Pstrokońska-Nawratil Grażyna, *16 July 1947 Wrocław, Polish composer. In 1966–71, she studied at the State Higher School of Music in Wrocław under the supervision of S.B. Poradowski and T. Natanson. In 1978, as a scholarship holder of the French government, she participated in lectures by O. Messiaen and P. Boulez (conservatory in Paris, Institut de Recherche et de Coordination Acoustique/Musique), as well as in a seminar devoted to the music of I. Xenakis in Aix-en-Provence. She completed an internship at the Electronic Music Studio in Marseille. Since 1971, she has been teaching at the Academy of Music in Wrocław, where he has been teaching composition classes since 1978 (professor since 1993), and since 1998 also at the Academy of Music in Poznań. She lectures contemporary music courses, including National Master Course in the Performance of Piano and Vocal Music of the 20th Century in Bystrzyca Kłodzka (1999, 2000, 2001), International Courses for Young Composers in Gdańsk (2001). She is the author of essays on music and aphorisms. She has won awards at national and international composition competitions, including: in 1972 G. Fitelberg competition in Katowice, in 1975 Women Composers in Mannheim, in 1987 at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris (3rd place for Icarus). In addition, she received awards: in 1989 from the city of Wrocław for all her work, in 1989 – premiere for her work for children and youth, and in 1998 – Saint Brother Albert Chmielowski.
Pstrokońska-Nawatil’s work is characterised by a combination of elements taken from the musical traditions of past eras with newer compositional means and techniques, such as aleatorism, plane counterpoint, sonorism. The composer has developed her own technique, which includes the use of scales – palindromes, as well as the method of moving structures according to a predefined key, which allows her to achieve technical purity and emotional consistency in her works. It also uses its own colour code. The main factor regulating the syntax of her works is expression. The characteristic features of Pstrokońska-Nawratil’s compositional technique include attention to formal structure and far-reaching selection of material, as well as elaborate instrumentation and emotional range – from a shimmering impression to a dramatic narrative.
Literature: G. Pstrokońska-Nawratil. Muzyka i morze, in: Dzieło muzyczne między inspiracją a refleksją, M. Podhajski’s festschrift, ed. J. Krassowski, Gdańsk 1997.
Instrumental:
orchestra:
Concerto grosso for clarinet, horn, piano, symphonic orchestra and percussion, 1971
Fresco No. 1 Reanimation 1972, No. 2 Epitaphios 1975, No. 3 Icarus 1979, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1980, No. 4 …alla campana… – T. Baird in memoriam for piano and orchestra, 1987, No. 6 Palindrom for large string orchestra with amplified harpsichord, 1994
Le soleil, concerto for percussion and orchestra, according to C. Monet, P. Seurat and V. van Gogh, 1990
…el condor…, concerto for two marimbas and string orchestra, from the cycle Myśląc o Vivaldim (Wiosna) 1996, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1996
…como el sol e la mar… for flute and string orchestra, from the cycle Myśląc o Vivaldim (Lato) 2000
Ekomuzyka No. 2 – Klimop (Bluszcz) na orkiestrę dętą, 2 gitary elektryczne, fortepian i perkusję, 1998
Ocean-Symphony for symphonic orchestra, 2001
Muzyka lidyjska for string orchestra, 2003
chamber:
Trio-sonata for violin, cello and piano, 19 67
Nokturn for cello and prepared piano, 1973
Ostinato for 4 percussionists, 1974
Kanon for a motoric group, 1976
Studio per violino e tam-tam 1976, published in Kraków 1984
Arabesca for string quartet, 1980, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1981, published in Kraków 1986
Eco per flauti 1980
Bis-Joke for percussion and piano, 1985, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1987, published in Wrocław 1992
Triangle! for percussion sextet, 1989, 2nd version 1990, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1992
Kwartet lidyjski – myśląc o Andrzeju 1994, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1994
Bartokiana for 2 cellos and piano, 1995, Kraków 2003
W poszukiwaniu wędrującego echa for 2 violins from the cycle Ekomuzyka No. 3 – Madrygały, 2001
Ptaki na horyzoncie zmierzchu for an alto and a string bass from the cycle Ekomuzyka No. 3 – Madrygały, 2001
for solo instruments:
Eco per flauto 1980, Kraków 2000
La vetrata for piano, 1979, Kraków 1994
Algorytm snu wielkiego miasta for marimba from the cycle Ekomuzyka No. 3 – Madrygały, 2001, Kraków 2003
Vocal-instrumental:
Papież słowiański, street cantata for soprano, baritone, reciter, mixed choir and orchestra, lyrics J. Słowacki, 1979
Sfrunął na Śląsk Orzeł Biały, oratory-ballad to uprising texts for 3 sopranos, choir and orchestra, 1981
Pieśni niespokojne for baritone and orchestra, lyrics T. Różewicz, 1985
Pejzaż z Pluszczem for soprano and three violins, 1986
Fresco V – Eternel for soprano solo, boys’ choir, mixed choir and large symphonic orchestra, 1987, published in Wrocław 1987
Ekomuzyka No. 1 – Terra for male choir and piano, 1995
Fresco No. 7 – Uru-Anna (Światło Nieba), dedicated to John Paul II, for lyric tenor, mixed choir and symphony orchestra, 1999, premiere Warsaw Autumn 1998
Magnificat MM for soprano, mixed choir and symphonic orchestra, 2003
For children:
Pradawna piosenka. Taniec for children’s violin orchestra and piano, 1986
Concertino piccolino for cello and piano, 1986
Dziewięć utworów for cello and piano, 1987
Obłoczek i wicherek for cello and piano, 1988
W królestwie jesiennych liści, ballet, libr. K. Schubert according to A. Nawratil’s story, 1989, staged in Warsaw 1989
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computer:
Hectoriana 1999
