Bargielski Zbigniew, *21 January 1937 Łomża, Polish composer. In 1954–58, he studied law at M. Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, and from 1958 composition with T. Szeligowski at PWSM (national music school) in Warsaw, then with B. Szabelski at PWSM in Katowice. After graduation (1964), he continued his studies with N. Boulanger in Paris (1966–67) and at Hochschule für Musik in Graz (1972). Apart from composition, he is also involved in musical journalism.
In 1977, he lectured at PWSM in Bydgoszcz; in 1986, he was a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst scholar in Darmstadt. His compositions were performed at numerous festivals: Warsaw Autumn, Festival de Paris, and Steirischer Herbst in Graz. He received plenty of awards at composition competitions, including an award and honorary distinction at Tribune Internationale des Compositeurs UNESCO in 1981. In 1990, he received the Decoration of Honor Meritorious for Polish Culture, and in 1995, he received the Order Polonia Restituta. He lives in Vienna.
In Bargielski’s work, there are examples of both absolute music (e.g. Parades) and pieces in which the lyrics determine the form of composition (e.g. Ein Zimmer). Bargielski sometimes uses the aleatoric technique and also modern means of performance (electroacoustic amplifiers, magnetic tape, playing piano strings). His statements on contemporary music were published in «Res Facta» 5 (1971).
A characteristic feature of Bargielski’s compositional technique are the so-called central structures, consisting in distinguishing a specific figure in the course of a piece (sound, interval, rhythmic cell, instrument), which the composer combines in horizontal and vertical arrangements; he introduces centrist structures consistently, starting from the opera Widma nie kłamią. In Bargielski’s works, attention is paid to the linearity of texture, the use of sonoristic techniques and aleatoric means.
Literature Z. Bargielski Na temat mojej opery „Widma nie kłamią”, “Polish Music” 1973 No. 1; S. Dąbek Twórczość Zbigniewa Bargielskiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1979 No. 5; A. Wiśniewska W ziemi niczyjej, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1995 No. 3; A. Wiśniewska Brak raju… O muzyce Zbigniewa Bargielskiego, “W drodze” 1997 No. 6; W obronie sztuki – interview with the composer, “Polonika” 1997 No. 4; A. Wiśniewska Istna potęga sztuki, “Pokaz” 1995 No. 1; W. Panek Zbigniewa Bargielskiego ucieczka od naturalizmu, “Teatr” 1981 No. 16; H. Lasser Komponist und Werk. Zbigniew Bargielski, “Das Akkordeon” 1986 No. 11; D. Schrade Das Akkordeonwerk Zbigniew Bargielski’s, Hanower 1986.
Instrumental:
Sinfonia 1956
Sześć duetów for violin and alto, 1962
Pięć sonetów for violin (alto), 1962
Parades 1970 for symphonic orchestra, 1965, performed at Warsaw Autumn 1969, facsimile edition Kraków 1970, 21973
Servet for violin, percussion and piano, 1966
Nature morte I for violin, guitar and magnetic tape, 1972
Nature morte II for flute, violini, alto, cello, harp and magnetic tape, 1972
Espace attrapé for orchestra, 1973
Muzyka żałobna 1973
Ballad for an ensemble of wind instruments and percussion, 1975
Impromptu for percussion, 1975
Concerto for percussion and orchestra, 1975, performed at Warsaw Autumn 1975
Concerto for violin and orchestra, 1975, performed at Warsaw Autumn 1978, published in Kraków 1982
String Quartet “Alpine” 1976, performed at Warsaw Autumn 1979, published in Kraków 1979
Polish Rhapsody for woodwind instruments and percussion, 1976
Dolina bielejących kości for chamber ensemble, 1977; 2nd version for chamber ensemble (tape) and pianist-improviser, 1993
Martwa natura z różą for 4 trumpets, 4 horns, 4 trombones and 2 percussions, 1977
Szklane ptaki I for 5 recorders and harpsichord, 1977
Klatka dla motyli for wind quintet, 1978, performed at Warsaw Autumn 1981
Concerto for percussion and orchestra, Kraków 1978
…and they will both flame up and no one will suppress it for string orchestra, 1978
Szklane ptaki II for 3 recorders, cello and harpsichord, 1978
Quasi una fantasia for bassoon, 1979
String Quartet No. 2 “Spring”, 1980, published in Kraków 1987
Drewniane skrzydła for 6 drummers, 1980
Ptak ze snu for accordion and percussion, 1980
Spojrzenie cyklopa for tube and piano, 1980
Wspomnienia z przeszłości for guitar and harpsichord/celesta, 1980
Historyjki wiedeńskie for 2 pianos, 1981
Ikar for bass clarinet or alto saxophone and percussion, 1981
Nokturn w błękicie for violin and string orchestra, 1981
Cztery drzewa z rogiem for wind quintet, 1982, performed at Warsaw Autumn 1983
Epitaphium for 2 violins, 1982
Malowane chmury for accordion, 1982
Portret z pamięci for string sextet, 1982
Rozmowa z cieniem for 2 accordions, 1982
