A Closer Listen
#10 is a departure of sorts for Andrzej Pietrewicz ~ a single 33-minute track that is more experimental than any of his prior work. While one can detect familiar timbres such as bells and breath, the field recordings are more prominent, and for the first time, the artist credits a collaborator, Haiyue (Judy) Zhu.
While one can appreciate the album without the source material, a quick reading (or re-reading) of Psalm 139 adds depth to the appreciation. Multiple themes converge, and the psalm includes at least two famous quotes: “Whither shall I go to flee from thy presence?” and “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Pietrewicz and Zhu concentrate on verses 11 and 12, substituting “shadows” for the more familiar “darkness,” perhaps because of the word’s whispery, alliterative qualities. Fortunately, the clunky ending of the otherwise beautiful psalm (verses 19-24) is not included. This frees Pietrewicz and Zhu to explore sonic permutations of darkness and light, opening aural windows to the divine presence, embodying the metaphor of the cover art.
The piece unfolds in three movements, rising to a peak in the center. The subtitle “If I Say” quotes the first three words of verse 11, setting the stage for the meditation. The first and last movements operate as a piece of folded paper, leaving an impression on the other. Each brings field recordings to the fore: individual voices, conversation, the sounds of the human body. The opening minutes sound like water dripping in a cave, imitated by the human mouth; then pouring, popping, breath. One can imagine the breath as a body, trying to hide among the other sounds, to no avail. Higher pitched noises sound like birds, or sneakers on a polished gym floor. The density increases while not overwhelming the listener; when chimes enter, they provide a peaceful counter-balance.
Haiyue Zhu steps to the fore in the second movement, her voice permeating the sonic field. As the psalm’s highlighted verses are layered, looped and repeated, they take on additional meaning, and regain their original mystery. This has been Pietrewicz’s strength all along: to embrace The Great Unknowing, investigating the questions of faith, needing the Presence more than the answers. The accumulation of voices personifies the shadows, especially when low-pitched; but through it all, the light still bleeds, sparkling in synthesized notes and harmonic vocal clusters. Would it be too much to call her voice a revelation?
The third movement is both commentary and extended denouement. English folds into invented tongues, and the sounds of conversation return, along with the chimes. Liberated from language, one begins to examine feeling. If one cannot flee into darkness, might one flee into a crowd, or the silence of one’s own heart? On the surface, the idea of being unable to hide or flee from God (also found in Genesis 3:8 and Jonah 1:3) is frightening; but the psalm is meant to be comforting, as is the presence of sonic grace in the midst of sonic bustle. The sound of water on a hull is reminiscent of both baptism and the trip to Ninevah; the chimes are a call to repentance, or at least to prayer.
This deeply spiritual music is yet another sign of Pietrewicz’s continued growth as a composer. Occupying a sacred realm between the traditional and the avant-garde, #10 is approachable yet adventurous, an extended meditation that allows these verses to breathe and expand, and in so doing embodies the power of the Living Word. (Richard Allen)
Sun May 11 00:01:43 GMT 2025