{ inspirations } BraBraammS Stoktookoker’err ssD Dracrraa ulal , dirir.r. F.F F.F CCooppola TThTheh NiN nththh GaG tee, dir.ir RR.. Poolaańskiskkki © Agencja MJS © Agencja MJS In his career, Wojciech Kilar strictly debuting at the ‘Warsaw Autumn’ festival. piece”2. In another interview he bluntly de- observes two basic rules: firstly – He was keenly interested in all theoretical as- scribed the problem with a comparison: “An autonomous music for the concert hall is pects of film music. If the film (and of course autonomous composition is a house, and the in every respect more important than film the director) allowed it, Kilar eagerly experi- composer is the architect. In film, the director music, and secondly – silly movies that do mented with the music, with various ways of is the architect, and I’m just the decorator”3. not convey any deeper content are not juxtaposing it with the image and with the Despite this dependency, and the prob- worth writing music for; that time should function of music within the context of the lem of ‘ragged’ form, Wojciech Kilar has man- be spent writing concert music. Despite, film (K. Kutz Nikt nie woła, 1960, Milczenie, aged over the years to create countless mas- and because of this, Kilar has written music 1963, K. Zanussi Struktura kryształu, 1969). terpieces of film music, drawing on a wide for so many outstanding art films, which He quickly established himself as a composer variety of conventions, styles and techniques have passed into the history of Polish and who ‘felt’ the image and was able to illustrate associated with chamber and orchestral mu- international cinema. that has become everything in music. sic. From his pen have come many of the himself a part of that history, and he has Meanwhile, his career as a composer of most beautiful musical themes ever written, not yet written his last note! classical music developed in parallel to his and he has left his personal mark on each of career as a ‘film’ composer. He was one of the the films for which he has composed music. leading representatives of avant-garde mu- This, of course, raises the question: what Urszula Mieszkieło sic in Poland. A few years later Kilar was also makes Kilar’s ‘film style’ so recognizable, one of the composers (along with Henryk even though all of the parameters are dif- Mikołaj Górecki, Krzysztof Penderecki and ferent in each film (different directors, plots, ilar gained international fame only in others) who skilfully paved their way to new characters, genres, settings...)? Certainly, he the 90s, when he wrote the music for aesthetics of music in the twentieth century. has a characteristic way of combining instru- K Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Francis Ford At this point in Kilar’s career film music had mental timbres, and a predilection for certain Coppola (1992); later achievements included to give way to concert music – Kilar was still harmonic and rhythmic structures, but, actu- The Portrait of a Lady by Jane Campion (1996), writing a lot for film, but with the reserva- ally, his individualism lies in the intelligence The Ninth Gate (1999) and The Pianist (2002) tion that it was only functional music, and and sensitivity with which he so aptly inter- by Roman Polański. Outside of Poland, that he could only fully realise himself as a prets the film through the language of music. however, it is not well known that Kilar has composer through autonomous music. He “First, I watch the film,” says the composer. been writing for film for fifty years. Over the explained his position in a later interview: “It gives me an idea of the story, of the nar- course of his career he has collaborated with “The basis of all artistic activity is form, and rative. Most important is the relationship of almost all the major Polish directors, includ- in film music, it simply does not exist. These music and image. Only in second place will I ing Kazimierz Kutz, Stanisław Różewicz, are bits, shreds, more or less gathered. Apart consider the content, the psychology”4. Else- Jerzy Hoffman, Wojciech Jerzy Has, Janusz from that, one is not the author of the work, where, he adds, “Always I write music that is Majewski, Krzysztof Zanussi, Andrzej Waj- but just another participant in its realisation. my impression of the film. [...] The picture is da, Krzysztof Kieślowski, the aforemen- [...] The border where craft ends and artistry the inspiration that works on my senses ”5. tioned Roman Polański and many others. begins is the ability to tell a story and enclose The success of the music of