Bloch Augustyn Hipolit, *13 August 1929 Grudziądz, †6 April 2006 Warsaw, Polish composer and organist. In 1954 he graduated from the PWSM (State Higher School of Music) in Warsaw where he studied organ with F. Rączkowski, and in 1956 composition with T. Szeligowski. In 1947–57, he gave organ concerts in Wrocław, Oliwa and Warsaw. He recorded organ recitals for the radio. In 1954–77, he was permanently cooperating with Polish Radio Theatre as a composer of music for radio plays. In 1960, he received a Polish Radio Award for his music for children.
He was a laureate of international composition competitions: in 1953 in Vercelli for Piano Variations, in 1961 in Monaco for Medytacje, and in 1963 for the ballet Oczekiwanie. In 1969 he was awarded third place at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris for his Dialoghi. In 1971, he received the Ministry of Culture and Arts Award, and in 1975 the Prime Minister’s Award for artistic creation for children and youth. Many of Bloch’s compositions have been performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival. In 1977–79 and in 1983–87, Bloch was a vice-president of the board of ZKP (Polish Composers’ Association), and from 1979 to 1987, he was the chairman of the program committee of the Warsaw Autumn Festival. In 1981, he received the annual ZKP award.
In his first works, Bloch remained under the influence of the classical style (Variations, Sonata, Concertino) and he also used his experience of organ performance practice. A further element in the development of his compositional technique were vocal-instrumental pieces (Impressioni poetiche, Espressioni and Medytacje), showing his ability to work with vocal resources. The selection of texts dominated by humanist, universally human, content points to the ideological stance of the composer.
Bloch’s main direction of work crystallised in the 1960s – stage music. In this, the composer reveals his exceptional musicality and ability to create music with a simple dramaturgy, while simultaneously enriching the technical resources. And so, for example, already in his first ballet, called Voci, Bloch uses dodecaphonic techniques. In later works, the basic formal foundation of the structure becomes a series (one or more in a piece) and its various transformations (e.g. Dialoghi, Gilgamesz). He presents an original construction in Enfiando for orchestra, a work based on the dynamic effect of enfiando (swelling). Bloch sometimes placed modern and experimental techniques and formal experimentation in the atmosphere of archaic music, synagogue and Gregorian chants (Medytacje, Ajelet). This is linked to an important problem for contemporary composers – the timbre, and thereby instrumental cast. It is very uniform with Bloch; in most of the pieces, he uses sets of percussion instruments, pitched and unpitched. Drums, being one of Bloch’s principal means of artistic expression, don’t just realise complex rhythmic and metric systems, but also gain a special colourist meaning. A similar role is also often undertaken by the human voice, frequently coexisting with percussion (i.a. Voci, fragments of Depesza, Gilgamesz, Salmo gioioso and others) and treated instrumentally, which is expressed by the borrowings of instrumental means of articulation (glissando, frullato), the use of vocalisation throughout the whole piece (Voci, Salmo gioioso) or a specially prepared text (Gilgamesz). In the recent works, the composer even more clearly abandons melodic and harmonic thinking in favour of sonoristic effects, the use of serial techniques and polychronic rationalization of time.
In each of his genres, instrumental, vocal and stage music, Bloch eagerly reached for biblical themes, sometimes only through a quote or title. Bloch’s organ works have become part of the repertoire of outstanding organists, and his works for children are also appreciated, as they are accessible and musically attractive, have great artistic and didactic value and indicate the creator’s special sensitivity. Bloch’s works, both intended for large instruments as well as chamber and solo pieces, are characterised by a wide range of expression. The composer used the material of the twelve-note scale, the dynamics of rhythms and colours in a diverse way, without giving up his earlier sonoristic achievements.
Literature: A. Bońkowska and J. Kański Trzy polskie balety, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1964 No. 22 (w tym o Oczekiwaniu); H. Schiller „Dialoghi” Augustyna Blocha, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1966 No. 22; Augustyn Bloch, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1971 No. 11 (wywiad z Blochem); Kompozytorzy mówią. Augustyn Bloch Rozmawiała I. Grzenkowicz, „Ruch Muzyczny” 1971 nr 15; „Bardzo śpiąca królewna” Blocha, in: O muzyce polskiej na festiwalu, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1974 No. 23 (statements by L. Erhardt, T. Kaczyński, W. Malinowski); Niebyt określa moją świadomość. Z Augustynem Blochem rozmawia M. Kominek, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1989 No. 15; M. Homma Augustyn Bloch, in: Komponisten der Gegenwart, ed. H.-W. Heisler and W.-W. Sparren, Munich 1992–.
