Diary of a musician

A place where musicians (and others that liked too) can express all they think about music. ^^

[diaryofamusician10]

Reaching new experiences. First time I record in an ad's with great musicians and professional stuff. Hope to share more experiences. Thanks to all, guys. And hope to see everyone who watch this ad in one of the PRSMF's Concert. Thanks for support us. @duo_clasico_bohemio #prsmf2017 #ads #june #soprano #guitar #clarinet #cello #flute #enmiviejosanjuan (at Viejo San Juan)

[diaryofamusician10]

#NMFA2016 (at Cas Di Cultura)

[diaryofamusician10]

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Ok. Now some serious stuff. #andersenop15 #joachimandersson #op15 #flutesolo #nuevomundofestival2016 #classicalmusic #dontstop #dontgiveup #withoutmakeup #practisemakesperfect (at San Juan, Puerto Rico)

[diaryofamusician10]

Well at least I practice one étude. #andersenop15 #joachimandersson #op15 #flute #flutesolo (at San Juan, Puerto Rico)

[diaryofamusician10]

When you cannot practice completely because you have a meeting.... just record a great tune... #dontstop #dontgiveup #poemgriffes #flute #withoutmakeup #enjoytheride #looneytunes #classicalmusic (at San Juan, Puerto Rico)

[diaryofamusician10]

Don't give up... #dontstop #dontgiveup #poemgriffes #flute #withoutmakeup

[diaryofamusician10]

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#sebaconmane #flutesolo #fluteguitar #tocandopuertas (at La Playita)

[diaryofamusician10]

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Début: Seba con Mane at Vaca Brava Restaurant #sebaconmane #fluteguitar #guitar #flute #debut (at Vaca Brava)

[diaryofamusician10]

Ich schloss die deutsche Sprache Baum!!! #deutschesprache #deutschesprachebaum #Deutscheduolingo #duolingo

[diaryofamusician10]

Yesterday at the Puerto Rico Young Symphony Orchestra from Música y País Foundation. I was playing piccolo and flute. #musicaypais #ivelisflute #ivelisperforming #alboradadelgracioso #pinesofrome #masquerade #flute #piccolo (at Teatro Tapia)

[diaryofamusician10]

Ensayo: #pinesofrome #respighi y #alboradadelgracioso #ravel (at Centro De Bellas Artes Santurce)

[diaryofamusician10]

#fluterecital

[diaryofamusician10]

You are invited to join that Concert. #flute #fluterecital #puertorico #classicalmusic (at Concervatorio De Musica)

[diaryofamusician10]

Sala Jesus María Sanromá, Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico (Yo estaré tocando el domingo) (I am playing this Sunday!!! ) (at Conservatorio de Musica de Puerto Rico en Miramar)

[diaryofamusician10]

Behind the Score: Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima

Today I will talk about…

PENDERECKI - Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima by Ivelis Peralta

After and before from the original score.

In the 50′s and 60′s everybody kept talking about the WWII. They were aware since the two nuclear bombs caused a lot of damage. The effects of the Victims of Hiroshima was awe. Just watching some videos or photos you can meet that feeling. (Click here for graphical videos and picture)  Some people was talking of a possible WWIII and others did paintings, writings or/and compositions. Those arts were dark, intense, resemble the last wars. Also many of them has political protests or part of them has a true image of the WWII effects, giving born to the avant-garde era. 

Penderecki composed in 1960 this masterpiece named 8′37 (piece duration). When he listen what he composed in the première, he decided to change the name to “Threnody…” because it’s resemble to screems and crying people. Present title was given after the work’s completion.  

 “‘[The piece] existed only in my imagination, in a somewhat abstract way. When Jan Krenz recorded it and I could listen to an actual performance, I was struck with the emotional charge of the work. I thought it would be a waste to condemn it to such anonymity, to those “digits”. I searched for associations and, in the end, I decided to dedicate it to the Hiroshima victims’ (1994).” 

As you can appreciated on the video, the work was written for 52 string instruments, and was like nothing else before it. Beginning with a cluster chord of all the instruments in their uppermost register, as a scream; glissando runs abrupt from unison lines, meanderings across registers; like people crying out; fitting to burst, poignant with a sense of dramatic expression. After a short break, it gives way to a series of aleatoric instrumental figures of extremely detailed articulation, eventually submitting to a process of increasing textual density and dynamic volume, which lasts until the end of the second minute. What follow is a rather more different episode of quite glissandos and unison/octave instrumental line, after changing in register and splintering into smaller musical threads. After about a minute and half, the original cluster makes a powerful return, albeit in a new guise, alternately between wider and then narrower in its encompassed range and meandering aimlessly between octaves. The fifth minute once again witnesses a return of rather sparse textures and even more violent outburst of noise, exacerbated by the sounds produced from playing on the soundboard and on the bridge of the instrument. The cluster chord reappears in all its terrifying beauty for the final second minute, and is treated with alternating diminuendos and crescendos, tremolos and changing in tessitura. (Click here and watch the score). 

That style to composed is now considered as sonorism. It would cause uproar in films and videogames soundtracks as a means of conveying danger or terror (e.g. Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and Resident Evil 4).  

Iri and Toshi Maruki, “Fire”, 1950

Today, “Threnody” is considered a very signficant work. It has an award granted by UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers (1993), a medal in Japan and numerous performances around the world, despite concerns over damage to instruments. Also, it represents the significant turning point in the history of Polish music in the twenty century, the beginning of his own musical style and the contemporary music more generally. 

Reference:

courses.unt.edu/josephklein/files/90_NOTATION_08_10.pdf

culture.pl/en/work/threnody-to-the-victims-of-hiroshima-krzysztof-penderecki

monoskop.org/Krzysztof_Penderecki

sarahwallinhuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2005/09/penderecki.pdf

www.anthonybannach.com

http://www.imc-cim.org/component/content/article/144-programme-archive/74-prize-laureates-1975-2005.html

www.krzysztofpenderecki.eu/en/3/0/2/Biografia

Burkholder, J. P. (2009). A History of Western Music (8th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.

[diaryofamusician10]

Japan by Stockenhauser. There is the longest piece in my flutist life. I have to admit that is new for me. Also I am so excited. 🙌

[operarox]

Being a professional isn’t about perfection. It’s about recovering from the inevitable imperfection.

My very wise mentor (via operarox)

True life.