Roustom, Kareem

This work is inspired by two books that were written almost 2,700 years apart but tell a similar tale. Homer's The Odyssey and A Hope More Powerful Than The Sea by Melissa Fleming. This concerto is a meditation on these two stories. The clarinet plays the role of Odysseus/refugee and the orchestra the role of the sea and all the hurdles that stand in the way of home/refuge. The work begins with Odysseus/refugee confronting the sea from the shore departure. There is a struggle to simply get on a vessel and make it out to sea. This is followed by the sea journey itself, which is unstable and tense. Eventually the sea rages and the ship sinks. Odysseus/refugee are adrift on the sea, which has become an even darker and more dangerous place. While the general trajectory of the work up to this point, the trajectory of the finale is upwards. After much struggle there is an arrival to the 'other shore' where a sense of calm eventually pervades. However, this 'other shore' is not clearly defined. It could be a peaceful place of refuge or it could be an afterlife. It is up to the imagination of the listener to decide the fate of Odysseus/refugee. If I am attempting to make a point with this work it this; just as it requires the exercise of imagination to decide the fate of Odysseus/refugee in this work, it also requires imagination to craft just and humane policies that deal with the refugee crisis that is upon the world at this time. After all, it is imagination that holds the keys to both despair and hope. Duration ca. 28'

Click here for additional program notes.

Premier:
Württembergische Philharmonie, September 2019, Germany

Add To Cart

Add To Estimate

Add to Wishlist