Sysyphus
| Sysyphus | |
|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | |
| publication | October 25, 1969 |
| length | 13:17 |
| Genre (s) | Avant-garde rock , progressive rock |
| Author (s) | Richard Wright |
| Publisher (s) | Emi Records Ltd |
| album | Ummagumma |
Sysyphus (based on Sisyphus ) is an avant-garde piece of music from the 1969 double album Ummagumma by the British music group Pink Floyd , which consists of a live and a studio LP. Sysyphus is the opening title of the studio album and is divided into four parts.
The content deals with the work of Sisyphus , a legendary figure in Greek mythology who, as punishment from the gods, was given the task of rolling a boulder up a mountain forever in the underworld . Shortly before reaching the top and thus the release from the torments, the stone rolled down again and again and Sisyphus had to start again with his unsuccessful work. (See also: Sisyphean work ).
Music and thematic implementation
The instrumental piece was written by Richard Wright , the keyboardist of the band Pink Floyd , and forms a suite . It takes up a quarter of the first studio LP on the album Ummagumma . The album was designed in such a way that each of the four band members was given a quarter of the running time so that they could freely design it according to their musical wishes. Sysyphus forms Wright's musical interpretation of the constantly repeating Sisyphus work , which he accompanies with different sounds.
The listener can identify clear patterns in the structure of the piece: the music in Part I appears powerful, sublime but sometimes indignant when the rock is transported up the mountain. Part II symbolizes the delusion of Sisyphus, the constant attempts to master the unsolvable task. This is signed, among other things, by accelerated recording of voices . In contrast, the melody in Part III is harmonious when the mountain top seems to be in sight. Devastating music sets in in Part IV when the rock rolls down. Eventually the sounds of Part I repeat themselves, indicating that the rock is being carried back up again.
Publication and performances
Sysyphus appeared once on the studio LP of the album Ummagumma and changed in its parts on the CD containing the album . The piece was played live four times just a few months after its release, one version recorded at a Pink Floyd performance in the Birmingham City Hall in 1970 .
Trivia
- Sysyphus was used in the film Salome by Clive Barker to accompany the dance of Salome.
occupation
- Richard Wright - Farfisa , Mellotron , piano , bass , timpani , drums , cymbals , accelerated vocals
literature
- Andy Mabbet: The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd, London: Omnibus Press. 1995. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X .
- Martin C. Strong: The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. 2004. ISBN 1-84195-551-5 .