We czwórkę po drodze for saxophone quartet, 1982
W piątkę po drodze for saxophone quintet and marimba/vibraphone, 1982–86
Labirynt zapomnianych spojrzeń for cello and piano, 1983
Noc pożegnań for accordion and string quintet, 1983
Rondo alla polacca fir small orchestra, 1983
Czarne lustro for guitar and accordion, 1984
Inne głosy for oboe and clarinet, 1984
Labirynt for cello and accordion, 1984
Nokturn for violin and guitar; 2nd version and violin and piano, 3rd version for flute and guitar, 1984
Trzy polskie suity for accordion, 1984
Arc-en-ciel for mandolin and Celtic harp, 1985
Ateliermusik for percussion, 1985
Kwartet smyczkowy z klarnetem 1985
Taniec polski for violin, 1985
Zatopiony płomień for violin, cello and accordion, 1985
String Quartet No. 3 „Martwa natura z krzykiem” 1986, performed at Warsaw Autumn 1988, published in Kraków 1995
Suita pieśni i tańców for accordion, 1986
Wyprawa w niewysłowioność for orchestra, 1986
Grazer Variationen for accordion orchestra, 1987
Nocne ptaki for clarinet quintet, 1987
Panopticum, musical joke for 2 pianos, 1987
Sonata for violin and piano, 1987
Iluzje i pragnienia for organ and percussion, 1988
Kalejdoskop for accordion, 1988
Taniec drwali for clarinet, piano and tube, 1989
W kręgu cieni for saxophone quartet, 1989
Cha-ord for orchestra, 1990
Między światłem a cieniem for clarinet and tape, 1990
Egad for accordion and vibraphone, 1991
Młyn dźwiękowy for accordion orchestra and percussion, 1991
Quatuor à l’heure dite for strings, 1991
Mutacje for tape, 1992
Requiem for orchestra, 1992, performed at Warsaw Autumn 1993
Concerto for trumpet and orchestra, 1992
Wędrówka Beethovena do księcia Lichnowskiego for piano, 1992
String Quartet No. 4 „Czas gorejący”, 1994
Trigonalia for guitar, accordion, percussion and chamber orchestra, 1994
Taniec na krawędzi światła for chamber orchestra, 1995
Ten gruby, trzynożny zwierz, concertino for piano and chamber orchestra, 1995
W poszukiwaniu straconego dźwięku for flute, 1995
Źródło nadziei for alto saxophone and marimba, 1995
A la española for guitar, 1996
Hierofania for 5 drummers, 1996
Krajobraz wspomnień for violin, cello and piano, 1996
Zapomniane–odzyskane for violin, 1996
Tango for chamber ensemble, 1997
String Quartet no. 5. The Time that Has Passed, 2001, staged Wien 6 May 2003, Hugo Wolf Quartett; published in Kraków 2021
Wokalno-instrumentalne:
Tryptyk polowy for orchestra and male choir, lyrics by the composer, 1961
Tarcza Achillesa for baritone (alto), clarinet and viola, lyrics W.H. Auden, 1967
W kręgu for soprano, alto, baritone, bass and chamber ensemble, lyrics A. Patey-Grabowska, 1969, facsimile edition Kraków 1975
Różany ogród for baritone and bass clarinet, lyrics T.S. Eliot, 1971
Noc poety for 2 baritones, bass and chamber ensemble, lyrics W. Broniewski, 1971
Cztery pieśni miłosne for alto and piano, lyrics A. Patey-Grabowska, 1972
Ein Zimmer for clarinet, bone, cello, piano, reciting voice from tape, lyrics from fragments of F. Kafka’s letters, 1973, performed at Warsaw Autumn 1973
2 pieśni for mezzosoprano and piano, lyrics A. Patey-Grabowska, 1975/1981
Jeszcze noc, jeszcze dźwięk, ballad for mezzo-soprano and orchestra, abstract text, 1980
Sen-mara for tenor or baritone and piano, lyrics K. Wierzyński, 1982
Pieśni słońc for mezzo-soprano, baritone, bass, mixed choir and 4 chamber ensembles, lyrics M. Jaroschka, 1983
Totenklage for baritone and piano, 1983
Ogród namiętności for soprano, bass clarinet or alto saxophone, percussion and accordion, 1986
Reportaż z lasku wiedeńskiego for vocal ensemble and piano or accordion or harp and flutes, 1986
Im Niemandsland, oratory for mezzosoprano, baritone, 2 reciting voices, mixed choir and orchestra, lyrics M. Jaroschka, 1989
Noc-dzień, cycle of songs for soprano and piano, lyrics T. Tomsia, 1995
Orfeusz for baritone, crotale and violin, lyrics C. Aigner, 1996
Scenic:
Mały książę, musical story for actors, dancers and orchestra, libretto by the composer based on Le petit prince by A. de Saint-Exupéry, 1966, staged in Warsaw 1970
Męczeństwo i śmierć Marata, (the opera was withdrawn by the composer and its music was used in opera Danton), libretto by the composer based on Die Verfolgung und Ermordung Marats by P. Weiss, 1968
Danton czyli Kilka obrazków z dziejów Wielkiej Rewolucji Francuskiej, libretto by the composer based on Dantons Tod by G. Büchner, 1968/69
Widma nie kłamią, libretto by the composer based on W małym dworku by S.I. Witkiewicz, 1971/72
In a Little Manor, libretto by the composer based on. S.I. Witkiewicz, 1979/1980
Alicja w krainie czarów, opera for the youth, libretto by the composer based on Alice in Wonderland by C. Carroll, 1971/72
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music to film Alltag im Ghetto, directed by P. Szalsza, 1995
