Philosophy of silence and the manifesto of the excluded - NOSPR

There is likely no more ascetic cello concerto than the one written in 1966 by György Ligeti. It almost brushes the edge of audibility, literally emerging from silence. Ligeti even went through the trouble of precisely marking the dynamics, consisting of... eight markings of "piano" ("pppppppp"). Is it still music or already the philosophy of silence? 

Similarly, l'île de Gorée is part of today's ironclad repertoire, this time for harpsichord music. It was written by one of the most original and significant composers of the 20th century for perhaps the most famous harpsichordist of the 20th century - Elżbieta Chojnacka. The composition, written in 1986, seems to call out to us even more urgently than in the times when it was created. According to the words of Iannis Xenakis himself: "a tribute to the black heroes and victims of apartheid in South Africa, the last bastion of hysterical racism," and to all those "who were forcefully taken from their lands into terrifying slavery." Polish journalist Monika Żyła visited Senegal and the island of Gorée two years ago, specifically in the context of Xenakis' music. She documented her visit in three episodes of the podcast series "333for33," exploring the connections between Xenakis' work and history, place, and perhaps even the sounds that inspired it. She says in them: "The titles of compositions have a discursive and narrative power that can influence how we interpret and listen to them, even if the composers avoid such interpretations." 

The Enno Poppe - Speichern I project, on the other hand, is a complex structure of variations and repetitions. In all dimensions, the elements are always in the same coherent relationship. The first notes of the viola ("evolving variation") correlate exactly on a small, medium, and large scale. "A musical piece, in addition to diversity, needs something that is truly recognizable," says the composer. In this sense, everything can be recognizable - both an individual sound and the entire melodic mouvement. Also on the program this evening are Kołomyjki by Ukrainian composer Bogdan Krivopust, a student of Aleksander Lasoń himself, who has been connected with Silesia for many years. 

Alexandra Kozowicz

Financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Promotion of Culture Fund - a state-purpose fund, as part of the 'Composer Commissions' program, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.

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