Szeremeta Ryszard, *5 May 1952 Kraków, Polish composer, conductor and jazz vocalist. He studied composition at the PWSM in Kraków under L. Kaszycki (1971–76, diploma with distinction), conducting with J. Katlewicz (1972–75) and electronic music with J. Patkowski (1974–76). In 1981–82, he completed postgraduate composition studies at the Guildhall School of Music in London under the supervision of A. Nieman and R. Saxton. In 1986, he completed a computer internship at Elektronmusikstudion (EMS) in Stockholm under L.G. Bodin and T. Ungvary. In 1991, he worked at the Groupe de Musique Expérimentale in Bourges (GMEB) in France. In 1976, he joined the jazz vocal quartet Novi Singers and remained its member until 1985 (he was one of the first Polish musicians to sing scat). For the needs of this group, he made many transcriptions and arrangements of Polish folk music, F. Chopin’s carols and mazurkas, and over 100 jazz standards. He also collaborated with the Polish Radio and Television Jazz Orchestra in Warsaw led by A. Trzaskowski. In 1982–98, he was the head of the Polish Radio Experimental Studio in Warsaw. At the same time, he performed with the Crossover trio, formed with J. Pilch and D. Pituch. Since 1986, Szeremeta has been a member of the International Society of Electroacoustic Music [Société Internationale de Musique Electroacoustique] in Bourges. In 1993–95, he was the vice-president of the Polish Composers’ Union and a member of the Repertoire Committee of the Warsaw Autumn Festival. Since 1990, he has collaborated with Besta Films, ARD, ZDF, SDF, Arte, 3 Sat and the multimedia publishing house Arcadia (Switzerland). He is a winner of, among others, the ZKP Youth Competition in 1977 for Wszytki płacze, the Polish Radio Competition in 1979 for Capricorn, the Concours International de Musique Electroacoustique de Bourges in 1981 for Points I and 1987 for Pulse Rate, the Concorso Internazionale “Luigi Russolo” di Musica Elettroacustica in Varese (Italy) in 1981 for Points I and II and 1985 for Amphora, the International Rostrum of Electroacoustic Music in Oslo in 1989 for Entering 1990, the International Rostrum of Composers of the IMC in Budapest in 1995 for Triple Concerto, in 1987 the H. Wars Award of the ZAiKS Association for his entire compositional output. Szeremeta combines his interest in experimental music with a passion for jazz and popular music. He has written many entertainment pieces (including the well-known hit Już nie ma dzikich plaż with lyrics by K. Tomaszewski). His oeuvre also includes film and theatre music.
Literature: W. Kotoński, Muzyka elektroniczna, Kraków 1989 [renewal 2002]; M. Zwyrzykowski, Studio Eksperymentalne Polskiego Radia i początki muzyki elektroakustycznej w Polsce, https://culture.pl/pl/artykul/studioeksperymentalne-polskiego-radia-i-poczatki-muzykielektroakustycznej-w-polsce [published on 25 March 2016, access 5 February 2023].
Instrumental:
orchestra:
The Bird of Paradise for saxophone and instrumental ensemble, 1979
Advocatus diaboli, 1980–81, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1981
The Ancient Guildhall for saxophone and instrumental ensemble, 1983
Zygmunt for saxophone and instrumental ensemble, 1983
Double Saxophone Concerto for 2 saxophones and orchestra, 1990
Patchwork, 1990
for instruments solo:
Capricorn for harpsichord, 1979
vocal-instrumental:
On a Slow Fire for vocal quartet and instrumental ensemble, 1981
Święty eksperyment for vocal quartet, 2 prepared pianos and 2 xylophones, 1983
Soul Solution for a female vocalist accompanied by soloists, 1999
Electronic:
electroacoustic:
Wszytki płacze for choir, 3 double basses and tape to lyrics by J. Kochanowski, 1975
Amphora for saxophone and tape, 1984, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1985
Agent Orange for saxophone, synthesiser, percussion and tape, 1986, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1987
James Joyce Variations for piano and tape, 1987
Chamber Music for voices, electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 1988
Miraculeo for synthesiser, percussion and tape, 1988, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1988
Trickstar for piano, synthesiser, saxophone, percussion and tape, 1989, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1989
Hourglass for violin and tape, 1996, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1996
Belief for vocal quartet and tape, 1999, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 2001
Metrograph 45 for piano, percussion and tape (for the 45th anniversary of the PR Experimental Studio), 2002
for tape:
Points I for tape (electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation), 1981, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1991
Points II for tape (electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation), 1981
Pulse Rate for tape (electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation), 1984, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1986
Mirror I –Jamesa Joyce’s lyric poetry for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 1989
Mirror II – Jamesa Joyce’s lyric poetry for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 1989
Entering1990 for tape (for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation), 1989–90
M’bout M for tape (for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation), 1993
SY 99 Message for tape (for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation), 1993, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1993
Triple Concerto for 3 synchronic tapes, 1995, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1995
Metrograph Future for tape (for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation), 1996
Un morceau de Mac for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 1997, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1997
Future Music for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 1998
Metrograph Touch for tape (for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation), 1998
Metrograph – Words for tape,1999
Legendary Creatures (Life-giving Protoplasma, From single cells to the Crown of the Creation, Primitive Life-forms, Inhumane Living Beings,Creatures from the Realms of Fables) for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 2004
Voodoo-cults (Mental Preparation, Trance-Prophecies, Elemental Spirits, Mediumize, Macumba, Frenzy) for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 2006
Druids’ Knowledge (Priests of Albion, Voice of Deity, Bards of God, Sacred Grove, Servants of Divinity, Lost Knowledge) for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 2008
Ballet of the Electrons (Setting up of the Neutrons, Step by step, Fundamental Nuclear Particles, Tap-dance-accelerator, Particle configuration, Quantum Jumps) for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 2010
Microcosmos Macrocosmos (Tabula Smaragdina, Mind and Matter, Tectonics of a Monad, Structural stones of the Universe, Devision Ratio, Down to the Last Detail) for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 2012
The Art of Genetics (Enlarged Cognition, Natural patterns, Schematic structures, Hereditary dispositions, Inseminate artifically Genetic Code) for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 2014
Soul Solution (Attempt to Liberate, Intermediate State, Inner Space, Goin Inward, Borderlines, Deliverence) for electroacoustic layer and interactive improvisation, 2016
arrangements for a vocal ensemble (e.g. Muzyka polskiego renesansu: 10 tańców polskich, 1979; Christmas carols, 1979; Paganini’s Caprice No. 24, 1980; mazurkas by Chopin, 1980), jazz orchestra (e.g. Concerto for clarinet and big-band, 1983), music for documental films, songs (e.g. Już nie ma dzikich plaż)
