Kotoński Włodzimierz, *23 August 1925 Warsaw, †4 September 2014 Warsaw, Polish composer, one of the pioneers of electroacoustic music in Poland. In 1951, he graduated in composition from the PWSM (currently the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music) under P. Rytel, and also studied privately with T. Szeligowski; he also studied piano with M. Klimont-Jacynowa. In the 1950s, he was interested in Podhale folklore, which was expressed in the orchestral Mountaineers’ Dances [Tańce góralskie] and published theoretical works. In 1957–61, he participated in Darmstadt Summer Courses. As a composer, he collaborated on a regular basis with the Experimental Studio of Polish Radio and was also active in electronic music studios in Cologne, Stockholm, Freiburg, Baden-Baden, Paris and Bourges. In 1967–1995, he lectured at the PWSM in Warsaw, where he also ran the university’s Electronic Music Studio; from 1983, he was an associate professor, from 1990, a full professor, and in 1972–73, he was dean of the faculty of composition, conducting and music theory. In 1990–95, he was the director of the university’s electronic music studio. In 1970–71, he was a scholarship holder of the Berliner Künstlerprogramm in West Berlin, and also taught composition classes and lectures on tape music at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm (1971), the State University at Buffalo (1978), the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Mexico (1981), the University of Southern California in Los Angeles (1982), the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem (1990) and a private music school in Seoul in 1994–95. In 1974–76, he was successively the chief music editor of the Polish Radio and Television and the general music director of the Polish Radio and Television. In 1980–83, he was vice-president and in 1983–89 president of the Polish Society for Contemporary Music (Polish section of SIMC). Honorary member of the Polish Composers’ Union (ZKP), the Polish Society of Contemporary Music and the International Confederation of Electroacoustic Music CIME-ICEM. Awarded the Minister of Culture and Art Award (1973, 1989 and 2000), the Chairman of the Radio and Television Committee Award (1979), the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1982), the Prix Magisterium in Bourges (1998), and the gold medal for Merit to Culture “Gloria Artis” (2007). In 1959–1974, member of the repertoire committee of the International Festival of Contemporary Music Warsaw Autumn. His students include Krzysztof Knittel, Paweł Szymański, Hanna Kulenty, Stanisław Krupowicz, Tadeusz Wielecki, and Edward Sielicki.
In his early works, Kotoński, like most Polish composers of the time, was influenced by classicist tendencies and folklore. After 1956, his work underwent a far-reaching metamorphosis, which was undoubtedly contributed to by Kotoński’s participation in summer courses in Darmstadt. Kotoński’s first significant work was Chamber Music [Muzyka kameralna], performed during the 2nd Warsaw Autumn Festival in 1958. In the following years, he created four works that earned him the reputation of an innovator and a composer who was searching for something. These were: Musique en relief, Study on one cymbal stroke, Trio for flute, guitar and percussion, and Canto per complesso da camera. These works demonstrate a highly developed sonoristic and aleatoric technique while maintaining formal precision. At the same time, Kotoński was not a supporter of aggressive aesthetics and noise music, which at that time was often associated with the concept of innovation. He showed interest in pastel and delicate colours (Trio, Canto per complesso da camera), which, with limited dynamics and agogics, create a specific sound idiom. Avoiding tutti and a predilection for sonorous instrumentation give his aesthetics a “neo-impressionist” aura. In many compositions, apart from percussion, which Kotoński operated with great expertise, there are plucked and struck string instruments – such as guitar, harp, harpsichord, and piano.
