseus to his homeland. Fast asleep the master of Ithaka was laid down on his own beach. Athena cast a spell to cover Odysseus in mist, so he could rest in safety.
3. IIIReturn to Ithaka Waking up covered in mist Odysseus did not know where he was. He thought he had been tricked by the Phaeacians. But when Athena dispelled the mist he recognised his own beach and palm trees. Athena appeared and informed Odysseus about the suitors taking over his house and belongings. She transformed Odysseus into a beggar, as he should not be recognised by the men who betrayed him. Penelopea came up with another trick: “The man that strings this bow and shoots an arrow straight through the sockets of twelve axe heads is the one I will marry.” Each suitor tried to string the bow, none of them succeeded. Then the beggar gave it a try. He easily strung the bow and fired an arrow right through the axe head sockets. With help of Telemachos and Athena, he slaughtered all the suitors and hung all the servants that had betrayed him during his absence. Penelopea could not believe that this man was her long gone husband. She ordered a servant to move Odysseus’ bed to the hall. Odysseus responded: “Who has the strength to move my bed? I carved it from living wood and built the room around it!”. Penelopea rushed into his arms, knowing the king of Ithaka had returned.