Oboist Dr. Ann Fronckowiak and percussionist Cristian Zavala, together known as Duo Precipice, delivered an extraordinary recital on March 30, 2022 on the campus of Texas A&M University at Kingsville. The program featured a mix of repertoire highlighting the performers’ eclectic musical skills and captivated the audience from start to finish. This musical collaboration, borne out of a shared love of chamber music, pushed artistic boundaries through solo repertoire and the unique repertoire composed for this instrumentation.
That Courtesan’s Smile, a Seduction for Oboe and Crotales (2012) by Michael Isaacson (b. 1946) opened the concert. The piece draws inspiration from Isaacson’s career as a film composer as well as his interest in traditional Jewish music. Though only three minutes from start to finish, Fronckowiak’s interpretation of the hauntingly lyrical oboe melody, coupled with Zavala’s delicate performance of a single F-natural ostinato on crotale, create an intimate and captivating atmosphere. The performance is further enhanced by a single backlight that added an effective visual dimension.
The second piece on the program was the solo work for marimba, Dances of Earth and Fire (1987) by Peter Klatzow (1945-2021). Composed in two movements for famed marimbist Robert Van Sice, the piece has since become a pillar in the marimba solo repertoire due to the programmatic nature of the work and the level of virtuosity and stamina required. According to the composer, “These two ritualistic pieces reflect on the one hand the solidly and all-embracing gravity of the Earth itself, and the evanescent flickering of flame, which always seeks to rise upwards and escape into the beyond. These become metaphors for life and death, or earth-bound; spirit-bound forces.” The first movement, titled Dark and Heavy, conjures feelings of immeasurable size and time by utilizing the rich tonal sonorities found in the lowest register of the marimba. Klatzow employs a choral-like melodic line that runs through the entire first movement which is “meant to give the listener a feeling of timelessness.” The melody is accentuated by slow-moving soft rolls within the phrase that give the illusion of a frozen moment waiting to move forward. The movement ends with glimpses of what is to come: punctuated sforzando chords, dramatic shifts in dynamics, and quick changes between high and low register. Zavala flows between the complex layers of vibrant energy and meditative nuance that Klatzow has established with unwavering confidence and technical agility that reveals a deep understanding of the work. The second movement, titled Con Brio, is as energetic as the title suggests. The beginning invokes the destructive nature of fire while also creating space to acknowledge fire’s ability to begin anew. The performer is tasked with playing lightning quick grace note figures to thicken the resonant texture of the main chords, as well as a running line of sextuplets which leads to the climax of the work. Zavala effortlessly executes these elements with power and skill, while conveying the sensitivity and emotion needed to transport the audience to this sonic world with his skilled use of dead strokes.
The third work featured Ann Fronckowiak performing a solo for oboe by British composer Emma-Ruth Richards (b. 1985) entitled De Stâmparare or “Soul Cry” (2012). The work, which is based on an anonymous Romanian folk song called Hora Spoitorilor, highlights Fronckowiak’s lyrical range and depth. Her performance portrays the somber solitude of sung prayer while simultaneously holding back tears.
The fourth work featured on the recital was the solo percussion work XY (1997) by Michael Gordon (b. 1956), who, along with David Lang and Julia Wolfe, is one of the founding members of Bang on the Can composers collective. Their music blends rock, jazz, and minimalism. Orchestrated for only five drums, the piece creates a tapestry of sound with contrasting dynamics between right and left hand, fast moving polyrhythmic lines expertly navigated by Zavala, and drawn out musical phrases that create a duality of time between the macro and micro structures. The overall effect results in, as Gordon describes, “a double helix of DNA, which wraps around itself and spirals upwards.”
The fifth and final work on the program was the oboe and percussion duet Dmaathen (1976) by Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001). Originally composed in this instrumentation for the Center of Creative and Performing Arts at SUNY Buffalo and dedicated to oboist Nora Post and percussionist Jan Williams, the piece has since been adapted by the composer for both soprano saxophone as well as flute. Within the large sections of Dmaathen, Xenakis references many of the textural nuances that are prevalent in his earlier works that feature the use of electronics and tape while utilizing only acoustic instruments to achieve these effects. This aspect creates a work filled with seemingly impossible musical figures that test the performers’ skills and creativity. The driving rhythms, quick mallet runs between a nested vibraphone and marimba, as well as an array of oboe multiphonics prominently showcase the ensemble’s technical prowess and expressive depth.
Duo Precipice’s recital is a captivating journey through diverse musical landscapes. Fronckowiak’s lyrical oboe paired with Zavala's percussive virtuosity created a symbiotic musical experience that left the attending audience spellbound. As the final notes reverberated throughout the venue, it was clear that Duo Precipice crafted an immersive sonic tapestry that left a mark on the hearts of those fortunate enough to be in attendance.