Study on one cymbal stroke was the first Polish piece of music for tape (at that time called musique concrète due to the origin of the sound material). It combined “concrete” material with the serial technique characteristic of electronic music of the time. This opened the doors of many electroacoustic music studios for Kotoński and – at the same time – encouraged the composer to continue working in this field. Kotoński’s further successful works (Microstructures Alea, Eurydice and Wings) strengthened his international position in the field of this music. Sound Games [Gry dźwiękowe], written in 1967, is another pioneering work in Poland: it is the first attempt to use live electronics. In his later compositions, Kotoński exploited not only the sonoristic and aleatoric techniques (used in an interesting way to compose music for tape, as in the case of Alea) but also the possibility of broadening the impact of music. Hence his interest in instrumental theatre in the years 1971–73 and compositions using electroacoustic means in combination with traditional, instrumental ones (e.g. Concerto per oboe, Spring Music). In 1976–84, Kotoński composed a cycle of four symphonic pieces: Róża wiatrów, Bora, Sirocco and Terra incognita. Almost concertante wind instruments are of great significance in this cycle. This constitutes the colour of the whole. The line drawing is often ornamental, arabesque, and the melody returns as an important factor of expression. Sonorism and aleatorism recede into the background. Light, transparent texture prevails, often heterophonic, with an almost neo-romantic selection of means and quasi-centralisation of sound. The freshness of expression, the fragility and delicacy of instrumentation here constitute a certain reference to the colour scheme of works from the early 1960s. The evolution of Kotoński’s compositional skills thus took place after folkloric experiences (1950s), from aleatoric and sonoristic techniques (1960s), enriched by the imagination of a composer of concrete and electronic music, through various types of artistic and aesthetic experiments (1970s and 1980s), to a specific synthesis of this output (1980s and 1990s). This is evidenced, on the one hand, by a specific “summa technologiee” in the Violin Concerto, Clarinet Concerto and Symphonies, where also classical orchestral skills come to the fore again after almost half a century, but also by reaching towards the end of his life for a previously unknown palette of exotic (Japanese) instrument colours in Mijikyo or historical, European instruments in Polish Madrigals or Chorea polonica. Kotoński’s work is characterised by a wealth of skill and outstanding creative achievements.
Literature: J. Cegiełła Włodzimierz Kotoński, in: Szkice do autoportretu polskiej muzyki współczesnej, Kraków 1976; M. Gorczycka Wobec nowych wymiarów (na marginesie „Musique en relief” i „Epizodów”), “Ruch Muzyczny” 1960 No. 21; T. Kaczyński Muzyka eksperymentalna, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1960 No. 21; M. Kominek „Róża wiatrów” Włodzimierza Kotońskiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1978 No. 4; T.A. Zieliński „Concerto” i „Trio” Włodzimierza Kotońskiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1961 No. 21; taz [T.A. Zieliński] „A battere” Włodzimierza Kotońskiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1966 No. 23; taz [T.A. Zieliński] „Pour quatre” Włodzimierza Kotońskiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1968 No. 23; Kotoński. „Róża wiatrów” (statements by A. Chłopecki, L. Erhardt, T. Kaczyński, W. Pisarenka, A. Skrzyńska and T.A. Zieliński), “Ruch Muzyczny” 1977 No. 23; K. Baculewski Pod znakiem muzyki polskiej, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1984 No. 23; K. Baculewski Współczesność cz.1: 1939–1974, “Historia Muzyki Polskiej” VII, Warsaw 1996; K. Baculewski Współczesność cz.2: 1975–2000, “Historia Muzyki Polskiej” VII, Warsaw 2012; M. Gąsiorowska Rozmowy z Włodzimierzem Kotońskim Warsaw Autumn Festival 2010; K. Jaraczewska-Mockałło Włodzimierz Kotoński. Katalog twórczości i bibliografia, Warsaw 1995; Kompozytorzy polscy 1918-2000, vol. II, ed. M. Podhajski, Gdańsk-Warsaw 2005.
