Skylla und Charybdis: Graham Waterhouse - Chamber Music

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Scylla and Charybdis

These are the two sea monsters from Greek mythology guarding each side of the Strait of Messina. Odysseus and his sailors navigated this notorious stretch of water they had to steer a middle path between the monsters to avoid coming too close to the shore and in doing so, risking losing their lives.

“Choosing between Scylla and Charybdis is a metaphor which means »opting for the lesser of two evils«. The composer of today steers a similarly precarious path, facing questions such as: embracing or renouncing tradition; use of tonal centres or atonality; adhering to pre-conceived musical forms or use of narrative forms; allowing one instrument to dominate, or integrating them. In my mind the vision of the perilous and deadly Scylla and Charybdis mirrors these and other dilemmas facing composers, where possible danger may lie in store for those siding too closely with one extreme or the other.“ Graham Waterhouse

The result is an impressive album: fast-paced and lyrical, melancholic and mysterious, festive and hymnal. Music, in short, that delights in reconciling opposites.