Scylla and Charybdis
Ernesto P. Pellegrini
About this work:
Symphonic Poem for Cello and Orchestra based on Italian popular melodies.
Greek mythology speaks of Scylla and Charybdis as the monsters who lurked beneath the waters and guarded a narrow strait of what is now the Strait of Messina , located between Sicily and Calabria, on the mainland of Italy. The myth is part of the story of the quest for the Golden Fleece which involves Jason of Iolcus who, at some point during the quest, finds himself and his men traveling on the ship Argo going through a perilous sequence of events. After journeying to the island of the Sirens, the enchanting creatures, they sail through Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla (on the Calabrian side), from her waist up, looked like a woman, but instead of legs, six furious snarling dogs grew out from her hips, and they tore to pieces whatever came close to them. Charybdis lived on the Sicilian side, and she was forever hungry and sucked into her gullet all ships that ventured within her reach. Of course, according to the myth, Jason and his crew managed to escape from these dangers with the help of the gods. The theme reoccurs in Homer's The Odyssey where Odysseus, as he sails through the same strait, loses six members of his crew who are seized by six of the horrible heads of Scylla.
The work which is being performed tonight does not in any way recount the tales of Jason or Odysseus, but rather it attempts to portray, through the use of contemporary local musical folklore, the geographical location of the myth. The two sides of the strait represent symbolically the passions, the sentiments, and the flavor of the two opposing environments.
Using the cello as a solo concert instrument, the work makes use of four complementing folksongs, two of which are Sicilian and two, Calabrian. The development of these are crucial to the form of the entire work. The motives associated with Scylla and Charybdis are heard shortly after the opening, and, in succession. The Charybdis motive, a descending repetitive moving pattern, is heard first, and the other, the Scylla motive, a low and dark chordal progression, follows. Since the Proemium (the opening section) is filled with Sicilian flavor, it seemed proper to introduce the Charybdis motive first. The descending repetitive patterns are musically fitting since they lead into the other, the more sustained aggressive one. The extensive use of these two motives which reoccur throughout the work create a form which is inherently cyclic in nature. The Proemium highlights the "Canto del carcerato" ("The Prisoner's Song"), a Sicilian cantilena with eastern influence. The first movement, energetic in content, has materials derived from "La calavresella" ("The Calabrian Maiden"), a Calabrian source which is not heard in its intended version until the middle of the movement, when its simple sentiment is felt. This latter version, though, constitutes the contrasting lyrical section of the movement. The second movement (larghetto patetico), makes use of Amuri, amuri" ("O Love, O Love"), a very intense Sicilian refrain normally sung by local muleteers. Its derivative version is heard separately first as a solo violin melody. This movement is filled with concertati solo effects in the strings, a device used occasionally in the first movement. The third movement, moderately fast, is based on a passionate Calabrian tune "La Scillitana" ("The Maiden of Scilla"). The epilogue brings back the music first heard in the Proemium, and the final moments of the work restate the two motives associated with the title of the work. Every movement of the work is connected with either a brief or extended interlude for solo cello producing a continuous musical work of five main sections. The third interlude, at the end of the second movement, is the longest and is the cadenza for the solo instrument. It makes use of all of the materials thus heard in the work.
This work was part of a project completed during the spring of 1993 which commemorated Ball State University's 75th Anniversary celebration, and its first performance took place in January of 1994 by the Muncie Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Atherton Music Director, and Roger Malitz soloist. The work was written for and dedicated to the performer, Roger Malitz. The present version (2003), though, is a revision of the original work, composed in 1993.
Version: Rev. 2003
Year composed: 1993
Duration: 00:32:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Orchestra with Soloist(s)
Instrumentation: 2 Flute, 2 Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 4 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 2 Percussion (General), 1 Celesta, 1 Strings (General), ,1 Cello soloist(s), 1 Harp
Instrumentation notes: Flute 2/Piccolo