Odysseus (oratorio)

Odysseus is a secular oratorio composed by the German composer August Bungert between 1896 and 1903. It is part of a larger cycle of works by Bungert titled Homerische Welt (Homeric World), intended to set the entire Iliad and Odyssey epics to music in operatic and oratorio forms. Odysseus specifically comprises three parts:

• Kirke: Depicts Odysseus's encounter with the sorceress Circe.

• Nausikaa: Focuses on Odysseus's arrival on Scheria and his meeting with Nausicaa, daughter of King Alcinous.

• Odysseus' Heimkehr (Odysseus' Homecoming): Covers Odysseus's return to Ithaca, his recognition by his faithful dog Argos, and his eventual triumph over the suitors vying for Penelope's hand.

While Bungert intended the entire Homerische Welt cycle to be performed in a purpose-built amphitheater, and considered it his magnum opus, it never achieved widespread popularity and is now rarely performed in its entirety. The Odysseus oratorios are occasionally revived individually or in concert excerpts. The music is typically late-Romantic in style, employing large orchestral and choral forces.