Resonating Light

Wim Henderickx composed RESONATING LIGHT for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion and double bass in 2013, commissioned by I Solisti del Vento on the occasion of their 25th anniversary. It is a continuation of the works he wrote for artistic director Francis Pollet and the ensemble in the 1980s and 1990s, such as Ronddolen for solo bassoon (1987), Droombeelden for oboe, bassoon and piano (1988) and Mysterium for 10 woodwind instruments (1989). For the latter work, he was awarded the Flanders-Quebec Composition Prize in 1993. For RESONATING LIGHT, Henderickx was inspired by the instrumentation of Edgard Varèse's Octandre. In this work, the composer seeks to explore the sonic aspect of this instrumental combination. James Turrell's light sculptures were a very important source of visual inspiration. The idea of light as a spiritual element (enlightenment) is a crucial factor in this work. A reflection among his sketches for this composition: “A warm glow that illuminates you through the resonance of sound”. The idea of setting light and rays of light to music also stems from Wim Henderickx's fascination with natural phenomena and the cosmos. He has already explored this theme in works such as Tejas oor orkest (2009). RESONATING LIGHT has three movements that flow into each other without interruption. A dynamic first movement with a fast tempo is followed by a more static second and third movement. Possibility to use electronics (available from Norsk Musikkforlag, Oslo) to create a transition between part I and part II and between part II and part III.