The Essex

The Essex was a whaling ship from Nantucket that set sail on August 12th, 1819 for an almost three year journey. On November 20th, 1820, a whale of great size rammed into the ship twice; sinking it and forcing the crew to the whaleboats. Of the original twenty-one man crew, only eight survived the ninety-three days they spent at sea. Their failed journey was recounted later in a memoir by the first mate Owen Chase, who described the dark details of what had occurred during their time at sea. This event would later inspire the Herman Melville to write his novel, Moby Dick. The piece is divided into chapter-like sections, describing the beginning of the Essex's journey, the whale attack, their survival and cannibalism at sea, and finally their return to Nantucket. Each "chapter" uses musical themes and effects to reflect the emotions and chaos of the whalers' situation, until finally a pastoral, hymn-like ending brings the whalers' back home to Nantucket.