the "GiL" box
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"And Now..." (0:06)
This track introduces the recording of Stephen Mitchell's 2004 translation, "Gilgamesh," of this 7000 year old Babylonian litarary classic, narrated for www.recordedbooks.com by George Guidall. The first five books of this version I recorded from the audio-tape version that I checked out from the local library. The tracks recording books 6-11 I downloaded from www.greylodge.org as a bittorrent.
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"He Had Seen Everything..." (1:59)
The prologue of this edition does not occur in earlier translations, however has been included in Mitchell's version instead of the "Death of Gilgamesh" chapter at the end, published in earlier translations (eg. the Penguin Classics edition). Musically, we are introduced first to the theme used throughout as the motif of the elders of Uruk, who are presumed to be the narrator or chorus of the original writing. The music I used for their theme is their self-titled track, "Sabahiya," from the album "Passion Sources," a collection of middle-eastern "world" music released on "Real World" records by producer Peter Gabriel as a compendium piece to his soundtrack to the Martin Scorcesse film, "the Last Temptation of Christ." Following this we are introudced to the musical motif used throughout to represent the setting of Uruk, the city where Gilgamesh reigned. To represent Uruk, I used the track "Tejbeit" from the same album, attributed to unknown "Ethiopian Musicians."
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"Surpassing All Kings..." (13:11)
Book One introduces Gilgamesh, son of King Lulgalbanda, who became a God, and the Goddess Ninsun, ruler of Uruk. The musical theme of Gilgamesh is portrayed through three songs by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Peace Be With Him, master of middle-eastern Qawali, a style of Sufi Muslim devotional chant to Allah. In his youth, the motif I chose to represent Gilgamesh is the track "Allah Hoo Allah Hoo" from Nusrat's album "Devotional and Love Songs." To reflect the eventual development of their unique relationship, the theme I use throughout Gilgamesh's youth to represent Enkidu is also a version of the song, "Allah Hoo, Allah Hoo," however by the Sabri Brothers and Ensemble, from their album "Qawali." Just as, throughout this composition, whenever the character of Enkidu appears or speaks his musical motif (by the Sabri Brothers) is played, so too throughout with Gilgamesh's musical motif (by Nusrat Fateh) is played; I will therefore not mention this subsequently. To represent the lament of the people of Uruk under Gilgamesh's dictatorship, I used the songs "Call to Prayer" by Baba Maal and "Song of Complaint" by Askarian and Khatchaturian, both from the album "Passion Sources," mentioned above. The theme of the God Anu and the Goddess Aruru is the track "Song of the Sibyl" by the band "Dead Can Dance," from their album "Toward the Within." The character-theme of the Trapper who finds Enkidu is the song "Yoky" by Fatala, also from "Passion Sources." The theme of Shamhat, Ishtar's Priestess, is the song "Under the Moes Tree" by Basya Schechter, from her album "Queen's Dominion." The theme of Gilgamesh's mother, the Goddess Ninsun, is the song "Ayasofya (Saint Sophia)" by Brian Keane, from his soundtrack to the film "Suleyman the Magnificent."
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Gilgamesh and Enkidu (4:57)
The theme of the Shepherds is the song "Al Hahla Al' Ali," by the band of the same name, from the album "Passion Sources." The motif of the man travelling to the wedding and theme of the wedding is the song "Initiation of Ecstasy" (Instrumental Version)" by El-Funoun, from the album of Palestinian wedding songs, "Zaghareed: Music from the Palestinian Holy Land." The musical themes of Shamhat and the citizens of Uruk also occur in this track, as well as the combination of the themes of Gilgamesh (Allah Hoo by Ali Khan) and Enkidu (Allah Hoo by the Sabri Bro.s).
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"Time Passed Quickly..." (11:52)
In the first "chapter" section of this song "book" oscillates between the themes of Giglamesh and Enkidu as they discuss Gilgamesh's plan to enter the Ceder Forest of Lebanon and conquer Humbaba. We are introduced to the themes for both the setting of the forest, the song "Organic" by modern minimalist composer Phillip Glass, from his soundtrack to the film "Koyaanisqatsi," and the monster Humbaba, the song "Prophecies," also by Phillip Glass, from the same album. The song used to represent the smiths of Uruk is "On Horseback" by the Master Musicians of Jajouka, from the album "Apocalypse Across the Sky," produced by Bill Laswell and distributed through Axiom records. In this track we also encounter again the themes of the citizens and the elders of Uruk, Gilgamesh's mother, the Goddess Ninsun, and, of course, of Gilgamesh and Enkidu themselves.
