Olivia Belli: Daimon
Digital | CD
Released 20th February
No stranger to the neo-classical on his show, Adam Brady reviews Daimon, the new album from Olivia Belli, an album that takes inspiration from the Odyssey.
Attributed to Homer, the Odyssey is one of the most influential – and complete – stories to have survived to the present day. Daimon, the new album from Italian pianist and composer Olivia Belli, is the latest piece of art to draw inspiration from it.
For the uninitiated, the Odyssey is the second of the Homeric epics; this is the story of Odysseus’s decade-long journey home from Troy following the Trojan War to Ithaca. It regales us with trials, tribulations, vengeance, and ultimately the triumph of his return.
The title of the album, Daimon, is the Greek word (or at least one of them) for ‘calling’, and is entirely apt. It was Odysseus’s daimon to return home, as Belli states “It was Odysseus’ fate to return to his homeland Ithaca. That’s where his wife and son were – everything that defined him”. It was Belli’s daimon to create this work. Arguably it was my daimon to write this.
The album is comprised of three sections, with each section thematically dedicated to a different aspect of the Odyssey.
The Piano Concerto – Belli’s first as a composer – contains three movements: The Departure, The Journey, and The Return. Taking in turn, you can hear the sorrow of leaving allies with bonds forged in war giving way to the anticipation of going home in The Departure. The Journey is more pensive, anxious even which, given the encounters with a cyclops, whirlpools, and the call of the Sirens is expected. Perhaps one of the most beautiful parts of the whole album arrives at around five minutes and this could well be the sirens only Odysseus heard. As the piano note drones, giving a hint of dangers passed, Belli’s scoring mixes in a sense of relief. The string opening to The Return is majestic and feverish. As Belli’s piano comes in you can feel Odysseus’s pride and relief of returning home, but there is a hint of nervousness as the situation in Ithaca becomes clear. It ends on a happy note with the House of Odysseus reunited, with its rightful king restored to his throne (though we will, for the purposes of this review, skip past the slaughter of the suitors of Penelope and the hanging of the unfaithful slaves).
This leads us in nicely to the Ithaca Suite, the second section of the album. The Suite is made up of seven movements, with each movement given over to people that Odysseus meets upon his (disguised) return to Ithaca. First is Proci, for the suitors of Penelope (the wife of Odysseus) who have gathered during the long absence of her husband. Entirely played on strung instruments there is a definite sense of foreboding, of duplicity, of a lurking evil. Telemachus is for the son of Odysseus and Penelope; the violin playing here is mournful initially, in keeping with the story’s tradition of their first post-return greeting being with Odysseus in divine disguise. The third movement is named Eumaeus, for the friend and swineheard of Odysseus and is the first person that Odysseus meets upon his return to Ithaca. The saxophone playing here is sensational, wrought with emotion. Penelopeia is the title of the fourth movement and is dedicated to Penelope; much like other pieces of the album there is a mournful feel that is due to the long absence of Odysseus, but there is also a tiredness that is conveyed due to the long line of suitors eagerly wanting to replace Odysseus.
Eurycleia is the title of the fifth movement, for the servant and wetnurse of Odysseus who recognises him through his disguise due to a scar on his knee. It is a heartwarming piece that represents familiarity and safety, recognising that the ordeal in Ithaca will soon be over. The penultimate movement is Laertes, a tender and moving piece for the moment that Odysseus reveals himself to his father. Pax Athenae is the final movement of the Ithaca Suite honours Athena and her efforts to return Odysseus to his home.
On the piano Belli conveys a myriad of emotions, and it is during these movements that featured artists Raphaela Gromes (cello), Eldbjørg Hemsing (violin), and Jess Gillam (saxophone) come into their own. Whilst it may be Belli that scored their parts, the way that each plays, either as a foil to Belli’s piano or together, that elevates them all above mere guest status.
Guest status serves as a nice segue to the Sonatina for Nausicaa; Nausicaa was the first person to give Odysseus comfort, which ultimately led to him being given ships to replace those lost on the way. Belli says of Nausicaa:
Nowadays, few would invite a homeless person into their home. For many, a person’s worth is measured primarily by success or money. Yet we all have our own unique calling
As much as the foundation of the Daimon is the story of Odysseus and his long return from Troy, it is also personal; to Belli and also the listener. Belli travelled as a child from city to city with her family, following her bank manager father. In time, she found her calling – her daimon. For myself, I have recently embarked on my latest odyssey as I have just started my latest tranche of therapy. My own daimon may or may not be found but each literal and figurative step will bring me closer to either its discovery or its unveiling.
That is the key to this album – finding the personal in the ancient and universal.
~
All words by Adam Brady, who hosts The Adam Brady Show on Louder Than War Radio. You can find his author’s archive here
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