Pietrzak, Bernard (1924-1978)
Trio (6:30) 1964 Publisher: PWM (c1972)
Instrumentation: oboe, clarinet, bassoon
This minimalistic, highly dissonant work is structurally built of sound blocks of repeated notes played with defined block dynamics. Each block for each instrument can be built out of 3-6 notes. The blocks are timed in seconds, and in many instances they are connected by simultaneous glissandos in all the voices. The composition makes use also of slow and rapid tremolos, reiteration of the same note, and irregular repetition on 1-5 notes. It is advised to perform this composition with a conductor.
Grade: V-VI
Recordings: none
Sheet music source: out of print
Bernard Pietrzak
Born in Brzózka on August 1, 1924 and died in Łódź on May 23, 1978.
He was a composer, teacher, organist and choral director. He studied organ performance with J. Kucharski and T. Paciorkiewicz and composition with K. Sikorski at the PWSM in Łódź. From 1950-54 he was an organist at different churches in Łódź. From 1957 until his death he was a lecturer at the Music Academy of Łódź (PWSM). During his time as a professor he was also a choral director. His compositions were written in the last two decades of his life. At first he composed serial music with typical aspects of that technique, later developed his technique towards sonorism and traditional accents. He often drew inspiration or quoted the Gregorian chant in his compositions, joining the old architecture with modern atonalism.