So let’s play the baliset.

Gurney Halleck is a man of many talents - a sharp eye for detail, a mind for strategy, and a bag full of tunes and quotes.

There isn’t a situation for which he wouldn’t have a quote from the O.C. Bible, a quippy remark or a song - even songs that he improvised on the spot.

All the lyrics from the books

This collection contains every song of Gurney Halleck - whether it was him singing, or someone remembering one of his lyrics.

This includes the original books and everything from the Expanded Universe.

What’s a baliset anyway?

Aside from the instrument having nine strings, the books don’t offer much in terms of description.

At the end of the original book, Herbert explains this much: “a lineal descendant of the zithra, tuned to the Chusuk scale and played by strumming. Favorite instrument of Imperial troubadors.”

This then meant that the movies had free reign in trying to come up with their own versions.

Movie adaptations

Gurney and his baliset are inseperable - so it’s no surprise that every adaptation tried to include a bit of his music.

Dune (1984)

Sadly, the final version of the original movie didn’t include Patrick Stewart’s musical talents and what looks to be a motorised instrument.

Dune mini-series (2000)

While Lynch had a rather futuristic instrument in mind, the Syfy version opted for a more medieval look and sound.

Dune: Part 2 (2024)

Denis Villeneuve and Hans Zimmer went slightly towards a nine-stringed guitar, complementing Josh Brolin’s gravelly baritone.