Compositions
Instrumental:
for orchestra:
Poem for orchestra, 1949, performed in Poznań October 1949, Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra
Mountaineers’ Dances [Tańce góralskie] for orchestra, 1950, performed in Warsaw 1951 Polish Music Festival
Szkice baletowe, suite for orchestra, 1951, performed in Łódź 27 November 1954, Łódź Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by J. Młodziejowski
Prelude and Passacaglia for orchestra, 1954, performed in Warsaw 5 March 1954, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by H. Czyż
Chamber Music for 21 instruments and percussion, 1958, performed at the 2nd Warsaw Autumn Festival 3 October 1958, Silesian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, conducted by A. Markowski, published in 1961 Schott
Musique en relief for orchestra, 1959, performed in Frankfurt am Main 5 September 1959, Orchester Des Hessischen Rundfunk, conducted by A. Markowski, published in 1961 Schott
Concerto per quattro for harp, harpsichord, guitar, piano and chamber orchestra, 1961, performed in Venice April 1961, Krakow Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, conducted by A. Markowski, published in 1966 PWM, 2nd ed. 1974 PWM/Moeck
Musica per fiati e timpani for orchestra, 1963, performed in Cologne 20 May 1963, Westdeutscher Rundfunk Orchester, conducted by J. Krenz, published in 1964 PWM/Moeck
Music for 16 cymbals and strings, 1969, performed at the 13th Warsaw Autumn Festival 20 September 1969, Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by J. Krenz, published in 1971 PWM/Moeck
Concerto per oboe for electrically amplified oboe (also oboe d’amore), 6 wind instruments and orchestra, 1972, performed in West Berlin 6 April 1972, oboe L. Faber, Berliner Rundfunk Orchester, conducted by J. Slouthouwer, published in 1974 PWM/Moeck
Róża wiatrów for orchestra, 1976, performed in Graz 14 October 1976, Rundfunk-Sinfonie Orchester Basel, conducted by M. Tabachnik, published in 1978 PWM/Moeck
Bora for orchestra, 1979, performed in Poznań 31 March 1979, Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by W. Rajski, published in 1984 PWM/Moeck
Sirocco for orchestra, 1980, performed in Dallas 4 April 1981, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, conducted by E. Mata, published in 1982 PWM/Moeck
Terra incognita for orchestra, 1984, performed at the 22nd Warsaw Autumn Festival 30 September 1984, Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by M. di Bonaventura, published in 1985 Moeck
La gioia for string orchestra or 9 string instruments, 1991, performed in Poznań 6 April 1991, Concerto Avenna, conducted by A. Mysiński, published in 1996 PWM
Concerto for electric guitar and an ensemble, 1994, performed in Appeldoorn 30 September 1994, electric guitar P. Voss, ensemble “de Ereprijs”
Symphony No. 1, 1995, performed at the 38th Warsaw Autumn Festival 18 September 1995, WOSPRiT, conducted by A. Wit
Speculum vitae for tape and orchestra, 1996, performed by W. Michniewski, POR, Warsaw Autumn Festival 1996
Violin Concerto, 1996, premiere at the 43rd Warsaw Autumn Festival, 20 September 2000, violin W. Wiłkomirska, Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by M.J. Błaszczyk
Symphony No. 2, 2001, premiere on 10 June 2005 at Festiwal Prawykonań, Katowice, NOSPR, conducted by Jan Krenz
Concerto per clarinetto e orchestra, 2003, premiere at 46th Warsaw Autumn Festival, 21 September 2003, clarinet Sharon Kam, Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Antoni Wit
Symphony No. 3 “Mountains” for choir and orchestra, 2006
Music for 21 instruments and percussion, 2007, performed in Aukso, Warsaw Autumn Festival 2007
One minute Valse, 2009
chamber:
Quartettino for 4 horns, 1950, performed in Bydgoszcz 1950, J. Brejza, A. Lepich, M. Bieniarz, A. Przybyła, published in 1974 Agencja Autorska
