Catch

chamber ensemble of 4 players

Year

1991

Duration

00:09:00

Category

Mixed Chamber Ensemble

Instrumentation

cl – pno – vln.vlc

Programme notes

Catch structures itself around various combinations of the four instruments. There are several games going on: at the start, the clarinet is the outsider, the other three are the unit, then, after a decoy entry, the clarinet takes the initiative. All four then play jovial ‘pig-in-the-middle’ with each other. The clarinet is then phased out leaving a sullen piano and cello, with interjections based on the clarinet’s original tune. This slower passage gradually mutates back into fast music, and this time the game is in earnest: the piano is squeezed out, only to lure the clarinet finally into the snare of its own music.

Thomas Adès

Reviews

'Adès’ textures are as clear and beguiling as ever.'

Seen and Heard International (Gavin Dixon), 7 November 2013

'Catch, a one-off tour de force.'

Financial Times (David Murray), 26 July 1994

'His music is arrestingly original… The theatrical element is written into the piece: a pianist, a cellist and a violinist, seated on stage, fend off the attempts of a wandering clarinettist to join them… All the efforts are repelled, until the work’s wistful yet quizzical ending… He has an engaging voice and audacious imagination.'

The New York Times (Anthony Tommasini), 27 February 1999

'The essence of the music is not technical difficulty, but a sense of unbuttoned fun with sinister undertow… the glittering cascade of notes tossed from instrument to instrument and the sumptuous melody stitched between them inhabit a world where every texture

seems freshly minted.'

