Research Library of the Polish Composers' Union

In the week of school and student holidays and the prevailing flu, we continue

the 1st Virtual, Private, Home and Calm... Polish music festiwal of the Library of PCU. .

From the same ‘Warsaw Autumn’ from which we extracted the composition Anamnesis by Tadeusz Wielecki, we recall an equally important piece:

On the Edge of Light by Magdalena Długosz –

commissioned by the Warsaw Autummn and performed during the opening concert.

In the festival programme book, such a commentary written by the composer was included:

Composed for large symphony orchestra with extensive percussion and an electroacoustic sound layer, to which I assign a solo role. I focus here on my fundamental compositional idea: enriching electroacoustic music with the value of interpretation, which is so important and inherent to musical performance. I reach this goal by shaping the electroacoustic fabric from many different segments, which are multilayered sound forms with definite expressive qualities. In the score, these are notated as graphs and positioned on multiple levels on the time axis, but without a precise definition of the time relation between them, the tempo of their performance, their spatialisation, or parameters such as dynamics, timbre, and energy. The performer of the electroacoustic part is thus entitled to individually read the score and present his or her own vision of the musical narrative during the concert. I call this person the interpreter of the electroacoustic layer, believing that by allowing him or her to interfere with the work’s shape, I open the field to an artistically valuable reading of my compositional intention.

The substantive unity of both the orchestral and electroacoustic layer centres on timbre. My desire is that by disclosing unknown fine qualities, their shades, spatial configurations, a play of colours and contrasts, I can move the listener into an unreal world, referring to the mysterious sphere of the sacrum. Its foundation is the consciousness of being rooted in the past, especially in the spiritual aspect, as well as a conviction that spirituality is an inherent attribute of the human existence. In undertaking a sound concretisation of these intentions, I have used the modern composition métier, including computer tools. I am confident that a modern, technologically aided creative métier allows to express emotions, freely shape musical energy and tension, and an illusion of depth and space. It also allows to penetrate into immaterial content, symbols, and ideas.

The solo part of the electroacoustic layer will be interpreted live by Michał Pawełek with the use of custom software created by Mateusz Bień.

For those wishing to find out more about Magdalena Długosz, we recommend the promotional CD published by the Polish Composers' Union in collaboration with Polish Radio in 2013 as part of the project entitled “Polish music today - portraits of contemporary Polish composers” (series I), and in particular the booklet accompanying the CD, which we make available in the TO READ tab.

Here, we encourage you to listen to the recording.