Serocki, Kazimierz (EN)

Serocki Kazimierz, *3 March 1922 Toruń, †9 January 1981 Warsaw, Polish composer and pianist. He studied piano under M. Drzewiecka, initially privately, later at the Conservatory of the Pomeranian Music Society in Toruń, and then at the conservatory in Bydgoszcz. In 1944, he joined the clandestine conservatory in Warsaw (piano with Z. Buckiewiczowa, composition with K. Sikorski). From 1945, he continued his studies at the PWSM in Łódź, where in 1946, he obtained two diplomas (piano with S. Szpinalski, composition with K. Sikorski). In 1947–48, as a scholarship holder of the Ministry of Culture and Art, he studied composition with N. Boulanger and piano with L. Lévy in Paris. In 1946–51, he gave concerts as a pianist, among others, in Poland, Romania, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. In 1950–51, he served as the secretary general of the Main Board of the ZKP (Polish Composers’ Union), and in 1954–55, he was one of the vice-presidents of the Union. From 1952, he devoted himself almost exclusively to composition. In August 1949, during the Composers’ Congress in Łagów Lubuski, together with T. Baird and J. Krenz, he founded Group 49. The ideological program of the Group formulated by S. Jarociński on the occasion of the first joint concert (13 January 1950, Warsaw Philharmonic) contained a compromise – concerning the postulates of socialist realism – about breaking with the traditions of “unbridled innovation” and the desire to create music “anti-elite in spirit” but the most important goal was to achieve the intended artistic level, without giving up “any achievements of modern harmony.” In 1956, together with T. Baird, he initiated the International Festival of Contemporary Music (from 1958 called Warsaw Autumn). In 1957, 1958 and 1959, he participated in the Darmstadt Summer Courses. In 1961, he was a member of the national jury of the Polish Society of Contemporary Music competition, and in 1961 and 1969 of the international jury of the International Society of Contemporary Music. In 1976, he led a master class in composition at the Musik-Akademie Basel. In 1954, he was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta; in 1981, he received posthumous honorary membership of the Polish Composers’ Union.

Awards: 1949 3^rd prize (1^st and 2^nd not awarded) for 4 Folk Dances and distinction for Sonatina for piano at the 2^nd F. Chopin Composition Competition, organised by the Polish Composers’ Union; 1951 3^rd prize at the Polish Music Festival for the cantata Murarz warszawski; 1952 2^nd state prize for music to the film Młodość Chopina; 1955 on the occasion of the 2^nd Festival of Polish Music, Award of the Minister of Culture and Art for Symphony No. 1 and Trombone Concerto; at the G. Fitelberg Composition Competition in 1956 1^st prize for Sinfonietta for two string orchestras; 1958 2^nd prize for Eyes of the Air; 1959 distinction for Musica concertante; 1960 2^nd prize for Episodes for strings and three percussion groups; at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris in 1959 7^th score for Sinfonietta; 1965 3^rd score for Symphonic Frescoes; 1963 Award of the Minister of Culture and Art for lifetime achievement; 1966 Award of the Polish Composers’ Union, 1972 State Award, 1^st degree, for “outstanding achievements in composition,” 1975 Award of the A. Jurzykowski Foundation in New York, 1979 Prix Italia for the recording of Pianophonie.

Polish Contemporary Music Society has organised K. Serocki International Composition Competitions since 1984 (every three years until 1996, every two years since 1996).

