Jan Krzywicki - Catching Light
Jan Krzywicki - Catching Light
Jan Krzywicki's Catching Light is an incredibly pleasant yet stimulating work; it is of no surprise to see it already have multiple performances, and hopefully it will do well to expand the repertoire for this ensemble.
Catching Light beautifully captures the morphing qualities of physical light in three movements: flickering, shimmering, and burning. Originally composed in 2014, the work has had multiple performances, the most recent being by the Network for New Music Ensemble on a concert this past February, with the composer conducting. The piece is written for an adaptation of the Pierrot ensemble (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion), an ensemble of which Krzywicki takes full advantage when building iridescent musical colors.
While at times cliché, Krzywicki effectively forms musical metaphors for the attributes of listed lights. Due to his clear control of form, none of the kitschy sounds come across as uncompelling, as they all seem to work perfectly in context. The mixed ensemble is naturally difficult to convincingly blend, but Krzywicki's orchestration is able to quite literally shimmer. Surprisingly, he focuses a lot on pitched mallet percussion in his writing. Having multiple mallet instruments can make a chamber piece difficult to rehearse, and not to mention the performer having to set up the equipment, and at times awkward to hear in concert. The musical affect aside, his inclusion of the marimba, especially in the first movement, is often more distracting than not.
Overall, Jan Krzywicki's Catching Light is an incredibly pleasant yet stimulating work; it is of no surprise to see it already have multiple performances, and hopefully it will do well to expand the repertoire for this ensemble.
Listen to the original Albany Records recording here. This review concerns the performance by musicians of the Network for New Music Ensemble on Feb. 27, 2022, listen to it here.
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