5 Miniatures for violin and piano, 1955
6 Miniatures for clarinet and piano, 1957, performed in Warsaw 28 February 1958, clarinet L. Kurkiewicz, piano J. Lefeld
Trio for flute, guitar and percussion, 1960, performed in Palermo 22 May 1960, flute S. Gazzelloni, guitar A. Company, percussion L. Torrembruno, published in 1962 PWM
Canto per complesso da camera, 1961, performed in Darmstadt 4 September 1961, Internationales Kranichstein Kammerensemble, conducted by B. Maderna, published in 1970 PWM/Moeck
Selection I for 4 jazz performers, 1962, performed in Warsaw 27 October 1962, guitar J. Sidorenko, clarinet J. Ptaszyn-Wróblewski, alto saxophone Z. Namysłowski, tenor saxophone M. Urbaniak, published in 1965 PWM
Pezzo for flute and piano, 1962, performed in Venice 23 April 1962, flute S. Gazzelloni, piano F. Rzewski, published in 1967 PWM
Quintet for wind instruments, 1964, performed at the 9th Warsaw Autumn Festival 26 September 1965, Wind Instruments Quintet of the Polish National Philharmonic, flute J. Chudyba, oboe J. Banaszek, clarinet A. Szulc, bassoon K. Pinkowski, horn E. Golnik, published in 1966 PWM
A battere for viola, cello, guitar, harpsichord and percussion, 1966, performed at the 10th Warsaw Autumn Festival 20 September 1966, chamber ensemble Prisma, Copenhagen, conducted by T. Vetö, published in 1968 PWM/Moeck
Pour quatre for clarinet, trombone, cello and piano, 1968, performed in London 22 February 1968, “Warsztat Muzyczny,” published in 1969 PWM
Musical Games for 5 performers, 1973 (work commissioned by the Norwegian Radio and Rikskonserter Oslo), premiere on 22 September 1974 at the 18th Warsaw Autumn Festival, performed by Den Norske Blasekvintett, published in Kraków 1984 PWM
Sceny liryczne/Lyrische Szenen for 9 instruments, 1986, performed in Nuremberg 16 November 1986, Ars Nova, conducted by W. Heiner, published in 1989 Moeck
Tlaloc for harpsichord and percussion, 1987, performed in Lisbon 8 May 1987, harpsichord E. Chojnacka, percussion S. Gualda, published in 1995 Moeck
Birds [Ptaki], 8 works for clarinet, cello and piano, 1989, performed in Copenhagen 18 April 1989, Den Fynske Trio
Motu proprio, 4 works for bassoon and piano, 1992, performed in Amsterdam 9 May 1992, bassoon S. Liedtke, piano K. Bakker, published in 1992 Brevis
Sonant for trombone quartet, 1992
Mijikyo for an ensemble of Japanese instruments, 1996
Sextet for wind quintet and piano, 1998, performed in Warsaw 2000
Zmienne struktury for clarinet, trombone, piano and cello, 2000
String Quartet No. 1, 2002, performed at Warszawskie Spotkania Muzyczne 2002
Wilanowskie pejzaże for flute and string quartet, 2002, performed at “La Chanterelle” Festival, Gołuchów Castle, 2002
String Quartet No. 2, 2008, performed at Festiwal Prawykonań, Katowice 2009
Partita for organ and (or) harpsichord, 2009
Czarne słońce for percussion sextet, 2010, performed in Les Percussions de Strasbourg Warsaw Autumn Festival 2010
Chorea polonica for 4 violas da gamba, 2011
String Quartet No. 3, 2013
solo:
Romance and Toccata for harp, 1951, performed in Prague 1953
4 Preludes for piano, 1952
Monochromia for oboe, 1964, published in 1967 PWM
Mellan H och Fiss, 1971, performed in Stockholm 14 December 1971
Morton Feldman in memoriam for flute solo, 1988, performed in Warsaw 16 May 1988, flute E. Blum
Bucolica for flute, 1989, performed in Warsaw 5 June 1990, flute E. Gajewska, published in 1994 Moeck
Cadenze e arie for guitar, 1989, performed in Warsaw 16 May 1990, guitar K. Celiński, published in 1990 Rossberg Musikalien
3 Rhythmical Studies for piano, 1990, performed at the 38th Warsaw Autumn Festival 21 September 1995, piano M.K. Harvey
Pianolinel, version for MIDI-pianola, 1991, performed in Hague 1991
Vocal-instrumental:
Sny o potędze for soprano, harp and strings, words by L. Staff, 1948