Serocki’s work developed in line with the changes in Polish music after World War II, co-creating a phenomenon described by Western critics as the “Polish school.” At the same time, the composer’s individual sound language was shaped by his first works, distinguishing his output from many parallel historical phenomena. In the initial period, Serocki was influenced by neoclassicism and folklorism while searching for his own solutions in the sphere of colour and metrorhythm. The composer was more interested in the achievements of Debussy, Bartók, and the proposals of dodecaphonists, opening new perspectives in the field of shaping melody and harmony than in the strict discipline of the N. Boulanger school. Hence, alongside conventional methods of developing folk melodies (either authentic or of his own invention) that appear in Serocki’s choral cycles, his early compositions include attempts to combine folk motifs with new, atonal harmony (Sonatina for piano, Three Kurpie Melodies, Sonatina for trombone and piano) or to diversify the progression by varying textures and rhythmic contrasts. A separate group of folkloristic works are large symphonic cycles. In Romantic Concerto, the composer refers to the virtuoso texture and concentrated expression of works from the Romantic period while using themes of strictly folk provenance and including them in progressions with a modern metric-harmonic-textural appearance (fast tempos, sonically saturated chords, variable rhythms, free use of 12-note space), adjacent to fragments with a lyrical-turgid appearance. Symphony No. 1, fulfilling the ideological postulate of socialist realism of “balance between form and expression,” permeated with pathos in many places (part 1 – Maestoso. Allegro, part 2 Scherzo, which is a kind of stylisation of the oberek, part 4 – Appassionato), is, at the same time, an expression of the search for new melodic-harmonic and metrorhythmic means (e.g. modal 2^nd theme of part 1, or the complex course of the sonata-form finale having the character of a “victorious” march with an unconventional, serial-like melodic line of the main theme). Symphony No. 2 (Symphony of Songs) is the culmination of the composer’s interest in folklore. The first version, intended for choir and orchestra, is a work in five movements. In the second, four-movement version, solo voices are introduced: soprano and baritone. The composer reached for Kolberg’s collection, using only texts and arranging them in a cycle constituting an apotheosis of rural life and its natural course. Folk stylisation elements appear mainly in the soprano and baritone parts; a type of indirect stylisation appears in the choral parts (e.g. the repetition of the formula “jedzie wesele” when increasing the volume of sound in movement 2 (Scherzo), which is to express the vitality of the people). Unconventional textural and colour solutions are used in the orchestral part. Folk stylisations appear sporadically in several other pieces from this period, e.g. in the neoclassical Concerto for trombone, while at the same time, the composer’s interest in the possibility of structuring sound material on the model of dodecaphony becomes increasingly evident.

Serocki’s compositional practice, however, is far from the dogmatism of Schoenberg’s theory. Examples include two piano pieces – Suite of Preludes (1952) and Sonata (1955). Originally treated twelve-note series appear in movements 4 (Teneramente) and 5 (Veloce) of Suite of Preludes. Serocki himself called them “sound sequences,” which are far – as Iwona Lindstedt writes – “from the fundamental principles of Schoenberg’s method, as evidenced by the lack of mirror transformations and inconsistencies in the sequence of individual elements of the series” (I. Lindstedt Serocki, Kraków 2020, p. 191). In Polish music of that time, there were attempts to establish a dialogue with the European avant-garde. In the times of declared socialist realism, they constituted a risk related to the possibility of ideological anathema. In the case of Serocki, this danger was balanced by his folkloric interests and the tribute he paid with the production cantata Murarz warszawski (1951). The fascination with the atonal sound world found original expression in the Sonata for piano, which is a synthesis of the classical form (part 1 Inquietamente has the form of a sonata allegro), vitalist tendencies present in 20^th-century music (Bartók, Prokofiev) and new techniques. The serial order implying harmonic neutrality of all components of the chromatic scale became for Serocki not so much an element of the overall compositional technique, but rather a tool for obtaining new expressive effects that did not determine the form of the work. In the initial period, the series was the basis for modelling some themes, so it took the form of linear progressions (e.g. the contrapuntally presented second theme in the first movement of the Sonata for piano). The composer also experimented with the scope of transforming series into interval cells, which allowed for free shaping of the texture and form of the work, while enriching the language of pieces stylistically related to neoclassicism (Sonata for piano, Sinfonietta). In Sinfonietta, Serocki revealed his interest in the spatial value of music. Two string orchestras with the same composition of instruments are placed on stage in a mirror order, which, with the use of contrapuntal means (e.g. imitations between the voices of both orchestras, especially in Adagio), made it possible to make the sound space an important element shaping the dramaturgy and form of the piece.

