First look at “Coruscation and Reflection” by Huw Watkins

I am excited to be preparing for this masterclass with Midori, whom I have admired since I was a little girl.  Back in late October, I was asked to choose a piece from Midori’s New Music Recital program — I picked Coruscation and Reflection, written by Huw Watkins.  As I am still at an early stage in my violin career, I have not been exposed to a lot of recent works by composers still with us today.  Learning a piece like this is a completely new experience for me and I am experimenting every step of the way.

I was immediately drawn to this piece because of the dramatic contrast between the two movements.  My study of the piece began not with my violin, but with my dictionary.  Although I had a faint idea of the meaning of the title, I was curious to discover the true definitions of “coruscation” and “reflection.”  I found that coruscation meant “glitter or sparkle” while reflection meant “consideration of some idea or purpose.”  They suggested what sort of character Watkins envisioned for each of the movements.  My next step was to research some background information about both the composer and the piece.  I even came across Midori’s own notes about the piece which I found immensely helpful.  Finally, armed with this information, I braved an attempt to play it.

As with every new piece, I started off using the metronome set at a tempo considerably slower than written.  After a run-through that was rough to say the least, I was left with mixed feelings of curiosity and confusion.  All sorts of questions came to mind.  What is this piece trying to say? Where is each phrase moving to?  How can I make this piece come alive?  Needless to say, I was missing a crucial part of the piece—the piano accompaniment.  Playing by myself made me realize that unlike other violin/piano music, where the violin has a dominant role while the piano serves as accompaniment, Coruscation and Reflection balances the two instruments in a dynamic conversation.  The piece seemed empty and nonsensical without the piano part, and so I asked Solon Gordon, a pianist whom I had played with in the past, to work with me.  Just like me, he was unacquainted with the piece, but happily agreed to this intriguing task.

After a brief run-through with the piano, I began to notice the power and rhythmic complexities of the Coruscation as well as the sentiment and pensive qualities of the Reflection.  I am definitely looking forward to breaking down this piece with Solon and working through the intricacy and challenges of the piece.  As I become more familiar with Coruscation and Reflection, I hope to convey to you my journey as I prepare this piece.  Until next time!

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