Gestumblindi
Gestumblindi was a character in Norse mythology, best known for an exquisite contest of wisdom that took place between himself (though Odin was in fact disguised as him) and King Heidrek. Gestumblindi presented a series of riddles which, due to their ingenuity, eventually exposed him as Odin.
The idea of creating a piece for a solo melodic instrument inspired by a riddle was too intriguing a project to take my eyes off. While there are many riddles to take inspiration from in the Gestumblindi-Heidrek exchange, the second last in the series evoked the most interesting visuals for me, musically speaking.
Work Details
Year: 2020
Instrumentation: Trumpet.
Duration: 2 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Commission note: Commissioned by Canberra Symphony Orchestra. Written as part of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra's 2020 Australian Miniseries.
First performance: by Justin Lingard