Harfa Eola for soprano and 4 instrumentalists, 1973, performed in Bonn 1 December 1974, soprano S. Osten, guitar K. Böttner, flute R. Clemencič, electric organ P. Eötvös, percussion Ch. Caskel, published in 1981 PWM/Moeck
7 Haikus for female voice and 5 instruments, words by M. Bashō, 1993, performed at the 37th Warsaw Autumn Festival 17 September 1994, soprano E. Towarnicka, oboe S. Malikowski, clarinet E. Skubis, recorder J. Urbaniak, harp A. Sikorzak-Olek
Three German songs, words by J. von Eichendorff, D. Grünbeinm for baritone and guitar, 1997
Polish Madrigals for soprano and old instruments ensemble to texts by old Polish poets, 2004, performed in 2005 Warsaw
Electronic:
Muzyka wiosenna/Spring Music for flute, oboe, violin, synthesiser and tape, 1978, performed in Buffalo 7 May 1978, flute R. Dick, oboe N. Post, violin W. Knittel, synthesiser K. Knittel, published in 1979 PWM/Moeck
Pełnia lata for clarinet, piano, cello and electronic sounds, 1979, performed in Stuttgart 9 November 1979, “Warsztat Muzyczny,” published in 1980 Moeck
Pieśń jesienna for harpsichord and tape, 1981, performed in Dortmund 18 April 1981, harpsichord E. Chojnacka
Podróż zimowa/Winterreise for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, cello and tape, 1995, performed in Warsaw 12 May 1995, flute E. Gajewska, oboe M. Pędziałek, clarinet P. Mykietyn, harpsichord M. Honma-Aoke, violin K. Bąkowski, cello J. Rekść-Raubo
for tape:
Study on One Cymbal Stroke for tape, 1959, performed at the 4th Warsaw Autumn Festival 21 September 1960, published in 1963 PWM
Mikrostruktury for tape, 1963, 7th Warsaw Autumn Festival 26 September 1963
Gry dźwiękowe/Klangspiele for 2 tapes and 4 performers at mixing consoles, 1967, performed in Cologne 28 April 1967
ALEA czyli gra struktur aleatorycznych na 1 dźwięku harmonicznym for tape, 1970, performed at the 14th Warsaw Autumn Festival 21 September 1970, published in 1975 PWM/Moeck
Eurydice for tape, 1970, performed in Paris 4 February 1971
Skrzydła/Les ailes for tape, 1973, performed in Bourges June 1974
Zatarty ślad for tape, epitaph, 1982, performed in Warsaw 15 December 1982
Textures for tape, computer music, 1984
Żywe obrazy w ogrodach w stylu angielskim for synthesiser and tape, 1986, performed in Bourges 1986
Antiphonae for tape, 1989, performed in Kōriyama 23 August 1989
Pianolinel for tape, cf. Three Rhythmical Studies for piano
Tierra caliente for tape, 1992, performed in Mexico 30 March 1992
Speculum vitae for tape and orchestra, 1996, performed in W. Michniewski, POR, Warsaw Autumn Festival 1996
Jaśniejszy odcień szarości for violin and electronics, 2002, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 2002
Northern Lights (Aurora borealis) for harpsichord and live electronics 1988, performed in W. Łabanow, Warsaw Autumn Festival 2002
Instrumental theatre:
Multiplay for 6 brass instruments, 1971, performed in Umeå 12 February 1971, Stockholm Philharmoniens Brass Ensemble, published in 1978 PWM/Moeck
Musical Games for wind quintet or ensemble of any portable instruments, 1973, performed in Oslo 21 May 1974, Den Norske Blåsekvintett, published in 1974 PWM/Moeck
Promenade No. 1 and No. 2 for clarinet, trombone, cello and 2 synthesisers, 1973, performed in Warsaw 12 November 1973, “Warsztat Muzyczny”
***
music for 4 fiction films from 1958–67
22 short and educational films from 1956–73
51 animated films from 1958–77
theatre music
Works:
Uwagi o muzyce ludowej Podhala, “Muzyka” 1953 No. 5–6, 7–8, 11–12, 1954 No. 1–2
Góralski i zbójnicki, Kraków 1956
Instrumenty perkusyjne we współczesnej orkiestrze, Kraków 1963, new ed. Kraków 1981, Hungarian transl. Budapest 1967, German Main 1968, Russian Kiev 1971
Muzyka elektroniczna, Kraków 1989, new ed. 2002
Leksykon współczesnej perkusji, Kraków 1999