The composer used the expressive values ​​of the punctualism style in two song cycles: Heart of the Night [Serce nocy] to the words of K.I. Gałczyński and Eyes of the Air [Oczy powietrza] to the words of J. Przyboś. The punctual dispersion of sound matter concerns primarily the accompaniment layer (both in the piano and orchestral versions). The vocal lines are more diverse – from fragments close to melodeclamation (e.g. Moon from Heart of the Night cycle) to melodics based on complex interval relations. The rigours of the serial technique, covering only the melodic layer, were significantly relaxed in both cycles, and any deviations from the rules serve to emphasise the expressive values ​​of the text. Nevertheless, serial procedures are characterised by a high degree of sophistication, as evidenced by the use of various forms of the basic series (I, R, RI) and their transpositions, numerous modifications and transformations of the basic structure, as well as the introduction of additional series, related to the primary one, different in each song (S. Będkowski, “Muzyka” 1996 No. 1). The expressive values ​​of the melodic line are emphasised not only by the adopted serial order but also by the variety of expressive terms. Some analyses have shown many regularities in the ordering of the metric layer of works, especially the cycle Heart of the Night, but Serocki’s concept seems closer to B. Blacher’s “variable Metren” than to serialism (S. Będkowski, “Muzyka” 1996 No. 4).

Serocki approached the latter direction in Musica concertante, consistently based on one dodecaphonic series, organising only the sphere of the pitch. The overall concept stems from the “use of numbers as a form-creating element” (K. Serocki, Wykłady, wyrazy, zapiski, Kraków 2022, p. 97). Despite the unconventional orchestral composition (without a large flute, oboes, bassoons, horns, or trombones, but with a bass clarinet, soprano saxophone and extensive percussion) and the differentiation of the material in seven short parts, the attempt at total rationalisation of the creative process turned out to be sterile and without prospects, so the composer gave up developing this technique in favour of using the spatial value of music, which was earlier expressed in the neoclassical Sinfonietta. A specific replica of K. Stockhausen’s Gruppen for three orchestras is Episodes for strings and three percussion groups. The idea of ​​spatial music was expressed here not only in the unconventional arrangement of instrumental groups but also in “various forms of movement in space” (K. Serocki, note in the programme book of the 4^th International Festival of Contemporary Music Warsaw Autumn 1960) achieved, among others, thanks to multiple divisi. Motif correspondence takes on a new meaning, enriched with diverse articulation and “undulating” tempo, which is illustrated by the graph at the bottom of the score, which is also a performance guide.

A further step on the path to the radicalisation of sound language are Segmenti for chamber ensemble (without strings). The novelty here consists in a different regulation of time than metric-bar and enrichment of the articulatory-rhythmic layer (e.g. the distinction between periodic and non-periodic repetition of sound becomes important, or unconventional ways of producing sound on wind instruments), which in effect gave new sound qualities (including the cluster) and expressive qualities. The composer called the technique used in Segmenti “chromatic complementarity” (K. Serocki Wykłady, wyrazy, zapiski, Kraków 2022, p. 100). In subsequent works, the chromatic scale is “the fundamental starting point of both vertical and horizontal sound structures” (B. Gawrońska, “Muzyka” 1981, No. 2). At the same time, an increasingly important role is given to “intermediate states” between the traditional arrangement of sounds and various types of clusters. This violation of the diastematic transparency of the sound spectrum in the form of glissandi, fast repetitions, overlapping similar sound planes with a second shift, polymetric structures or exposing percussion instruments with an indefinite pitch (Symphonic Frescoes) constitutes a new quality – an autonomous sound unit as a basic element of the work’s narrative. These sound qualities become the overriding means of shaping the tectonics of the work, as well as its general formal plan. They arise as a result of the emancipation of individual sounds or the transformation of specific melodic-rhythmic models into structures that can be characterised by parameters such as density, continuity, and internal dynamics of change. The disposition of rapid sound repetition or the retention of subsequent chord components cause the transformation of melodic motifs or scale progressions into sound planes, sometimes containing a full set of 12 scale notes (e.g. Dramatic Story). These “movement personifications” with a greater or lesser degree of material selectivity are adjacent to clusters in the strict sense, and their main distinguishing feature is articulation.

