Get documents about "Interview with Krzysztof Penderecki_reMusik.org № 3-110907
W
Description
The XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition took place from the 15th through the 30th of June 2011 in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The participation of Krzysztof Penderecki on the jury and his agreement to compose a new work, entitled “Violoncello totale,” for the cello competitors significantly increased the credibility of the competition in the European art scene. As a correspondent for reMusik.org, I was able to speak with the composer about the process of creation, musical thought and about the “total cello.”
Document Sample
Журнал «reMusik»
Saint-Petersburg Contemporary Music Center
Thursday, September 22, 2011 • Interview: № 3-110907 - 2011. | Organization | Publication | Recourse Center | Journal | News |
Krzysztof Penderecki:
“Great music is always
music of meaning”
I think that the rational and the
emotional are equally important and that
they compliment each other. You cannot
just improvise and count on the inspiration
of the moment, which in the process of
working either appears or does not. Though,
when this inspiration has already appeared,
when a thought or idea has come, you then
are forced to examine it thoroughly and
work it out completely.
Not only because of this, but also
What role does the performer play because the cello is a universal instrument.
for you? Are they co-authors or do they It is much more universal that the violin. Its
work for the composer, a role, which is body is larger and therefore allows for a
limited to the most accurate reproduction bigger volume of sounds. It is also good that
of the author’s text. whole
you can use the whol body of the cello in a
Galina Zhukova work. For example, already in my early
Without question, the performance compositions, such as Capriccio per
should not be an exact reproduction. Siegfried Palm for solo cello (1968), I used
Palm,
Performance should be playing and not what was called the “total” cello.
torture. I always require from the performer Composers use not only the standard
The XIV International Tchaikovsky that they bring something of themselves to tapping,
approach to the instrument, but also ta
Competition took place from the 15th the piece. Surely, every new performance noises and using different parts of the
through the 30th of June 2011 in Moscow differs from the previous, right? instrument, which are normally not played.
and St. Petersburg. The participation of Correspondingly, every performer must take My prescribed extraction of absolutely
Krzysztof Penderecki on the jury and his at least one step forward. An even better different sounds is sometimes random.
agreement to compose a new work, entitled performer, by his interpretation, is required Much in this case depends on the
“Violoncello totale,” for the cello to strengthen the expressive qualities of the construction of the instrument, for example
competitors significantly increased the composition’s form. Besides that, I would playing
when playin on the bridge is required.
credibility of the competition in the really like to perceive and assess the way Sometimes it turns out that you get
European art scene. As a correspondent for that he hears my music. completely unexpected sounds. These
reMusik.org, I was able to speak with the unforeseen things are very important
composer about the process of creation, The piece that you wrote for the because it is this very unpredictable quality
musical thought and about the “total cello.” Tchaikovsky Competition, which was that leaves a field of boundaries for the
required of all performers, is called “The artist, expanding the scope of what is
Mr. Penderecki, people often cite Total Cello.” The cello is an instrument, possible in his interpretation.
your music as having “mathematical which is closer in timbre and expressive
emotions.” Does this mean that the properties to the human voice. Is this the What performing qualities and
primacy of rationality over emotionalism reason that you love to write for the technical abilities must a cellist have in
in composed music is inevitable? instrument? order to adequately convey the ideas
inherent in your composition?
|1
© Санкт-Петербургский центр современной академической музыки www.remusik. or g
Журнал «reMusik»
Saint-Petersburg Contemporary Music Center
Thursday, September 22, 2011 • Interview: № 3-110907 - 2011. | Organization | Publication | Recourse Center | Journal | News |
In this piece, written for the found new possibilities in the frames of of performers. Considering the fact that I
competition, I use the aforementioned sonorous layers. In the aftermath of that, it wrote a new work, I was invited on the jury,
elements, which I was already using in the was the contents of the actual text that but only on the last round. I only listened to
1960’s. Because of this, the piece carries the began to inspire me. Later, how the contents the final and my voice “hung” much lower
title “The Total Cello.” These elements are realized in a particular language, and in the general system of scoring (more
enrich the cello and give it another correspondingly, the sound itself of this thirds),
exactly, less that two thirds) than the voice
dimension. It is as if the instrument language stuck me with a few suggestions. of those jury members who heard all three
transforms from a strictly stringed It was becoming like a new additional layer. rounds. Any other way wouldn’t have been
instrument to a universal one. As regards I had already been thinking about structure fair.
