Sirens: Imaginary Journeys for Solo Mandolin
Excerpt from the Introduction to
Sirens: Imaginary Journeys for Solo Mandolin
The tunes in this collection take you on nine imaginary journeys, beginning with the title piece, Sirens, an evocation of the Greek islands of Homer’s Odyssey. From this very magical place, we move to Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and then on to northern California and finally the wilderness of 18th century northern Michigan in the tune called Northwest Passage. Many of these tunes are original compositions, but others are arrangements or transcriptions of traditional tunes.
Many of the tunes were inspired by actual geographic locations. In the late 70s, I had a temporary residence on Tomki Road, outside of Ukiah, California, although the image in the tune Drivin up Tomki is a lot broader than the real place. Petaluma is a real place; I lived there, too. Mt. Diablo is also a real place in the East Bay hills; San Juan Bautista is a small town near Monterey. But the title tune, Sirens, is totally imaginary. Writers and composers have tried to describe it for centuries: Homer, James Joyce, even Claude Debussy. Nobody really knows what those Sirens sounded like.
These tunes were composed over an extended period of time, initially improvised, then revised, and revised again. Undoubtedly, every mandolin player will interpret these tunes and make even further changes. For the traditional tunes I’ve arranged, this is part of the folk process. For the original tunes, I’m sure mandolin players will hear it a different way. Not the folk process; just artistic license. Or maybe magic.
Excerpt from the Introduction to
Sirens: Imaginary Journeys for Solo Mandolin
The tunes in this collection take you on nine imaginary journeys, beginning with the title piece, Sirens, an evocation of the Greek islands of Homer’s Odyssey. From this very magical place, we move to Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and then on to northern California and finally the wilderness of 18th century northern Michigan in the tune called Northwest Passage. Many of these tunes are original compositions, but others are arrangements or transcriptions of traditional tunes.
Many of the tunes were inspired by actual geographic locations. In the late 70s, I had a temporary residence on Tomki Road, outside of Ukiah, California, although the image in the tune Drivin up Tomki is a lot broader than the real place. Petaluma is a real place; I lived there, too. Mt. Diablo is also a real place in the East Bay hills; San Juan Bautista is a small town near Monterey. But the title tune, Sirens, is totally imaginary. Writers and composers have tried to describe it for centuries: Homer, James Joyce, even Claude Debussy. Nobody really knows what those Sirens sounded like.
These tunes were composed over an extended period of time, initially improvised, then revised, and revised again. Undoubtedly, every mandolin player will interpret these tunes and make even further changes. For the traditional tunes I’ve arranged, this is part of the folk process. For the original tunes, I’m sure mandolin players will hear it a different way. Not the folk process; just artistic license. Or maybe magic.
Sirens Tunes
1. Sirens, Gus Garelick
2. Deceiving Eyes Twin mandolins,
Gus Garelick
3. Tarantella Stella Adorata The Hot Frittatas, Cafe Liscio (2001)
4. Cu Abballa Abballa,
Gus Garelick
5. Tarantella Ticino,
Gus Garelick
6. Moldavansky Waltz,
Gus Garelick
7. Kirchoff’s Medley, Gus Garelick
8. Black Sea Waltz, Gus Garelick
9. Song for a Loved One,
Gus Garelick
10. Tenebre Infinita, Matteo Casserino,
Gino deMichelle, The Silent Fountain (1990)
11. Zufulo Inammorata, Gus Garelick
12. Polka Milanese, The Hot Frittatas,
Invitation to the Dance (2004)
13. Mandolino Volpe, Gus Garelick
14. Bluegrass Fanfare, Gus Garelick
15. Drivin up Tomki, Late Nite Radio,
live recording, 1979
16. Ole Los Mujeres, Tony Flores,
Musica Latina
17. Mazurka di San Juan, Gus Garelick
18. Valse Diablo, Gus Garelick
19. Going Away, Gus Garelick
20. Farewell to Petaluma, Gus Garelick
21. Northwest Passage, Gus Garelick
Reviews about Sirens:
Feature Review:
Classical Mandolin Society of America (May, 2023, Mandolin Journal):
David “Gus” Garelick, Sirens: Imaginary Journeys for Solo Mandolin
By Robert A. Margo
Imaginary Journeys…is a very substantial work, comprising nearly 80 pages of music and commentary. The text is well written, thoughtful, and highly informative about the music and Garelick’s relationship to it, essential reading for performers….Highly eclectic as befits Garelick’s tastes, the genres cover Greek, eastern Europe, Italian especially (including Ballo Liscio, a Garelick specialty, along with a goodly measure of tarantellas), bluegrass, and jazz (a beautiful, melancholy tune, “Going Away,” with unusual harmonies). There really is the proverbial something for everyone and even if one’s tastes are narrower than Garelick’s to begin with, they will expand (for the better) by sampling the wide variety of styles in this book.
A labor of love, the production side of Imaginary Journeys is excellent. The music is nicely type-set, very easy to read, and there is wonderful artwork by Karen Bell, Tracy Grisman, Steve Della Maggiora,and Maurice Lapp. The striking, overall book design is by Charylu Roberts, and the cover design is by Lorna Johnson with cover art by Karen Bell.
Comments about Sirens:
I really, really liked your collection of tunes! What I enjoyed the most was the fact that you presented them within their respective cultural context. That sort of awareness enriches the player’s and listener’s experience enormously. There is an unfortunate “literalism” in some circles, where a musical score is thought of as the entirety of what there is to be known about the piece. That mentality is quite limited and limiting, I think. Much better to offer a cultural framework, within which a work of music was conceived, and let the listeners feel their way around…So I compliment you above all for bringing all this music to life. That’s the purpose of collecting tunes, not some dry, encyclopedic data-filing. I suspect that your anthology will be enjoyed far and wide…
~ Victor Kioulaphides (New York composer and mandolinist)
… I read your beautiful book from cover to cover . And it is just beautiful. Perfect. So well-written and composed. And rounded exquisitely like the Tempest’s dream, beginning and ending with those sirens: …words so well-poised, like your musical notes.
~ Burney Garelick, Florence, Oregon