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Five Dreams (11:44)
There are two types of tracks that appear in this musical rendition of the fourth book of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The first type are unique to this "book," and the second type are not, and are themes and motifs that will occur later in the work. The motifs and themes of this second type are introduced in the opposite order they will subsequently occur, and presented as dreams. The first type of themes, those unique to this track, describe their travels between these dreams. The songs describing their travels are the last note of "Sabahiya" (described above), "Vita Nostra" by Ennio Morricone, from his soundtrack to the film "the Mission," and the song "Every Man And Every Woman Is A Star" from the bootleg album called "666" featuring the original wax cylindar recordings by Aleister Crowley. This piece also introduces the musical motif of the God Shamash, extracted from the song "Masked Ball" by Jocelyn Pook, from the soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick's final film, "Eyes Wide Shut," also available on Pook's solo album, "Flood" as the track "Backwards Monks." Of the second type of track on this act, we also find the motifs of the elders of Uruk (Sabahiya), the Cedar Forest (Organic) and the monster Humbaba (Prophecies), all mentioned earlier, as well as both Gilgamesh (Allah Hoo by Ali Khan) and Enkidu (Allah Hoo by the Sabri Bro.s). I will cite the sources for the subsequent musical themes and motifs, here introduced as Gilgamesh's dreams, as they occur.
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Humbaba (9:40)
No new themes or motifs are introduced in this track. Those we find repeated, whose sources I have already cited above, are those of Gilgamesh (Allah Hoo) and Enkidu (Allah Hoo), the Cedar Forest of Lebanon (Organic) and Humbaba (Prophecies). Briefly, we also hear a few notes from "Ayaofya (Saint Sophia)," the theme of Gilgamesh's mother, the Goddess Ninsun.
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Ishtar and the Bull of Heaven (9:23)
This track opens with the themes of Gilgamesh (Allah Hoo) combined with that of Uruk (Tejbeit), both previously cited. Next, we are introduced to the first theme of the Goddess Ishtar. This first theme repeats the previous wedding theme (by El-Funuon). The shriek of Ishtar is the opening call from Jocelyn Pook's song "Take Off Your Veil," from her album "Untold Things," and Ishtar's second theme is the song "Miserere" from Ennio Morricone's sountrack to the film "the Mission." We also hear the theme of Anu, Father of the Gods, "Song of the Sybil" by Dead Can Dance. The theme of the Bull of Heaven is from "Complication" by Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails, from their album "The Fragile" ("Right" disc). Ishtar's third theme is the introduction from "Mysterious Ways" by the band U2, from their album "Achtung Baby." We are also introduced to the second musical motif of Gilgamesh, the song A''ah, Mohammed, Char, Yaar" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and party, from the album "Shahen-Shah." The fourth theme of Ishtar is a brief excerpt from "Mea Culpa" by Enigma, from their album "MCMXC A.D." Repeated themes include that of Gilgamesh's youth, his first theme (Allah Hoo by Ali Khan), that of Enkidu (Allah Hoo by the Sabri Bro.s), "Call to Prayer" and "Sabahiya," the themes of the elders of Uruk, and "Tejbeit," the theme of the people of Uruk.
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The Death of Enkidu (8:36)
This Act opens as Enkidu (whose musical motif remains "Allah Hoo, Allah Hoo" by the Sabri Brothers) recounts a dream. We encounter the theme of Anu, Father of the Gods, and are introduced to the musical motif of the God Enlil, which is from the song "Markaba" by the band Tool, from their live album "Salival." Repeated further during this Act is a further elaboration of Ishtar's fourth theme, now used to represent the Underworld, "Mea Culpa" by Enigma. The theme of Erishkigal, Queen of the Underworld, is a note taken from the theme of Aruru, Goddess of Life, "Song of the Sybil" by Dead Can Dance, played backwards. Repeated also are the themes of the Trapper, "Yoky" by Fatala, and Shamhat, "Under the Moes Tree" by Basya Schechter. We also hear the musical theme of Shamash, "Backwards Monks" or "Masked Ball" by Jocelyn Pook. The theme of Enkidu's Death Rattle is "Introitus," from classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Requiem Mass for the Dead," performed by Neville Marriner and the orchestra of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-fields.
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Gilgamesh Mourns (6:54)
Introducing this Act are the last notes of Mozart's "Introitus," the final theme of Enkidu's death, followed by a long solliloquay by Gilgamesh, accompanied by his middle musical theme, "Allah, Mohammed, Char, Yaar," by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The theme of Gilgamesh's grief is "Rex Tremendae Majestatis," from Mozart's "Requiem Mass for the Dead." The theme of Gilgamesh's offerings to the Gods of the Underworld is the concluding piece, called "Lacrymosa," from Mozart's "Reqiem."