Dracula – a He began his film work in the late 1950s it within a form. [...] Qualitatively, taking into film about great passions, love, fear, rebellion as a young composer, still perfecting his craft account the very fabric of sound, film music against God – is not surprising. Kilar, who is under the guidance of Nadia Boulanger and is valuable. Unfortunately, it is not enclosed a deeply religious man, read a full palette of 8 quarta • July 2010 Dracula, Suite from F.F. Coppola’s film (1992), 25’ coro misto-4444-4442-batt (6esec) cel 2ar pf-archi Death and the Maiden, Suite from R. Polański’s film (1994), 13’ 2220-4331 – tmp batt(3esec) ar cemb pf – archi (8.7.6.5.4) The Portrait of a Lady, Suite from J. Campion’s film (1996), 30’ 4fl a becco 100-0000 pf-archi The Ninth Gate, The Vocalise from R. Polański’s film (1999), 4’ S solo-0000-0000-pf cemb-archi DeDeaD tthh andann thhe Maidi enn, dir.irir.r R.R Poolaańskiskski © Agencja BE&W The Pianist: Moving to the Ghetto, Theme from the R. Polański’s film (2002) for clarinet & string orchestra, 2’ Zemsta [The Revenge], Mazurka from A. Wajda’s film (2002), 3’30’’ 3(+1 picc) 332-4330-batt(3esec)-archi Pan Tadeusz, Suite from A. Wajda’s film (1998), 25’ 3332-4330-batt(3esec) 2ar pf(cel)- -archi(16.12.12.8.8)-archi( TheThehe PiPianiananiisstt,d, dir.irr.. RR. PoPolalańskiskik The PPoortrrtrtrtraitaiaitt ooff a LadL y, dir. J.J CaCammppipioon © Agencja BE&W © Agencja BE&W PanPan Tadeusz,T Polonaise from A. Wajda’s film (1998), 5’ Everywhere where something important happens, where people fall into each other’s arms, where horses 3332-4330-batt(3esec)-2ar-pf(cel)- rush, where there is a struggle, where history is made, where there is something to see – there is my world1. archi(16.12.12.8.8) psychological colour in this story. Among other A particular feature of Kilar’s craft is his re- Suite from K. Zanussi’s Films (2009), incl.: things, through his music, we see Dracula not spect for the film as a whole. His music never Hipoteza (1972) only as a dangerous monster, but as a human dominates the image, never overwhelms it. In 2(picc)111-4331-batt(4esec) cmb 2ar (yes, a human!), who loves and suffers. And in the films The Pianist and Death and the Maiden by cel(anche pf)-archi(6.4.4.4.2) a short, simple lullaby, the bloodthirsty Lucy Polański, where the works of Chopin and Schu- Iluminacja (1972) appears as an innocent woman who will never bert are almost characters within the film, Ki- cmb-archi(12.4.4.4.4) know the joy of motherhood. The composer lar’s music subtly recedes into the background, Bilans kwartalny [Quarterly Balance] had a big orchestra and choir at his disposition and at the same time it continues to fulfil its (1974) (he always writes the entire musical score him- function in a brilliant way, avoiding banality.. 1100-0100-2ar-cel cmb pf-archi(12.8.6.6.4) self!) and over 70 minutes of film to score. The In one interview, Kilar said that the quality Kontrakt (1980) effect satisfied the creator himself: “It seems of the music found in the score is irrelevant, 0000-0300-tmp tmb c.c. 2gng-pf- to me that in Coppola’s film for the first time I good or bad – it only matters how it works in archi(12.12.8.8.8) managed to get close to my concert music, that the film. However, objectively speaking, Kilar both currents – till now quite distinct – have be- never writes bad music. While he does not treat Kronika wypadków miłosnych gun to penetrate each other”. film music on par with concert music, he is [Chronicle of Amorous Events]: In the field of Polish cinema, Kilar has been never complacent. Outside of his main artistic Cavalry March, associated in recent years with the “Polonaise” activity in the field of concert music, Kilar has Theme from A. Wajda’s film (1985), 5’30’’ from Pan Tadeusz and the “Mazur” from Zemsta scored more than 150 films. It comes easily to 4444-4441-batt (4esec) 2ar pf-archi (directed by A. Wajda), which both emphasize him: “In a week or two, sometimes in one day. national traditions on a grand scale. The com- Effortlessly, without creative dilemmas6” – just Chronicle of Amorous Events: poser inscribed the essence of ‘Polishness’ upon like it has been with all the greatest compos- Witek and Alina, these two examples. However, Kilar likes to ers.... Theme from A. Wajda’s film (1985), 4’30’’ write dances, not just those of a national charac- Transl. L. Davidson 1100-0000-cel/cemb 2ar pf-archi ter, and he has a special talent for this. Examples of this talent include the waltzes from the film Smuga cienia [The Shadow Line], Promised Land by A.