the performing techniques directly involved based on the multidimensional and
with this work, it’s difficult to say. The only intonational richness of the particular We at the St. Petersburg Center for
thing is that if a performer hasn’t, in language. Contemporary music, in the conclusion of
general, played contemporary music, then I have written my vocal works on texts our conversation, would like to take the
he might run into a few problems while from many different languages and they all opportunity to ask if you will be in St.
reading through the score. sound musically different. For example, in Petersburg any time soon and if so, what
“Kaddish” (2009), there is really an works can we expect to hear in the near
What in your opinion would be the Arаmean text, correspondingly, with its own future.
bearer of musical meaning in European particular intonation. It turns out to be really
contemporary classical music? Is it interesting, a sort of game with the Yes, there are some plans. Valerie
possible to identify some common language. Certainly, I always want to Gergiev is planning to present my opera
structural unit of meaning in the musical convey the contents, which is carried by the “The Devils of Luden” in St. Petersburg.
language of the 20th century? language. At the same time, these contents This will probably take place already in
must be in some way already transformed. your new theater (however, I don’t know
You see, all great music is music of After all, the artist doesn’t have to portray when they will finish building it – in three
meaning. nature exactly as it is in reality, but only in a or four years). I can already say, though,
Illogical music is always a bit modified way. that I am working on the new score of the
“disheveled.” However, there are works in opera. When a new score is being written,
which composers didn’t at all want there to You often say that music that sounds something always changes. I’m going to add
be logic. For me these works are not around us interrupts our concentration two or three more scenes so that the result
interesting because it already borders on and because of that you prefer not the will be a slightly different work. The
dilettantism. These kinds of compositions listen to the works of your libretto was and will stay in the original
were quite common in the 60’s, when we contemporaries and not to attend German. The language cannot be changed,
had the so-called “Secondary Dada” period. concerts. For what reasons did you agree because, like I say, vocal music is written
Anything was possible then - any type of to participate in the cello jury of the “to the language,” to the defined intonation.
noise. Rustles assumed a certain “identity,” Tchaikovsky competition? If the text is unsuccessfully “planted,” it
which I regularized a bit by throwing out won’t be understandable. In general,
the unnecessary and optional. That, about which I spoke, refers to my musical intonation is an intangible thing.
participation in the jury of composition
In your work with poetic texts in competitions. I don’t feel that I have the More about Krzysztof Penderecki:
different languages (from the Slavic strength to assess in a short period of time www.remusik.org/penderecki
Church languages to Armenian), do you such a volume of new music. It can
feel that the language of the literary sometimes be up to 70, 100 or even 200
source is something complete, like a way scores. It’s impossible to “digest” all of this.
of understanding the world? Does this There is a risk to really make a big mistake
affect the intonational features of your and offend someone. Besides that, I almost
vocal music in every case? always have at these competitions a
particular opinion, which strongly differs
Yes, certainly, in every case, works are from the opinion of my colleagues. Also, in
produced differently. There was a period connection with this, I really consider that it
when I was more interested in the coloration would be better to completely say goodbye
of the human voice. At the time, I was to competitions. At the given moment, it’s a
occupied by a search in the realm of different situation. After all, the
coloration of instrumental timbres and Tchaikovsky competition is a competition
|2
© Санкт-Петербургский центр современной академической музыки www.remusik. or g