Serocki’s sonoristic technique, the seeds of which appear in his early works, became the basis for the composer’s later work. However, it is difficult to establish specific caesuras, because certain procedures present at a given stage of development do not disappear when the technical paradigm changes, e.g. the fascination with punctualism can still be found in Forte e piano, as well as in Poems or Pianophonie. The basis of Serocki’s sonoristic technique is the use of various categories of timbre. Serocki himself, in one of his lectures, made a classification of timbres. He distinguished four basic groups: instrumental timbres (without percussion), percussion, vocal and electronic. Each of these groups contains subgroups. (K. Serocki Wykłady, wypowiedzi, zapiski, Kraków 2022, pp. 171–172)

The homogeneity or heterogeneity of sound is not equivalent to the use of instruments belonging to one or more groups, because, in the case of pieces such as Fantasmagoria, Impromptu fantasque or Concerto alla cadenza, one can already speak of a developed polycolour within one group (percussion, string instruments, flutes). In the case of Continuum, the architectonics of space also becomes an important factor.

A piacere is the first piece in which an open form was used. The sources of this idea are seen both in the idea of ​​“Momente Form” embodied by Stockhausen in his Klavierstück XI, and in the concept of montage form developed by Serocki, built from segments with a uniform textural and expressive outline, but subjected to the macro-dramaturgy of the course with clearly outlined climaxes, moments of tension and relaxation. “Montage aleatorism” was used in Arrangements for recorders and in Ad libitum for orchestra. In other works, Serocki allows for certain interpretative freedoms in strictly defined time periods, together with the exact implementation of the instructions included in the score. To enable performers to interpret by their own intentions, he introduces several graphic signs, partially replacing traditional notation.

Pianophonie for piano, electronic processing of sound and orchestra, the last and, at the same time, the longest (approx. 30 min.) piece in Serocki’s oeuvre, is the culmination of his experience in the field of manipulating the shape of sound as a basic element of the piece’s dramaturgy. It is a type of piano concerto because the basic requirement of the genre has been preserved – a dialogue between the solo instrument, with an exposed, virtuoso part, and the orchestra; in addition to traditional keyboard playing, playing on the strings with fingers or sticks is also used. A novelty is the electronic processing of sound (only in the piano part), treated as a natural extension of the sound of the solo instrument. The final shape and expression of the piece are significantly influenced by sequences of quickly changing chords with different degrees of internal saturation, which sometimes makes them similar to clusters, as well as real clusters performed by the pianist on the keys or strings of the piano. The sound of the piano is received by three microphones and emitted by six loudspeakers placed around the hall. The pianist has at his disposal two generators, which he retunes while playing; they produce tones that overlap with the natural sound of the piano. The sound director uses two other generators, two wheel modulators, two delay devices, a set of multiband filters and a halaphone – a device for controlling sound in space. The “electronics” part is notated in the score under the piano part, while the instructions for setting up instruments, apparatus and all articulation tips are in the legend; in addition, the conductor has a light signal on the desk, which helps him synchronise the orchestra with the impulses transmitted from the sound director’s console.

Electronics did not become a fetish in Pianophonie; Serocki uses it to achieve the intended artistic effect, e.g. in the large solo cadenza the delay device significantly enriches the sound of the piano. The transformation or enrichment of the piano sound is sometimes done discreetly and only in two places (marked in the score) does the processed sound eliminate its natural source. The programme for electronic sound processing in Pianophonie was originally developed in the Experimental Studio of the Heinrich Strobel Foundation (Freiburg im Breisgau), headed at the time by H.P. Haller, the inventor of the halaphone, to whom the piece was dedicated and who was the sound director during the first performance and the Polish premiere at the Warsaw Autumn Festival in 1979. In 2008 and then in 2014, the old, analogue equipment was replaced by a digital programme. The authors of the first computer adaptation of the electronic part are Cezary Duchnowski and Marcin Rupociński. Another reconstruction of the electronic layer of the piece, while maintaining all of the composer’s dispositions, was made by Kamil Kęska and Adam Kośmieja.

