Ode to Thalassa for SSAA choir, guitar ensemble, and double bass (2019)
Virtual performance by voice and guitar students of Loyola Marymount University and California State University Fullerton under the direction of Martha Masters, Xavier Jara, and T. J. Harper, premiered May 19, 2021.
Composer’s remarks to precede the virtual performance of “Ode to Thalassa” by LMU Guitar Quartet, LMU Women’s Consort Singers, and CSUF Guitar Orchestra on May 19, 2021.
Excerpt from a live performance at Collin College, Plano TX, under the direction of Dr. Fernand Vera, May 2019.
Commissioned by Dr. Miroslav Lončar for Park View High School with grant funding from Wolf Trap Foundation for the Arts. Premiered in Sterling, VA at Park View High School on March 12, 2019 with the composer conducting.
In ancient Greek mythology, Thalassa is the primordial spirit of the sea. An ode (Greek ōidē, song) is a lyrical, stylistically elevated poem of praise, meant to be sung. This composition is both a celebration of the mystery, beauty, and power of our oceans, and a reflection on their dire current condition.
The SSAA chorus is wordless throughout, because it is a symbolic representation of Thalassa and the mythical sea-dwelling sirens and other sea creatures. The guitars, being human constructions, may be thought to represent us and our activities.
Ode to Thalassa can be broadly thought of as constructed in the following outline:
Prologue: primordial purity (beginning up to rehearsal F)—
Gradually building conflict (rehearsal F up to J)—
Period of collapse, pollution, and disintegration (J)—
Attempt to repair and undo the harm (K—M)—
Epilogue: hope for the future, combined with the realization that different outcomes are possible, depending on our actions (N—end)
Performance notes
Ode to Thalassa includes a semi-aleatory section (J), which represents the extreme disintegration of natural systems. Singers are asked to turn away from the audience, representing in this dramatic way the loss of connection between humans and nature. They are also asked to make a variety of non-singing, distorted noises to symbolize the sickness of marine ecosystems. Guitarists are asked to use the following commonly found plastic trash to distort the sound of their instruments in section J:
Guitars 1 and 2: plastic bags (the typical grocery store bags, which make a rustling or crinkling sound when crumpled);
Guitar 3: plastic bags (same as Guitar 1 and 2) and plastic straws or other long and thin plastic objects that can be inserted under the strings on the XII fret and/or used as a slide bar.
Guitar 4: any plastic cards that can be woven between the strings close to the bridge.
Guitarists should make no attempt to hide what they are doing, as both the “trashing” of their guitars in section J and the “clean-up” in section K are part of the performance.
I encourage all of the performers and conductors to be creative in their contributions to section J and throughout! Experiment with sounds, effects, and timings to discover which work best at conveying the message and creating the right atmosphere.
Approx. duration: 10 min
Review:
“I cannot thank you enough for the amazing piece your delivered both by writing as well as bringing it to life in the premiere performance. Ode to Thalassa is a magical work of great power and it shows that by writing it, you poured your utmost creativity into conveying the message of the subject. This piece uses lyricism and drama in an original and vivid way that mesmerizes the players and the listeners and captures their full attention and focuses it on the message of the piece. Various symbolisms of the piece are masterfully portrayed in each section of the piece and they reach directly for the listener’s heart. Ode to Thalassa is a piece that leaves a lasting impression on the audience. Olga, you brought the best out of my students in those two days and for you, they rose far beyond their musical comfort zone as the music transformed them to another level altogether. The whole experience was amazing, almost unbelievable.”
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