Jürg Frey — Continuity, Fragility, Resonance

Continuity, Fragility, Resonance is a 2020-2021 piece for octet: string and saxophone quartets from  Swiss composer Jürg Frey. It’s a fifty-one-minute work, which compellingly moves itself through brooding pomp, moody saw ‘n’ simmer, and bitter-sweet rises/ hovers. 

This is a release on USA’s Elsewhere Music- coming as either a CD or high-quality digital download. I’m reviewing the former of these- the CD comes presented in a mini white gatefold- this features line-drawn cover art by Mr Frey, with small greyish/ blue texts.

The piece brings together eight players. Taking in Bozzini Quartet: Clemens Merkel – violin. Alissa Cheung – violin. Stéphanie Bozzini – viola. Isabelle Bozzini – cello. And Konus Quartett: Fabio Oehrli - soprano saxophone. Jonas Tschanz -alto saxophone.
Christian Kobi - tenor saxophone. Stefan Rolli - baritone saxophone.

The piece has a feeling of both drift ‘n’ ebb, and pace ‘n’ glide. One moment you’ll encounter grateful-to- glum swoon 'n' simmer, the next steady/contrast tonal stabs, the next glowing/ at point searing rises- flavoured with both grace and uneasy. The piece as a whole has a very unpredictable/ amorphous quality to it, which well and truly pulled me in and held me there.

Continuity, Fragility, Resonance is another wonderfully composed and realised modern classical work from Jürg Frey. Proving once again why he’s one of the most consistent & celebrated figures in the genre.