The Guardian (Andrew Clements), 22 February 1999

Availability

Piano score and parts 0571518974 on sale

Scores and publication

Upcoming performances

16 January 2027 — Wigmore Hall (London, United Kingdom) (17:30) — United Kingdom — Composer

Previous performances

5 March 2026 — Tonhalle Zürich (Zürich, Switzerland) — Switzerland — Composer
8 October 2025 — Royal College of Music (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
5 March 2025 — Liederhalle (Stuttgart, Germany) — Germany — Composer
16 February 2025 — Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
27 July 2024 — Baker-Baum Concert Hall (La Jolla, USA) — USA — Composer
7 December 2023 — Concert Hall (Iowa City, USA) (19:30) — USA — Composer
10 August 2022 — Davos Congress Center (Davos, Switzerland) — Switzerland — Composer
26 June 2021 — Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
25 June 2021 — Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
12 June 2021 — Trinity Church (Lewes, United Kingdom) (16:00) — United Kingdom — Composer
7 November 2019 — Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall (New York City, NY, USA) — USA — Composer
8 November 2018 — Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Studio, Lincoln Center (New York City, NY, USA) — USA — Composer
16 September 2018 — Philharmonie 2 (Paris, France) — France — Composer
8 April 2018 — Konserthuset (Stockholm, Sweden) — Sweden — Composer
8 September 2017 — Studioul de concerte "Mihail Jora" (Bucharest, Romania) — Romania — Composer
24 March 2017 — Helsinki Music Centre, Paavo Hall (Helsinki, Finland) — Finland — Composer
23 September 2016 — Mosaic Space, Firstsite (Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
5 November 2015 — Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center (New York City, NY, USA) — USA — Composer
22 August 2015 — Syddansk Musikkonservatorium og Skuespillerskole (Odense, Denmark) — Denmark — Composer
24 January 2015 — Sheffield Crucible Main House (Sheffield, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
22 February 2014 — Farmers and Merchants Bank (Los Angeles, CA, USA) — USA — Composer
5 November 2013 — Milton Court Concert Hall, London (19:30) — United Kingdom — Composer, Pianist
3 October 2013 — Oval Space (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
16 November 2012 — St Duthus's Collegiate Church (Tain, Scotland, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
15 November 2012 — Jam House (Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
13 November 2012 — Eden Court Theatre (Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
12 November 2012 — City Halls (Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
7 November 2011 — The Forge, Camden (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
24 September 2011 — Fürstensaal, Fürstäbtliche Residenz (Kempten, Bavaria, Germany) — Germany — Composer
9 September 2011 — No Venue (Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany) — Germany — Composer
13 May 2011 — The Old Vic Tunnels (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
8 May 2011 — LSO St Luke's (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
29 March 2011 — National Arts Centre (Bucharest, Romania) — Romania — Composer
5 February 2011 — Priory Place Methodist Church (Doncaster, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
9 December 2010 — Crucible Theatre (Sheffield, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
27 October 2010 — Corpus Christi College (Oxford, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
9 September 2010 — Kings Place (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
12 June 2010 — Aldeburgh Parish Church (Aldeburgh, Suffolk, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
24 January 2010 — No Venue (Berlin, Germany) — Germany — Composer
19 August 2009 — No Venue (Bridgehampton, NY, USA) — USA — Composer
8 May 2009 — Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH, USA) — USA — Composer
19 April 2009 — Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (La Jolla, CA, USA) — USA — Composer
17 March 2009 — Fairmount Temple Auditorium (Cleveland, OH, USA) — USA — Composer
10 January 2009 — Princeton University (Princeton, NJ, USA) — USA — Composer
9 January 2009 — Princeton University (Princeton, NJ, USA) — USA — Composer
16 November 2008 — Flynn Center (Burlington, VT, USA) — USA — Composer
23 October 2008 — Griffin Concert Hall, University Center for the Arts (Fort Collins, CO, USA) — USA — Composer
21 October 2008 — Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ, USA) — USA — Composer
19 July 2008 — Serpentine Gallery (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
19 July 2008 — Serpentine Gallery (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
25 May 2008 — Purcell Room, Southbank Centre (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
8 June 2007 — Wilton's Music Hall (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
18 February 2007 — No Venue (Paris, France) — France — Composer
8 January 2007 — Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord (Paris, France) — France — Composer
15 October 2006 — NDR (Germany) — Germany — Composer
13 August 2006 — No Venue (Mexico City, Mexico) — Mexico — Composer
12 August 2006 — Centro Cultural Clavijero (Michoacán, Mexico) — Mexico — Composer
5 August 2006 — Sydney Conservatorium of Music (Sydney, NSW, Australia) — Australia — Composer
21 July 2006 — No Venue (Cordes-sur-Ciel, Midi-Pyrénées , France) — France — Composer
15 April 2006 — Laeiszhalle (Hamburg, Germany) — Germany — Composer
8 January 2006 — Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord (Paris, France) — France — Composer
23 September 2005 — No Venue (Brussels, Belgium) — Belgium — Composer
15 September 2005 — No Venue (Charlottesville, VA, USA) — USA — Composer
14 August 2005 — No Venue (Santa Fe, NM, USA) — USA — Composer
25 June 2005 — Aldeburgh Parish Church (Aldeburgh, Suffolk, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
12 June 2005 — No Venue (Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany) — Germany — Composer
10 June 2005 — No Venue (Zürich, Switzerland) — Switzerland — Composer
8 June 2005 — Théâtre de Caen (Caen, Basse-Normandie, France) — France — Composer
7 June 2005 — Cité de la musique (Paris, France) — France — Composer
6 June 2005 — Chapelle Saint Martin du Méjan (Arles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France) — France — Composer
4 June 2005 — Théâtre des Arts, Opéra de Rouen (Rouen, Haute-Normandie, France) — France — Composer
3 June 2005 — Cargo, Maison de la Culture (Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, France) — France — Composer
2 June 2005 — Opéra de Lille (Lille, Pas-de-Calais, France) — France — Composer
7 February 2005 — Green Room, San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center (San Francisco, CA, USA) — USA — Composer
1 January 2005 — No Venue (Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany) — Germany — Composer
10 October 2004 — Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall (Seattle, WA, USA) — USA — Composer
6 May 2004 — No Venue (Nicosia, Cyprus) — Cyprus — Composer
25 April 2004 — Tapestry Room, Gardner Museum (Boston, MA, USA) — USA — Composer
24 April 2004 — Jewish Community Center (Stamford, CT, USA) — USA — Composer
23 April 2004 — Ernst von Siemens-Auditorium, Pinakothek der Moderne (Munich, Bavaria, Germany) — Germany — Composer
23 April 2004 — Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, NY, USA) — USA — Composer
21 April 2004 — Freer Gallery of Art (Washington, DC, USA) — USA — Composer