Serocki’s entire oeuvre is characterised by a kind of vitalism, which is a fundamental feature of many pieces, regardless of the time of their creation. A particular intensification of expression occurs in sonoristic works, which results from the predominance of sound events based on fast movement or polychronic overlapping of structures with a complex internal texture. The leading aesthetic category becomes noise music, consisting in exposing violent, saturated sounds, extracting strong textural and agogic contrasts (Symphonic Frescoes) or “aleatoric din” (Dramatic Story). Such sequences are adjacent to calm fragments, in which a murmuring or melodic texture is exposed (Fantasia elegiaca, Continuum, Dramatic Story, Pianophonie). The sequence of events, even in moments of great tension, always remains under the composer’s control. Serocki has rightly been called the most outstanding colourist in 20^th-century Polish music.

Literature: T.A. Zieliński O twórczości Kazimierza Serockiego, Kraków 1985; Z. Lissa Koncert romantyczny Kazimierza Serockiego, “Muzyka” 1951 No. 2; T. Marek Grupa 49, “Muzyka” 1953 No. 5/6; H. Schiller Sinfonietta na dwie orkiestry smyczkowe, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1958 No. 3; E. Derewecka „Oczy powietrza” Kazimierza Serockiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1960 No. 18; L. Markiewicz „Freski symfoniczne” Serockiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1964 No. 21; T. Marek Composer’s Workshop. Kazimierz Serocki, H. Schiller Poems by Kazimierz Serocki, U. Dibelius Poésies of Kazimierz Serocki and W. Brennecke „Impromptu fantasque” by Kazimierz Serocki, “Polish Music” 1967 No. 2, 1969 No. 4, 1970 No. 1 and 1975 No. 1; B. Gawrońska Organizacja tworzywa muzycznego w twórczości Kazimierza Serockiego (lata 1960– 1970), “Muzyka” 1981 No. 2; L. Davies Serocki’s „Spatial Sonoristics”, “Tempo” 1983 No. 145; G. Michalski Barwna muzyka Kazimierza Serockiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1983 No. 1; T. Zieliński Forma otwarta w muzyce Kazimierza Serockiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 1984 No. 1 and Postawa estetyczna Kazimierza Serockiego, in: Przemiany techniki dźwiękowej, stylu i estetyki w polskiej muzyce lat 70., ed. L. Polony, Kraków 1986; L. Mattner Kazimierz Serocki. „Sinfonische Fresken”, “Melos” 1988 No. 1; J. Krenz Speaks about Kazimierz Serocki, “Polish Music” 1991 No. 1; S. Będkowski Dwunastotonowość „Suity preludiów” Kazimierza Serockiego, “Muzyka” 1994 No. 4; D. Krawczyk Lutosławski i Serocki – dwa typy kształtowania struktury czasowej utworu, in: Dziedzictwo europejskie a polska kultura muzyczna w dobie przemian, ed. A. Czekanowska, Kraków 1995; S. Będkowski Serie dźwiękowe w twórczości Kazimierza Serockiego and Zmienne metra w twórczości Kazimierza Serockiego, “Muzyka” 1996 No. 1 and No. 4; I. Lindstedt The Musical Language of Kazimierz Serocki in the Light of the Composer`s Self-Reflection, Musicology Today, 2015, vol. 12; T. Kienik Sonorystyka Kazimierza Serockiego, Wrocław 2016; I. Lindstedt „Piszę tylko muzykę”. Kazimierz Serocki, Kraków 2020; K. Serocki Wykłady, wypowiedzi, zapiski, ed. I. Lindstedt, Kraków 2022.