Fishing Story
“A silly and sonic treat framed by vivid evocations of wind and bird calls.”
– My Scena, Amanda Wong
“The most original part of the concert was the premiere of Maxime Goulet’s composition. […] Goulet has once again demonstrated that he had no fear of the melody, or musical narrative. As icing on the cake, clarinetist Kornel Wolak was actor in a cleverly scripted piece.”
– Journal Le Devoir, Christophe Huss
“The second half began in a delightfully entertaining way with Fishing Story, whimsically evoking the adventures of a fishing outing. […] The audience took the bait cast by the composer. Maxime drew us into the net of his imagination and succeeded in capturing our attention.”
– Atuvu.ca, Daniel Raymond
“Goulet’s music is very listenable and narrative driven with this piece a story about the young boy who is befriended by Hemingway’s ‘Old Man and the Sea’ and what happens to him next.”
– Ontario Arts Review
Fishing Story is a concertino for solo clarinet and string orchestra. The work is inspired by the American novel The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. It is not a literal depiction of this famous fishing story, but rather a free continuation of it. Beyond Hemingway’s novel, what happens to the boy who accompanied the old man? Discover the young man and the sea!
The music is both descriptive and evocative. One can hear sound effects suggesting the noise of waves and the cry of a seagull. At times, the music is calm and peaceful, recalling the fisherman waiting for a catch. At other moments, it becomes agitated, suggesting the fisherman struggling to pull a fish out of the water.
When the work is performed in concert, certain theatrical elements are added to the performance. The clarinetist is dressed as a fisherman and moves the instrument as if it were an oar, then a fishing rod. A prop representing the hull of a boat is placed on stage to give the impression that the soloist is sailing at sea.
Instrumentation:
– Version for clarinet solo and string orchestra
– Version for clarinet solo, string quartet and bass and/or piano
Duration: 11 minutes
Suggested program pairings:
– Beethoven: Symphony #6, “Pastorale”
– Copland: Appalachian Spring + An Outdoor Overture + Billy the Kid
– Debussy: The Sea + Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
– Borodin: In the Steppes of Central Asia
– Respighi: Pines of Rome
– Dvorak: Nature’s Realm
– Ravel: Boat on the Ocean
– Sibelius: Symphony #5
Commissioned by the McGill Chamber Orchestra, and their artistic director Boris Brott, as part of a composer residency.
Dedicated to the friend and clarinetist Kornel Wolak.
Premiere: February 25th, 2014, by Kornel Wolak, the McGill Chamber Orchestra and the conductor Boris Brott, at the Bourgie Hall, in Montréal.
Discography: Ice Storm Symphony was recorded by the Orchestre classique de Montréal, Kornel Wolak, and conductor Jacques Lacombe, and is featured on the album Symphonie de la tempête de verglas, published in 2023 by ATMA Classique.
2026, Mar. 12 | Orchestre classique de Montréal, Kornel Wolak, Andrei Feher | Salle Pierre-Mercure, Montreal, QC, Canada
2019, June 8 | Orchestre Renaissance de Longueuil, Claudine Gamache, David Perault | Église Sacré-Coeur, Longueuil, QC, Canada
2019, May 11 | Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Dina Gilbert, Sally Arai | Sagebrush Theatre, Kamloops, BC, Canada
2016, June 26 | Lomza Chamber Orchestra, Jan Milosz Zarzycki and Kornel Wolak | Diocesan Museum, Lomza, Poland
2016, May 14 | Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra and Kornel Wolak | Toronto, ON, Canada
2014, Oct. 30 | Loja Symphony Orchestra and Kornel Wolak | Loja, Ecuador
2014, Aug. 10 | National Academy Orchestra of Canada, Boris Brott and Kornel Wolak | Brott Music festival, Ancaster
2014, Feb. 25 | McGill Chamber Orchestra, Boris Brott and Kornel Wolak | Bourgie Hall, Montreal (premiere)