Pawel Hendrich – “Metaforma” (DUX, 2017)

“Metaforma” is a new album released this year by “DUX Recordings”. Poland composer Pawel Hendrich compositions are recorded in this album. Pawel Hendrich is a contemporary academic and experimental music composer. His composing style is based on interesting musical decisions, innovative harmony and instrumentation and a synthesis between post-romantic, modernism and experimental music styles. The composer had created his own and extraordinary musical language which is full of concepts and contrasts masterfully combined together. He masterfully uses various contemporary music composing techniques, twist and fuse them together and create original sound. Serialism, dodecaphony, atonal music are fused with experimental composing techniques, electronics, computer sounds and other contemporary music elements. The main part of compositions are written for chamber ensembles, string quartets, symphony orchestras or solo instruments. He essentially combines together acoustic instruments and electronics. The sound of Pawel Hendrich compositions is very dynamic, colorful and interesting, full of unpredictable stylistic waves and turns.

This album compositions are written for chamber ensemble and orchestra. The compositions are based on polyphony and independent melodies. Solid melodic and rhythmic basements are heard very clear in these compositions. Interesting and emotional melodies, wild fast arpeggios, pizzicato, glissando and many other traditional playing techniques are mixed together with experimental and extraordinary playing techniques. Unusual and new ways of acoustic instruments playing extract high variety of different timbres and weird sounds. The acoustic instruments melodies are very important for compositions musical pattern and mood. These melodies make the compositions to sound more naturally, lively and emotional. Expressive solos, wild fast and joyful or slow and depressive – all these moods are changing one after each other. The wide range of musical expressions, playing techniques, emotional and expressive playing also bring original and interesting sound to this album compositions. The absolutely different episodes and instruments are masterfully combined together in one composition. Electronics and computer sounds mostly are used in last composition of this album – “Alopopulo”. The acoustic instruments are effectively and essentially combined together with various computer sounds and electronic music elements. The composer uses wide range of rhythmic, harmony, dynamics and other music language elements. Loud tutti episodes are put against slow and silent reeds solos, joyful and expressive strings, accordeon or other instruments solos. The high variety of rhythmic formulas and harmonic chords is making these compositions to sound very interesting and colorful. Dissonance harmony is the main element in mostly compositions – it’s contained of various chords which have sharp and acute sound. It makes this music to sound dramatic, emotional, very active and dynamic. The composer demonstrates his own and original composing style, inventive, extraordinary and creative musical decisions and create original and innovative sound of this album.