Warsaw Autumn 2007 and 2008 and 2009 and 2010

[Maciek]

If you go to their main page - it seems the program is not up yet (with only a month to go? are they kidding?): http://www.warsaw-autumn.art.pl/

But you can go straight to the program page, and it works (!) - well, at least the program part - you can't read any of the notes yet: http://www.warszawska-jesien.art.pl/07/index.html

Sadly, I won't be going to any of the concerts. I'll be out of Warsaw, and coming back exactly on Sept. 29th!

Note the world premieres: new pieces by James Dillon, Martin Smolka, Lubava Sydorenko, Klaus Huber, Toshio Hosokawa, Onute Narbutaite, Yannis Kyriakides, Bent Sorensen, Uro Rojko, Georg Friedrich Haas, as well as by Polish composers: Baculewski, Jaskot, Gryka, Trębacz, Knittel, Kornowicz, Lason, Berger, Wielecki, Zielinska, a symphony by Mykietyn, a vocal piece by Esztenyi. That's 21 first performances (not counting the first Polish performances) - I'd say they're celebrating the 50th festival in fine style.

[karlhenning]

That's all fabulous, Maciek!— I mean, all except the fact that you'll be out of town.

[Maciek]

Unfortunately, my wife has a full-time (work) engagement abroad, Sept. 14th-28th,  and though we'd both like to go to at least a concert or two, there's nothing we can do about it. Tragic.

[Maciek]

What bugs me even more is that I probably won't be able to listen to those concerts on the radio either...

[Maciek]

For those who (like myself) are irritated by the background music on the official page, the full program is also given here:
http://www.polmic.pl/wydarzeniaopis.php?lang=pl&id=2306&rok=2007&mc=9

[bhodges]

Thanks for posting that program link, Maciek - much better!  And wow, what a line-up!  The programming is just fantastic (well, for some  ). 

--Bruce   

[Maciek]

The odd thing is there seems to be much more Polish music than usually this year... Or at least that's my impression. The reason might have something to do (vaguely) with this being the 50th festival...

Anyway, it says on that page that there will be 22 world premieres (and not 21 as I stated). I'm not sure what I missed, though...?

[Lilas Pastia]

Well, if ever downloads become available... I'd like to hear the Lason and Mykietyn pieces

[Maciek]

I'll do what I can. But rest assured you'll be getting some more Lason already this evening...

[Maciek]

Great Lachenmann piece from this year's Warsaw Autumn (it's not a new piece, AFAIK, but the recording comes from this year's festival):

Helmut Lachenmann - Schreiben
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden/Rupert Huber
http://www.mediafire.com/?8bmjx43ygjp

[bhodges]

Great Lachenmann piece from this year's Warsaw Autumn (it's not a new piece, AFAIK, but the recording comes from this year's festival):

Helmut Lachenmann - Schreiben
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden/Rupert Huber
http://www.mediafire.com/?8bmjx43ygjp

You got my attention!    Pretty much without exception, everything I've heard by Lachenmann has been fascinating.  I should start a thread on him at some point.

--Bruce

[Maciek]

Well, as you know, I haven't been to any of the concerts - but I hear this piece garnered one of the greatest applauses of this festival. Really great stuff.

[Maciek]

You can listen to today's (opening night) concert from the live webcast:
http://www.polskieradio.pl/st/program2.asx

Composers featured will be Widłak, Scelsi, Sotelo and Chapela.

I've posted details here:
http://musicalwren.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/first-warsaw-autumn-concert-this-year-listen-online/

The program of this year's festival is here:
http://www.warszawska-jesien.art.pl/08/index.php?lang=en

[Maciek]

Well, I thought the Scelsi was staggering - this will be an opening night to remember. Let's see what the second half brings...

[Lilas Pastia]

Mac, what is the Scelsi work made of? Orchestra? I still haven't cracked the quartets, which apparently are works of genius...

[not edward]

Mac, what is the Scelsi work made of? Orchestra? I still haven't cracked the quartets, which apparently are works of genius...

I'll interpolate here: chorus and orchestra (actually not a particularly large orchestra, but effectively used).

I found Uaxuctum rather easier to get into than the quartets....though a work like Aion might work for a Brucknerphile (it did with for me, anyway).

[Lilas Pastia]

Thanks, Edward!

[Maciek]

Andre, I recorded the whole concert - drop me a line, if you want me to send it to you. (There were other, almost equally interesting pieces on the menu.)

As for Scelsi - my judgement can't be trusted. I've never heard a piece of his that did not immediately strike me as brilliant. He's just one of those composers who resonate with me (or rather, I resonate with them).

[Maciek]

This year's festival is dedicated mainly to electronic music. Here's the program. Haven't gone through all of it yet, so can't comment at the moment. I'm looking for a version that would be slightly easier to browse through (you know, everything on one page).

[Maciek]

General description of this year's festival taken from their site:

Warsaw Autumn: Current Currents

The 52nd edition of the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music (18th-26th September 2009) is dedicated in large part to electroacoustic music.

This year’s programme features performances by renowned electronic and computer music centres from around the world.
Paris’ IRCAM will show Machinations, a multimedia show by Georges Aperghis. The DXARTS Studio from Seattle (University of Washington) will make use of the 20-second reverberation of the High Voltage Hall to enhance its concerts of ambisonic music. During the musical marathon at the Tęcza Studio hall, the Loudspeakers Orchestra from Lisbon will perform, on 42 loudspeakers located around and above the audience, the electronic works of pop and rock precursors, as well as work from the text&sound and glitches&noise currents.

We will dedicate a full concert to electronic music pioneer and legendary composer of contemporary music Pierre Henry, who will travel to Warsaw for the occasion.

Live electronics and improvised music will also feature on the programme, with artists such as Tomasz Stańko, saxophonist Evan Parker and percussionist Jim Black.

Electronic operas will appear on stage: Cezary Duchnowski’s Marta’s Garden and Miguel Azguime’s Salt Itinerary.

Independently, as per the tradition of Warsaw Autumn, instrumental music (with or without electronics) will be presented. Among this year’s major events are the world premiere of Paweł Szymański’s new orchestral composition, the St. Mark Passion by Paweł Mykietyn, and the concerts of the Asko | Schönberg Ensemble with works by Karlheinz Stockhausen, as well as the London Sinfonietta with works by Jonathan Harvey and Georges Aperghis, the major protagonist of this year’s Warsaw Autumn.