POKOLENIE STALOWOWOLSKIE [pdf] - Radio Katowice SA

5th Quartet with the subtitle of seven and a half of a quartet was being written by Lasoń in the years of
2003 and 2004. It was composed by the commission of the town of Bytom, where the composer lives, and
it was on the occasion of the 750 th Anniversary of the town’s establishment, and the consecutive parts of
it are dedicated to “the artistic friends of the composer, connected with the town of Bytom”. These dedications
respectfully refer then to Silesian String Quartet, Akademos Quartet, wife Anna, Jacek Łumiński and
his Dance Theatre, Marek Moś, Angels, and Rev. Hubert Kowol, and Piotr Janosik. The first performance
of the work took place on the 3 rd of July, 2004 in the interpretation of Akademos Quartet during the
Festival of Dancing Art in Bytom in the choreographic stage version, worked out by Jacek Łumiński and
the dancers from the Silesian Dance Theatre.
The 50-minute piece – according to the title – consists to „seven and a half” parts. These are, consecutively,
Tranquillo con calore. Subito con somma bravura – Vigoroso. Contemplativo. Subito tempo primo (vigoroso)
– Sereno – Tranquillo. Deciso con vivezza – Sereno. Calmo – Coralmente, sostenuto – Frescamente,
and this half as the encore – Subito con somma bravura. If this is indeed seven and a half of a quartet,
quite obviously this thing refers to seven and a half of centuries of the town of Bytom. We have then here
a suite of independent and separate miniatures with a “supplement” – in this additional “half a quartet”
as the encore, the second part of the fourth part of the whole is repeated. There would need to be used
this particular analitic and historical exegesis, found in the historical archives of the town of Bytom, and
carried out with Aleksander Lasoń’s score before our very eyes, to prove that the actual fact is that the
consecutive parts of Quartet (and its half for the end) in any way refer to the consecutive centuries (and
the last half a century) of the town’s history. This effort of exegesis would no doubt be wasted. This one is
then a suite of Lasoń’s impressions concerning his quartet music, aimed partly at the past, partly at a possible
future, as if the seven and a half of “chamber musics” for the string quartet referring to the particular
“stocktaking” of the chamber music he has composed so far rather than searching for the future inspirations.
But we have here a piece (again, again...) intriguing, moving and extremely absorbing aesthetically.
This is how the composition was described by Bogumiła Mika: “Intensive music (half an hour), very expressive,
saturated. A master of the quartet technique. First, the euphony of the sound, simple harmonics;
the introductory expression and devotion is suddenly broken by the brave displays of the instrumental
skills – energetic and dynamic. The first part – the introducing link. The 2nd part – first, dominating are
the figurative dialogues (based on melodicly cristalized shapes). Brisk narration, full of tension which
culminates in the sound euphony of the arrested accords – reference to the beginning of the 1st part.
The beautiful climate is built on the lyrical melodic plaits. And again, come back the instrumental figurations
from the initial phase of this part. The 3rd part – an emotional arch – longlasting approaching the
culmination, and a very slow act of spreading it. The lyrical link built on the dialogue of the instruments
– the circling, arabesq-like winding shapes of the melodic lines help gather expression and melodiousness.
There is yearning here... the final part is a two-phase one. First, we have very clear melodic strata,
developing in the shape of corresponding voices of amazing simplicity, the musical space of the mood
of reflection and sadness. Then the narration in a toccata character, repetition of the accords, constant
development, vigour, figurative marches, running through different coloured constellations and colouristic
dimensions, they lead us to the dynamic finale”.
So we can listen here to a very interesting change of emotions and moods. As it has been expressed
by Stanislaw Kosz with regard to this piece: these are parts very different – concentrated either around
the musical idea or the interior polarization. And the element of the ludic rhythmical pulse, ostinatoness,
persistence of the variably repeated motifs, and the heavenly longueurs, quasi-chorals, modal sounds,
euphonic, the space of the “spiritual music”, celestial – like the 6 th part For Angels – the expressive heart
of the whole composition. Between these poles – “lasonity” of his own – circling melizmats, the slow
transfer of glissando. The dialectics of contemplation and vigour. “Cellestiality” – was Lasoń somehow approaching
here (or did he actually want to approach) the “cellestiality” of Andrzej Krzanowski’s 9 th Relief.
He might have, he might have not…
But almost as simultaneously to the creation of 5th Quartet for the string quartet its third part was made,
66–67
for the quartet and the electronic layer (Version A). A shorter one, as consisting of selected fragments of
the whole of 5th Quartet, in parts: Tranquillo con calore. Subito con somma bravura Vigoroso. Contemplativo.
Subito tempo primo (vigoroso) Sereno Tranquillo. Deciso con vivezza. The electronic part of this piece
was conceived by Krzysztof Gawlas.
*
6th Quartet was conceived by the innitiative of Silesian String Quartet “of the friendship and admiration
for this outstanding ensemble”, as it is stated by the composer in the score to this work. The first performance
of the piece took place at the Festival of the First Performances, organized by the Polish Radio
National Symphonmic Orchstra on the 9th of June, 2005. It is the shortest of the seven numbered Andrzej