ABSTRACT
The remarkable length of Odyssey already suggests that how musical time is shaped and directed throughout the work will be a crucial issue. It is also an issue that the composer was aware of, as indicated by the designation of the main recurring harmonic event of the work as the time chord. This chapter explores the potentiality of a narrative dimension in conjunction with the already-stated concern with time, an exploration that is highly provisional and knowingly speculative. It is possible to suggest that in moving from the initial D of Odyssey to the final Ej from within the time-chord collection to outside it, Maw is distantly reflecting upon a romantic/late-romantic practice. It also opens up a way of making sense of the vast timescale and constructs a context for some of the most powerful aspects of the musical details.
