Polish contemporary music magazine NO. 7(14), SEPTEMBER 2012 | ISSN 2080-4598 “I’m not convinced as to whether an artist should ever grow up...” A conversation with Justyna Kowalska-Lasoń Anna Domańska Photo: M. Filipczyk CONTENTS: “ s an introverted personality type, Justyna Kowalska-Lasoń: The album Śpie- she exudes no ideas, on the wam nowoczesnego człowieka [The Modern 1-4 The fi rst monographic album of A contrary – the listener feels he Man I Sing], consists of compositions that Justyna KOWALSKA-LASOŃ has been shown just part of her secret, constitute the most important points in my deliberately limiting resources and creative journey so far. The order the works 4 Paweł ŁUKASZEWSKI’s “Symphony focusing on the power of expression”, have been arranged in is crucial in relation of Angels” in Riga Joanna Wnuk-Nazarowa said of the to the dramaturgy. It all begins with a huge young composer. Words of appreciation blast of a symphony orchestra (The Mod- 5-7 Zbigniew BARGIELSKI – for Justyna Kowalska-Lasoń from the ern Man I Sing). Next, through the sound a prestidigitator and a mystic mouths of music authorities are not of a mixed choir (Sanctus) we come to the uncommon. Polish critics point out the smallest group – a string quartet of a hushed 8-10 The inspiring Tatra Mountains exceptional maturity of her music, great character (A light exists in Spring). Then, the technical craftsmanship and individualism, power of the sound increases gradually 11-13 The operas of Zygmunt KRAUZE while the 27-year-old Justyna believes in again – from a string orchestra (Te frazy...Te the power of her creative intuition and pieśni...Te arie...) to a large symphony orches- 13 Wojciech KILAR’s fi lm music live in wins yet another prize in a composition tra (Obraz 1929 – Zdzisław Beksiński in memo- Kraków competition. riam). In the album’s booklet there are com- [U. Mieszkieło] puter graphics of my design. The abstract 14-15 “King Lear” – the new opera of graphic art completes the sound stream. Paweł MYKIETYN Anna Domańska: You have just finished working over your first monographic album. Can you reveal some details concerning it? continued on page 2 quarta • September 2012 { editorial } { interview } Dear Readers, continued from page 1 more intense and less restricted. Improvisa- tion is conducive to risk-taking and restores Composers from several generations meet again on Let’s move back in time. The first important point the ease of self-expression. the pages of QUARTA. It would seem that not just in your hitherto composing career was the Obraz the difference in age separates these artists, but that 1929 [Picture 1929] for symphony orchestra for Some sort of structural frames are necessary, they are divided in everything. However, in their works which you were awarded the 1st prize in the Artur though. How do you manage to reconcile the and their words we can read the same refelctions Malawski Composer Competition in Rzeszów. improvisation with the formal requirements of about the sense of music and the same yearning, as The composition was also nominated to the 2009 a composition? Zbigniew Bargielski said, “to express the inexpress- OPUS Public Media Award and presented at the ible”. Violetta Przech was able to discuss Zbigniew UNESCO International Tribune of Composers in This seeming ‘opposition’ corresponds to the Bargielski’s wide creative personality with only three Lisbon in 2010. The opus was born from your fas- bipolarity of my character: a creative disar- pages. In her article, the author captured the aesthet- cination with Zdzisław Beksiński’s paintings. Music ray and a temporary indifference to the ics, technique and style of the composer in a glance, is the art of organising time while painting of space. course of actions on one side and on the oth- who this year celebrated his 75th birthday. How did you bring these two dimensions together er a strong need for precision and perfection, in your composition? for giving the performer precise guidelines. We introduced Justyna Kowalska-Lasoń in QUARTA My aleatoricism is always connected with three years ago as a debutante, a new face among Andrzej Chłopecki described my music as something specific and planned, however, composers publishing their works with PWM. Today, ‘incandescent paint-sounds’. In my compo- subtly enough to let the creative expression the young composer’s achievements are summed up in sition I tried to ‘show’ the listener around the of the performer stay unfettered and free. her fi rst monographic album, which became a pretext picture. Along with the development, they Therefore I turn off their defence mecha- to talk about her music and what is important to her ‘look at’ its subsequent parts, but never are nisms which come from the fear of making in the process of