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Episodes

Episodes for strings and three percussion groups (1958–59)

National Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Jan Krenz, „Warsaw Autumn” 1997

{slider=Episodes for strings and three percussion groups. I Proiezioni /fragment/}

 

National Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Jan Krenz, „Warsaw Autumn” 1997

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{slider=Episodes for strings and three percussion groups. II Movimenti. III Migrazioni /fragment/ }

National Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Jan Krenz, „Warsaw Autumn” 1997

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{slider=Episodes for strings and three percussion groups. III Migrazioni /fragment/}

National Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Jan Krenz, „Warsaw Autumn” 1997

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{slider=Episodes for strings and three percussion groups. IV Incontri /fragment/}

National Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Jan Krenz, „Warsaw Autumn” 1997

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Episodes for strings and 3 percussion gr...
Episodes for strings and 3 percussion gr...
Episodes for strings and 3 percussion gr...

Episodes for strings and 3 percussion gr...
Episodes for strings and 3 percussion gr...
Episodes for strings and 3 percussion gr...

The work was premiered on 5 September 1960 at the National Philharmonic Hall under Stanisław Wisłocki’s baton. It symbolically closes a stage of Serocki’s work associated with the dodecaphonic and serial techniques. In addition, it constitutes the composer’s response to Karlheinz Stockhausen’s ideas presented in Gruppen für drei Orchester, with which Serocki became familiar during his stay at the 1958 Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt. The questions of spatial correspondence of “sound groups” inspired Serocki to create his own concept, in which, however, he abandoned the serial technique (Stockhausen used proportions of pitches and tone duration) in favour of a simplification of procedures organising pitches. 

This is how the composer himself wrote about Episodes in the programme book of the 4th “Warsaw Autumn” (1960):

The piece consists of four episodes following each other without any break. The names of the episodes point to spatial problems I was trying to solve. Episode one – “proiezioni” (projections) – emerged from diverse forms of arranging the various structures, each of which is a separate sound unit. Episode two, “movimenti” (movements), is a kind of “spatial counterpoint” of three voices – percussion groups. The objective of the third episode – “migrazioni” (migrations) – is to use the placement of bowed string instruments to obtain various forms of sound movement in space. Episode four – “incontri” (encounters) – brings together all formal elements from the previous episodes and provides a synthesis of them. Hence the key role of this episode in the entire work.

 

{slider=Sources:}

  • Tadeusz A. Zieliński, O twórczości Kazimierza Serockiego [On Kazimierz Serocki’s Oeuvre], Kraków 1985.

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Sheet music available from: PWM