20 April 2004 — Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center (Philadelphia, PA, USA) — USA — Composer
17 April 2004 — Schoenberg Hall, University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA, USA) — USA — Composer
16 April 2004 — First Congregational Church (Berkeley, CA, USA) — USA — Composer
13 March 2004 — No Venue (Caen, Basse-Normandie, France) — France — Composer
4 March 2004 — Leeds College of Music (Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
31 January 2004 — No Venue (Varese, Lombardy, Italy) — Italy — Composer
30 January 2004 — No Venue (Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy) — Italy — Composer
29 January 2004 — No Venue (Monfalcone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy) — Italy — Composer
28 January 2004 — No Venue (Padua, Veneto, Italy) — Italy — Composer
27 January 2004 — No Venue (Pisa, Tuscany, Italy) — Italy — Composer
25 January 2004 — No Venue (Coesfeld, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany) — Germany — Composer
24 January 2004 — No Venue (Coesfeld, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany) — Germany — Composer
23 January 2004 — No Venue (Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany) — Germany — Composer
7 January 2004 — Het Concertgebouw (Amsterdam, Netherlands) — Netherlands — Composer
8 October 2003 — Cité de la musique (Paris, France) — France — Composer
10 August 2003 — No Venue (Delft, Netherlands) — Netherlands — Composer
19 July 2003 — No Venue (Strasbourg, Alsace, France) — France — Composer
17 March 2003 — BBC Radio 3 (United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
15 March 2003 — Marion and Gustave Ring Auditorium, Hishorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Washington, DC, USA) — USA — Composer
1 June 2002 — No Venue (Valencia, Spain) — Spain — Composer
29 May 2002 — Salle Cortot (Paris, France) — France — Composer
20 May 2002 — Royal Academy of Music (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
20 April 2002 — Tou Scene (Stavanger, Norway) — Norway — Composer
24 January 2002 — NDR (Germany) — Germany — Composer
7 January 2002 — Purcell Room, Southbank Centre (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
15 December 2001 — Purcell Room, Southbank Centre (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
10 December 2001 — No Venue (Weimar, Thüringen, Germany) — Germany — Composer
5 November 2001 — Boston University (Boston, MA, USA) — USA — Composer
3 November 2001 — Gare du Nord (Basel, Switzerland) — Switzerland — Composer
3 November 2001 — BBC Radio 3 (United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
30 October 2001 — CBSO Centre (Birmingham, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
22 October 2001 — BBC Radio 3 (United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
2 September 2001 — St John the Baptist Church (Plush, Dorset, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
14 July 2001 — No Venue (Aspen, CO, USA) — USA — Composer
21 June 2001 — BBC Radio 3 (United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
16 June 2001 — No Venue (Aldeburgh, Suffolk, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
11 May 2001 — No Venue (Athens, Greece) — Greece — Composer
4 April 2001 — No Venue (Norrköping, Sweden) — Sweden — Composer
3 April 2001 — Galleri Astley (Skinnskatteberg, Sweden) — Sweden — Composer
2 April 2001 — Nybrokajen 11 (Stockholm, Sweden) — Sweden — Composer
2 April 2001 — Radio Sweden (Sweden) — Sweden — Composer
1 April 2001 — CuLTUREN (Västerås, Sweden) — Sweden — Composer
29 March 2001 — CBSO Centre (Birmingham, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
16 March 2001 — No Venue (Boston, MA, USA) — USA — Composer
19 November 2000 — No Venue (Vancouver, BC, Canada) — Canada — Composer
9 October 2000 — RNE Radio Clásica (Spain) — Spain — Composer
9 October 2000 — Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX, USA) — USA — Composer
27 September 2000 — Pittville Pump Room (Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
19 August 2000 — No Venue (Portland, ME, USA) — USA — Composer
1 August 2000 — No Venue (Marlboro, VT, USA) — USA — Composer
23 July 2000 — Eugene Goossens Hall, ABC Ultimo Centre (Sydney, NSW, Australia) — Australia — Composer
21 July 2000 — No Venue (Vancouver, BC, Canada) — Canada — Composer
13 June 2000 — No Venue (Heimbach Eifel, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany) — Germany — Composer
14 April 2000 — BBC Radio 3 (United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
21 March 2000 — Purcell Room, Southbank Centre (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
9 February 2000 — Maison de la Radio (Paris, France) — France — Composer
8 February 2000 — Maison de la Radio (Paris, France) — France — Composer
28 January 2000 — Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
24 October 1999 — Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA) — USA — Composer
24 October 1999 — No Venue (United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
2 October 1999 — Miller Theater, Columbia University (New York City, NY, USA) — USA — Composer
20 March 1999 — Panacée Grand Römerbad (Badenweiler, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) — Germany — Composer
9 March 1999 — Temppeliaukio Church (Helsinki, Finland) — Finland — Composer
24 February 1999 — No Venue (New York City, NY, USA) — USA — Composer
20 February 1999 — Wigmore Hall (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
13 September 1998 — No Venue (Brisbane, QLD, Australia) — Australia — Composer
20 July 1998 — Tanglewood Music Center (Lenox, MA, USA) — USA — Composer
18 May 1998 — No Venue (San Francisco, CA, USA) — USA — Composer
26 April 1998 — Auditorio, Centro Galego de Arte Contemporáea (Santiago de Compostela, Spain) — Spain — Composer
2 March 1998 — Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA, USA) — USA — Composer
27 February 1998 — Mill Concert Hall, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI, USA) — USA — Composer
26 January 1998 — Queen's Hall (Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
25 January 1998 — Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
2 October 1997 — No Venue (Strasbourg, Alsace, France) — France — Composer
22 August 1997 — Barn Theatre (Dartington, Devon, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
28 April 1997 — No Venue (Vilnius, Lithuania) — Lithuania — Composer
3 April 1997 — Foyer, Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris, France) — France — Composer
22 March 1997 — Théâtre de la Marlagne (Namur, Belgium) — Belgium — Composer
21 March 1997 — No Venue (Brussels, Belgium) — Belgium — Composer
19 September 1995 — Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
31 August 1995 — BBC Radio 3 (United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
16 July 1995 — Pittville Pump Room (Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
23 July 1994 — Almeida Theatre (London, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
25 May 1994 — BBC Radio 3 (United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
25 April 1994 — BBC Radio 3 (United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer
10 March 1994 — Composer
25 November 1993 — St George's (Bristol, United Kingdom) — United Kingdom — Composer

Recordings

British Composition Season = Stagiunea De Compoziție Britanică (Second Edition = Ediția A II-a) 2011 - 2012 — 2012 — Radio România; British Council (DDD 14)
meanwhile — 2012 — Cedille Records (CDR 90000 133)
Catch; Darknesse Visible; Five Eliot Landscapes; Life Story; Still Sorrowing; Traced Overhead; Under Hamelin Hill — 2001 — EMI Classics
Life Story — 1997 — EMI Debut (7243 5 69699 2 6)