Mythodea - Music for the NASA Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey

1	Introduction / The National Opera of Greece Choir 2:45
2	Movement 1 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 5:40
3	Movement 2 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 5:39
4	Movement 3 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 5:50
5	Movement 4 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 13:42
6	Movement 5 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 6:35
7	Movement 6 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 6:27
8	Movement 7 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 4:56
9	Movement 8 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 3:06
10	Movement 9 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 5:02
11	Movement 10 / The National Opera of Greece Choir 3:01

Barnes & Noble

Although Vangelis may always be linked to his catchy soundtrack for Chariots of Fire, he's made a stab at orchestral immortality with Mythodea, a multi-movement instrumental and vocal extravaganza that commemorates NASA's Mars Odyssey Mission. A toy-size remote robot stumbling silently over red pebbles is hardly musical fodder, so Vangelis reaches to mythological depths for inspiration here. Soprano superstars Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle are gorgeous goddesses atop a Mt. Olympus-size orchestra (with imposing thunderclouds of 20 percussionists), and Vangelis mans the keyboard consoles himself, adding sonic space and mechanical effects. The composer didn't title his movements, nor did he give meaning to the choral vocalise, but the music fills the imagination with rattling swords, full-blast rocket engines, space winds, unknown horizons, and (in the lengthy "Movement IV") all-directional chaos. Norman's honey-coated voice blends nicely with the crystalline tones of Battle's, and their redemptive duet in "Movement IX" reminds one of Delibes's Lakmé duet, or an intertwining flight of birds. "Movement I" is a deliberate restatement of Holsts's "Mars," and the astute listener can pick up colors from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, as well as passages from Debussy, Ravel, and Mahler. The somber "Movement III" features another duet by Norman and Battle, layered with tragic choral tones, Vangelis's hammered dulcimer, and teardrops from the harp. Prepare yourself for a big listening experience: Turn up the volume, crank up the bass, hang on to your armchair, and ride Rocket Vangelis through Mars's sonic vistas. Carol Wright

All Music Guide

Mythodea is subtitled "Music for the NASA Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey," and it's certainly an epic work. If its aspirations were any higher, it wouldn't even need NASA to break earth's gravity. In essence, it's the focus of Vangelis' symphonic ambitions, utilizing not only an orchestra, but two sopranos and a full choir to go alongside his banks of keyboards. With an everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink attitude, "Movement 1" shows its Mars intentions by borrowing the 5/4 rhythm from Holst's "Mars" and overlaying it with symphonic stabs of melody and voices galore. Synth space noises, pomp, and afew circumstances. Chris Nickson