Symetria
Micha? Lorenc
" Lorenc uses a metronomical piece of mininalism as the main theme for the score. "Written by Joep de Bruijn - Review of the regular release
Symetria (aka Symmetry) is 2003 Polish dramatic thriller that takes place inside a prison. A man falsely accused of assaulting an old woman tries to adapt to his new life in prison. The film was directed by Konrad Niewolski and features a score by composer Michał Lorenc.
Michał Lorenc is arguably the most popular, actively writing Polish composers, who unlike some of the most well-known composers from Poland, devotes ninety-nine percent of his time scoring domestic projects. His music is recognized by engaging string and brass writing, occasionally added unique ethnic colours and pieces of jazz noir. There is a lot of sheer excellence to be discovered browsing through his resume. Amongst his most memorable works are Psy 2: Ostatnia krew, Przedwiośnie, Czarny czwartek, Bandyta and the religiously inspired Jan Pawel II: Szukalem Was.
The composer wrote a score that he himself called a dark and disturbing work, which I feel is only partially true. Both he film and its music combine two themes; the sense of despair that the protagonist feels on the inside of prison, alongside a softer emotional side which gives him a human voice and continuously supports his feeling of being wrongfully imprisoned. One could say the music to Symetria is best described as tenebrae pathos.
Lorenc uses a metronomical piece of mininalism as the main theme for the score. Technically, the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra repeats the same ascending and descending motif for its strings section, violins and cellos, overlaid by another layer and a harp. It is the perfect representation of the conflicted feelings of despair, suffocation and hope. It is even reminiscence of the rather basic idea of time passing by, like a clock, but somehow this still works effectively, even more than I initially envisioned. However, I do feel Lorenc does not know how to wrote first class minimalism the way someone like Wojciech Kilar does, and those that generally love minimalism, may even find Lorenc´ treatment too simple and monotonous. The longest version can be heard in the cue I Wyrośnie Różdżka Z Pnia Jessego, a shorter version in Wyrosi, and numerous versions and citations during the course of the score.
The remainder of the score offers similarly claustrophobic pathos, with the same emphasis on mininalism writing for strings section and harp, often coinciding with the main theme. The consistency of this described tone, with varied use of light, heavier and, even, swirling strings make for a fine score. Unfortunately, there are some musical influences that come into play, which in some cases make Lorenc´ works less appealing, but Symetria does not suffer from this at all.
Symetria is an effective score by Michał Lorenc. It shows his great string writing, which is arguably more powerful in the film, which unlike the 30 minute release, does not suffer at all from the slightly monotonous recurring main theme.
Tracklist
1. W Ciemnosci (04:22)
2. Biegnac, Biegnac (02:26)
3. Wszystko (06:33)
4. Zapomnisz (01:02)
5. Nagle (02:55)
6. Ktorych Dotknie (03:38)
7. Nie (00:36)
8. Bo (03:48)
9. Jest (00:55)
10. Pod Powiekami (00:38)
11. Zobacz (01:55)
12. I Wyrosnie Rozdzka z Pnia Jessego (02:57)
Total Duration: 31:45
(written 09-12-2019)
Michał Lorenc is arguably the most popular, actively writing Polish composers, who unlike some of the most well-known composers from Poland, devotes ninety-nine percent of his time scoring domestic projects. His music is recognized by engaging string and brass writing, occasionally added unique ethnic colours and pieces of jazz noir. There is a lot of sheer excellence to be discovered browsing through his resume. Amongst his most memorable works are Psy 2: Ostatnia krew, Przedwiośnie, Czarny czwartek, Bandyta and the religiously inspired Jan Pawel II: Szukalem Was.
The composer wrote a score that he himself called a dark and disturbing work, which I feel is only partially true. Both he film and its music combine two themes; the sense of despair that the protagonist feels on the inside of prison, alongside a softer emotional side which gives him a human voice and continuously supports his feeling of being wrongfully imprisoned. One could say the music to Symetria is best described as tenebrae pathos.
Lorenc uses a metronomical piece of mininalism as the main theme for the score. Technically, the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra repeats the same ascending and descending motif for its strings section, violins and cellos, overlaid by another layer and a harp. It is the perfect representation of the conflicted feelings of despair, suffocation and hope. It is even reminiscence of the rather basic idea of time passing by, like a clock, but somehow this still works effectively, even more than I initially envisioned. However, I do feel Lorenc does not know how to wrote first class minimalism the way someone like Wojciech Kilar does, and those that generally love minimalism, may even find Lorenc´ treatment too simple and monotonous. The longest version can be heard in the cue I Wyrośnie Różdżka Z Pnia Jessego, a shorter version in Wyrosi, and numerous versions and citations during the course of the score.
The remainder of the score offers similarly claustrophobic pathos, with the same emphasis on mininalism writing for strings section and harp, often coinciding with the main theme. The consistency of this described tone, with varied use of light, heavier and, even, swirling strings make for a fine score. Unfortunately, there are some musical influences that come into play, which in some cases make Lorenc´ works less appealing, but Symetria does not suffer from this at all.
Symetria is an effective score by Michał Lorenc. It shows his great string writing, which is arguably more powerful in the film, which unlike the 30 minute release, does not suffer at all from the slightly monotonous recurring main theme.
Tracklist
1. W Ciemnosci (04:22)
2. Biegnac, Biegnac (02:26)
3. Wszystko (06:33)
4. Zapomnisz (01:02)
5. Nagle (02:55)
6. Ktorych Dotknie (03:38)
7. Nie (00:36)
8. Bo (03:48)
9. Jest (00:55)
10. Pod Powiekami (00:38)
11. Zobacz (01:55)
12. I Wyrosnie Rozdzka z Pnia Jessego (02:57)
Total Duration: 31:45
(written 09-12-2019)