Instrumental:
Piano Variations, 1953, performed in Warsaw 1954, published in 1964 PWM, Kraków 31974
Organ Sonata, 1954, performed in Warsaw 1955, published in 1965 PWM, Kraków 41983
Concertino for violin solo, string orchestra, piano and percussion, 1958, performed in Warsaw 1958, published in Kraków 1981
Dialoghi per violino ed orchestra, 1964, performed in Warsaw Autumn 1966, published in 1967 PWM/Schott, Kraków 21979
Enfiando per orchestra, 1970, performed in Bonn 1970, Warsaw Autumn 1971, published in 1971 PWM/Schott, Kraków 21975
Jubilate per organo, 1974, performed in Warsaw Autumn 1975, published in 1975 PWM, Kraków 21988
Clarinetto divertente, miniature per clarinetto solo, 1976, published in 1977 Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Agencji Autorskiej, Warsaw 31981
Fantazja na organy, published in Kraków 1979
Filigranki for piano, 1978, published in Kraków 1979
Layers of Time for string orchestra, 1978, published in Kraków 1980
Chodzenie po klawiszach na cztery małe ręce i perkusję też niedużą for piano and percussion, 1981, published in Kraków 1987
Notes for Alto Saxophone, 1981, published in Warsaw 1984
Oratorium for organ, strings and percussion, 1982, published in Kraków 1986
Jazda na gapę przez Europę na cztery małe ręce i perkusję też niedużą for piano and percussion, 1983, published in Kraków 1989
Suplicazioni for cello and piano, 1983
A due for saxophone, bass clarinet, vibraphone and marimbaphone, 1984, published in Warsaw 1985
A tre for 3 violins, 1985
Forte, piano e forte, 1985
Musica per clarinetto e quattro archi, 1985, published in Warsaw 1986
Duetto for violin and cello, 1986
Zostań Panie z nami. Muzyka o zmierzchu for orchestra, 1986
Musica per tredici ottoni, 1988
Violins and Organ, 1988
Fanfare Hochzeitsgeschenk für Blechbläser, 1991
Trio for violin, cello and piano, 1992
Wzwyż for orchestra, 1993
Infiltrazioni per due violini Béla Bartók in memoriam, 1995
Vocal:
Vocalisation for mixed choir 1974, published in Kraków 1978
Anenaiki for 16-voice mixed choir, 1979, published in Kraków1980
Exaltabo Te, Domine for mixed choir, 1988
Vocal-instrumental:
Songs for children for children’s voices and instrumental ensemble, 1956–79, published in Kraków 1987
Impressioni poetiche for male choir and orchestra, lyrics J. Kasprowicz, 1959, performed in Lublin 1965
Espressioni per soprano ed orchestra, lyrics J. Iwaszkiewicz, 1959, performed in Łódź 1960, published in 1962 PWM, Kraków 21967
Medytacje for soprano, organ and percussion, lyrics Biblical text 1961, performed in Warsaw 1961, published in 1963 PWM, Kraków 41977
Depesza for children choir, 2 pianos and percussion, lyrics T. Kubiak, 1963, performed in Warsaw 1963, published in 1964 PWM, Kraków 21977
Salmo gioioso per soprano e cinque fiati, 1970, performed in Cleveland 1971, Warsaw Autumn 1972, published in 1971 PWM/Schott, Kraków 31979
Poemat o Warszawie for reciting voice, mixed choir and orchestra, lyrics J. Kochanowski and others, 1974, published in Kraków 1983
Warsaw, a poem recited aloud by a mixed choir and orchestra, 1974, performed in Warsaw 1975
Z gwiazdą w Cudobudzie, Masovian pastoral for 18 soloists-vocalists and an instrumental ensemble, 1974, performed in Warsaw 1975
Wordsworth Songs for baritone and chamber orchestra, lyrics W. Wordsworth, 1976, performed in Warsaw 1976, published in. published in Kraków 1977
Taka sobie muzyka cycle of 7 songs for soprano and orchestra, lyrics T. Kubiak, 1976/77, performed in Poznańska Wiosna 1977, published in Kraków 1983
Songs for Children for voice and piano, 1977, published in Kraków 31986
2 pieśni do słów T. Kubiaka for baritone and piano, 1980, published in Warsaw 1982
Carmen biblicum for soprano and 9 instruments, 1980, published in Kraków 1981
Canti sul tema del corale for choir and organ, 1984, published in Kraków 1990
Albowiem nadejdzie światłość Twoja, psalmody for reciting voice, organ, choir and orchestra, 1987
Lauda per soprano, alto, percussione e quattro archi, 1988
Litania Ostrobramska for mixed choir and orchestra, lyrics liturgical text, 1989
Nie zabijaj!, meditations for baritone, cello, choir and orchestra, lyrics Biblical texts from Confessions of Saint Augustine and Saint Wojciech, 1990
Wypłoszona, song for baritone, alto, cello and piano, 1994
Hac festa die for organ, male choir and orchestra, lyrics liturgical text, 1996
around 100 songs for children
Scenic:
Voci, ballet, libretto R. Lindenbergh, W. Gruca, 1962, TV premiere 20 September 1967, facsimile edition 1969 PWM
Oczekiwanie, ballet, libretto L. Perski, W. Giersz, 1963, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1964, published in 1966 PWM, Kraków 21978
Byk, ballet, libretto H. Tomaszewski, 1965, premiere Amsterdam 1965
Ajelet, córka Jeftego, opera-mystery play, libretto J. Iwaszkiewicz, 1967, premiere Warsaw Autumn, 1968, facsimile edition 1968 PWM
Gilgamesz, ballet, libretto H. Tomaszewski, 1968, premiere Wrocław 1968; concert vocal-instrumental version, 1969, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1969, facsimile edition 1970 PWM/Schott, Kraków 21979
Pan Zagłoba, musical, libretto W. Maciejewska based on H. Sienkiewicz, 1971, premiere Gdynia 1972, published in 1976 Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Agencji Autorskiej (2 fragments in: Świat Musicalu)
Bardzo śpiąca królewna, opera-ballet-pantomime, libretto A. Bloch based on Ch. Perrault, 1973, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1974, published in 1975 PWM
Zwierciadło, ballet-pantomime for tape, 1975, premiere Warsaw 1975
Bajka o skrzypcowej duszy, musical for children for solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra, libretto J. Kierst, 1979
theatre, film and radio music