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The Entrance to the Underworld (5:26)
Again, we are introduced to this act by the final notes of Mozart's "Introitus," followed by the theme of Gilgamesh's wanderings eastward, "Confutatis," also from the classical "Requiem" of Mozart. The theme of the Scorpion-Man is from "Buura" by Shu-De, from the album "Music of the Siberrian Steppes," available from "Real World" records. Likewise, the theme of the Scorpion-Woman is from "Beezhinden" by Shu-De from the same album. The theme of the Twin Peaks is the song "Falling" by Julee Cruise (music by Angelo Badlementi), from their album "Floating into the Night." The musical theme of the Tunnel through which the sun passes through the Underworld is the beginning of the song "Sonne" by German death-metal band, Rammstein, from their album "Mutter." The theme of the Garden of the Gods which concludes this piece is from New-Age composer Constance Demby's album "Set Free," and is called "Waltz of Joy."
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"At the Edge of the Ocean..." (13:35)
The theme of the edge of the ocean is the song "Heaven (aw-Cut)" by Pete Namlook and Dr. Atmo, from their album "Silence" (cd II). The motif of Shiduri, the tavern-keeper, combines the short track, "The Slow Fade," by the 6ths from their album "Eternal Youth" with the openning of "A Host of Seraphim" by Dead Can Dance, along with a recording of Earth's 40 MgHz "Schumann" resonant frequency, the song "Mantra" by Tool, from their album "Lateralus," and an underwater recording of whale song. The theme of Urshanabi, the boatman, combines the theme of Shiduri, the tavern-keeper, with the song "A Perry Mason Moment" by Antediluvian Rocking Horse" from their album "Music for the Odd Ocassion." The theme of the Waters of Death is the track "the Cathedral of Books" by composer Jurgen Knieper, from the soundtrack to the film by Wim Wenders, "Wings of Desire." The theme of Utnapishtim is a combination of the first part of the track "Palpatine's Teachings" from the soundtrack to the George Lucas film, "Star Wars Episode III: the Revenge of the Sith," by composer John Williams, the single-song album "Seven Metals (Singing Bowls of Tibet)" by Benjamin Iobst and the track, "Sangwa Dvipa" from the album "Tibetan Buddhism: Tantras of Gyutto." The third theme that serves to describe the setting of the story is the song "Reel Ten" by the Plugz, from the soundtrack to the movie "Repo Man." This act also introduces the third theme used to musically represent the, now elderly, Gilgamesh, "Shamas-Ud-Doha, Badar-Ud-Doja" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, also from the album "Shahen-Shah."
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Utnapishtim (19:14)
The track for this Act opens with the continuation of Gilgamesh's third theme, "Shamas-Ud-Doha, Badar-Ud-Doja" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, also from the album "Shahen-Shah." The third theme of the Ocean of Death is the song "Truman Sleeps," composed by Phillip Glass, from the soundtrack to the movie "the Truman Show." Utnapishtim's theme continues as he proceeds to describe the Great Flood, in which we are introduced first to the theme of Ea, the Cleverest of the Gods, which is from the song "Wings for Marie," by the band Tool, from their album "10,000 Days." The theme of the Workers of Shurupuk combines "Aian Dubal" by Shu-De, from the album referenced previously, and the song "Yurac Sisa" by Inti Raymi, from the album "Traditional Music from the Andes." The theme of the Great Flood is "Just Like You Imagined" by Nine Inch Nails, from their album "The Fragile" ("Left" disc). Again, we hear repeated the theme of Urura, the Goddess of Creation, from "Song of the Sybil" by Dead Can Dance from their album "Toward the Within." The musical theme of Utnapishtim's survival is the song "La Mer" by Nine Inch Nails from the same source. The theme of Enlil, Tool's "Merkaba" from "Salival," also repeats. The final new theme to be introduced is that of the Plant of Life, which is the instrumental introduction to the song "The Great Below" by Nine Inch Nails, also from the "Left" disc of the album "The Fragile." The theme of Utnapishtim's wife is the same as that of Utnapihstim, only played backwards. As Gilgamesh ages, he enters his fourth and final theme, that of the Elders of Uruk, the song "Sabahiya" from "Passion Sources," which leads into the conclusive track "Tejbeit," from the same source, as Gilgamesh finally returns to Uruk.
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