Text selected and adapted by Ana Berlin from weekly fishing reports by Captain Gene Kelly in Montauk Sportfishing magazine. Written for the Avian Orchestra in memory of Walter Gurzynski (Feb 28, 1913—Dec. 12, 2002).
Program note:
Ray Lustig baited his hook and pulled up this evocation of a season of classic Long Island sportfishing. The work is dedicated to Ray’s grandfather Walter Gurzynski, a devoted Long Island fisherman who passed away in December of 2002, and is meant to recount something of the season he missed, his last year, when he could no longer fish. First mate Ana Berlin selected and adapted the text from some of Walter’s preferred leisure reading, Captain Gene Kelly’s Fishing reports in Montauk Sportfishing magazine.
Walter was a man of few words (like, “You catching?”), who expressed his feelings through things like…fishing, and bringing people together…usually to fish, or to eat (more often than not, fish). Arriving in the New York from Poland at age 19, Walter worked as a baker, eventually opening his own successful bakery in Woodside, Queens. He retired to Rocky Point on Long Island, where he was fond of taking his many children and grandchildren fishing. When he was no longer stable enough for his own small boat, he switched to deep-sea party boat fishing out of Montauk and other Long Island ports, which he enjoyed up until the year before his death. Walter was “stronger than ten men,” and he ate like it too. He had old world know-how and could build pretty much anything out of pretty much anything else. And he united his large family not so much with words, but by creating memories of good times, and especially memories of some great Long Island fishing.
“You Catching?” begins with the excitement and anticipation of early Spring, before the official seasons on most fish have opened. In late Spring, things get going, but with some ups and downs. The good summer fishing seems to pass all too quickly and the chill of Fall blows in. Some of the best Long Island fishing happens in Fall, but eventually it becomes too hard to fish, as it did for Walter in his last year.
About the composer:
Ray Lustig has studied primarily with Conrad Cummings, Sebastian Currier, Jonathan Kramer, and Shirish Korde, and is currently pursuing his Masters degree in composition at the Juilliard School, studying with Samuel Adler. He wishes to thank Conrad Cummings, Peter Flint, the Avian Orchestra, Samuel Adler, Captain Gene Kelly, Adam Schoenberg, Ana Berlin, and his whole family. “Catch the fish!”
Ana Berlin is pursuing her M.D. at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
