Widłak, Wojciech (1971- )
Salve Regina-alegoria na trio stroikowe/Salve Regina- an allegory for Reed Trio (7:30) 2004/2005 Publisher: PWM (c2005)
Instrumentation: oboe, clarinet, bassoon
In the composer’s own words:
“Salve Regina-an allegory for reed trio” was composed in the final weeks of my composition teacher Marek Stachowski’s life. While working on the piece, my thoughts concentrated around the reflections of passing away. Therefore, in the first two parts of the composition appears the characteristic, “mournful” descending motive, and in harmony emerges the triton. The middle episode is played as from afar, and the last episode involves the musical expansion of two cantus firmi. The melody for the first one is taken from the Polish version of Salve Regina and it has been divided between the oboe and bassoon. The other melody is taken from Dies irae and forms the basis of the motor-rhythmic counterpoint performed by the clarinet. The last one consists of the original melody and its inversion. One of the ideas for the construction of the work is to achieve agreement and harmony. The dissonant opening gradually passes into more tonal sonorities, and pure E major triad concludes the whole work. Wojciech Widłak
As stated by the composer, the opening of the work is highly dissonant. A descending motive is written in minor seconds as a part of the melody, and as a part of the voicing between the oboe and clarinet. The composer also employed ad lib ideas involving all three voices, and at these moments the oboe leads the other two instruments throughout. The most challenging ad lib section is between measures 24-25. Here, all the instruments play irregular chromatic 10-14 note runs that line up in different ways. The bassoon’s high register is used to great extent throughout the piece, rising to high d and ending the piece on high b. Due to ad lib sections, mixed meter, note register, and rhythmical difficulty, this is a very hard work to play. It needs very careful preparation from every one and very careful work as a group.
Grade: VI
Recordings: none
Sheet music source: pwm.com.pl
Wojciech Widłak
Born in Kraków on August 8, 1971.
He is a composer, teacher, music critic and organist. He studied at Academy of Music in Kraków, and received two degrees from this institution. In 1995 he received degree with high honors in organ performance and in 1996 received a degree in composition. He studied composition with Marek Stachowski. In 1998 he received a Polish and Danish governmental scholarship to study composition with Hans Abrahamsen at the Royal Danish Academy of Music where he studied for a year. Also, at this time he took part in different composer workshops in Europe as well in master-classes at the Music Academy in Sienna, Italy, in Great Britain with Robert Saxton, in Kopenhagen and at the Summer School for New Techniques of Composition in Macedonia.
Widłak has received numerous awards for his compositions at composer competitions in Poland and abroad. In 2005 he received 2nd prize at the Vleme Concours Europeen de Composition pour Choeurs at Maitrises de Cathedral in Amiens, France, and in 2006 he received recommendation at the 53rd International Paris Rostrum of Composers. From 1998-2003 he was the Head of the Diocese College of the Church Music at St. John Kanty Theological Institute in Bielsko-Biała. In 2004 he received a Ph.D. in Music Theory and Composition, and since 2005 he has been the head of composition faculty at the Academy of Music in Kraków. He has given guest lectures at such institutions as Roosevelt University in Chicago, Columbia College in Chicago, Istanbul Bilgi University in Instanbul, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater in Vilnus, and Academy of Music ad Dramatic Arts in Bratislava. His compositional output centers around instrumental, chamber and vocal works.