composing. Just like so many artists able to command a full view of it. However, a mistake and being received badly by the before her, Justyna appreciates mountain settings, where she rests and composes. The theme of the Tatra Mountains, taken once before in QUARTA on “In my personal opinion, the only and irrefutable the centenary of the death of Mieczysław Karłowicz, comes back this time in a broader sense. Stanisław sense of music results from its emotional and Będkowski writes about music by Polish composers inspired by the beauty of the highland landscape and spiritual dimension.” originality of highland folklore. The second part of this issue is devoted to stage music. Counterpoint to Jacek Marczyński’s article about none of any specific pictures or events were listener. I had the opportunity myself, as Zygmunt Krauze’s operas is the announcement of ever an inspiration to me. For me, an inspira- an instrumentalist, to delve into the core of Paweł Mykietyn’s latest work, King Lear, which will tion is always a combination of impressions, improvisation, setting these two worlds to- be a major event during this year’s ‘Sacrum-Profanum’ both those past and those yet to come. My gether. I cannot see the moment of leaving festival in Kraków. King Lear, as all of Mykietyn’s work is rather ‘polyimagery’, some kind of the world of the aleatoric freedom and enter- works in recent years, raises a lot of emotion even stained-glass window that consists of many ing the sphere of specific form. I can see the before its release. What will the composer surprise us smaller elements – emotions related to what difference, but not a definite border. The pas- with this time? I’ve seen and remembered (sometimes sub- sage is natural and unnoticeable to me. U.M. consciously) of Beksiński works. Many im- ages, many feelings. Beauty and shock. Ug- Te frazy...Te pieśni...Te arie... [These phrases... liness and euphoria. Within the confines of These songs...These arias...] is a composition such a form, both an organisation of time which was commissioned by the Festival of World ANNIVERSARIES 2013 (in the predominant part by means of the Premieres in Katowice. This work was created in second notation) and of space is therefore the breakthrough point of your composer life – Edward BOGUSŁAWSKI 1940-2003 crucial. I’m reaching for powerful sounds, you had finished your studies and didn’t know how Joanna BRUZDOWICZ b. 1943 trying to ‘release’ the form leaving the per- your future career would develop. Is this state of Paweł BUCZYŃSKI b. 1953 formers quite a lot of freedom. uncertainty somehow reflected in the composition? Zbigniew BUJARSKI b. 1933 Andrzej CWOJDZIŃSKI b. 1928 In that composition you are using the aleatoric For me, the time I spent on this composition Henryk CZYŻ 1923-2003 technique. What significance does it have in your was the point of a clash between the creative Florian DĄBROWSKI 1913-2002 works? innocence and lightness of the student pe- Grzegorz FITELBERG 1879-1953 riod and the burden of responsibility result- Jan FOTEK b. 1928 I guess this is the most ‘unconstrained’ opus ing from entering wider performance circles. Irena GARZTECKA 1913-1963 performance-wise. The aleatoricism assumes A natural fear of the confrontation against Henryk Mikołaj GÓRECKI 1933-2010 a few forms. In some fragments I control the greatest appeared. The fear of being Adam KACZYŃSKI 1933-2010 only the pitch of the sounds and the approxi- compared, having the shortcomings and the Zygmunt KRAUZE b. 1938 mate duration of a phrase. However, I leave breaches of technique pointed out. I can re- Ryszard KWIATKOWSKI 1931-1993 the performers to decide on the amount of member a strong composer’s block, a painful Witold LUTOSŁAWSKI 1913-1994 repetitions and the shape of the rhythmic placement of each note of the composition. Tadeusz MACHL 1922-2003 layer. I also include glissandi, which intro- But it surely didn’t influence the whole of Witold MALISZEWSKI 1873-1939 duce the variables and impossible to predict the work. I set up a concrete border between Krzysztof MEYER b. 1943 harmonies into the aleatoric structures. It is the stress and uncertainty, the action and the Marta PTASZYŃSKA b. 1943 such a ‘waving microtonality’. All the alea- final effect. In the opus These phrases... These Ludomir RÓŻYCKI 1884-1953 toric events are one-off and one-value struc- songs... These arias... there are two calm arias Witold RUDZIŃSKI 1913-2004 tures. These are also ‘free’ structures which which I quote indirectly or directly in almost Jadwiga SARNECKA 1883-1913 last a few or a dozen or so seconds. The tech- every composition up to now. In the end, the Elżbieta SIKORA b. 1943 nique allows me to make fuller use of the work somewhat wrote itself – from the Zeit- Stanisław SKROWACZEWSKI b.