KrzysztofPenderecki'sPolymorphia

andFluorescences
PeggyMonastra
DuringtheNazioccupationofPoland,Hitler'sforcesrazedthemajorconcert
hallsandconservatories,burnedmostoftheexistingscores,andimprisonedor
murderednumerousmusicians.Theperiodimmediatelyfollowingthe
devastationofWorldWarIIwascharacterizedbyanewintensityof
governmentalsupportforthearts.Musicaleducationwasrevivedwithanew
vigor,asconcerthallsandconservatorieswerequicklybuilttoreplacethe
rubbleleftbehind.However,alongwiththeregrowthcametherestrictive
censorshipofStalinistcommunismwhichcommandedthatartisticworks
embodysocialrealismandpraiseoftheproletariat.Fewworksofanylasting
meritwereproducedduringthistime,andthosethatwereoftenmetwith
culturalbanishment,aswasthecasewithLutoslawski'sFirstSymphony
(1947).Allofthischangedin1956withtheoverthrowoftheStalinistregime
inPoland.OutoftheStalinistdemisewasbornanewspiritofadventure,
individualism,andfreedom.KrzysztofPenderecki(b.1933)isofthe
generationthatbenefitedmostfromthesechangingcurrents.

Penderecki'scompositionsPolymorphiaforstrings(1961)andFluorescences
forlargeorchestra(1962)areoftenconsideredjointlyastheculminationof
sonicandtechnicalexperimentationwhichcharacterizePenderecki'sfirst
acknowledgedstyleperiod.Thesetwoworksarevirtualreferencecatalogsof
Penderecki'saccumulatedeffectsandgestureswhichpopulatethesoundfabric
ofmanyofhislater,more"traditional"worksandwhichhavesubsequently
becomestandardizednotationalandtechnicalpracticesinthesecondhalfof
thetwentiethcentury.WhilebothcompositionsembodyPenderecki'searly
principleofexploring"noiseassoundasmusic,"Fluorescencesgoesonestep
furtherthanPolymorphiaintheuseofmuchlargerandmorevaried
instrumentationandtheinclusionofadditionalnontraditionalperformance
practices.Theseworksandtheirscoresarenotonlysignificantasmarkersof
Penderecki'sstylisticdevelopment,butalsoastheembodimentofmanyofthe
distinguishingcharacteristicsoftheearlysocalled"Polishschool." 1Moreover,
theyrepresentthemoregeneralmidcenturytendencytowardsonic
experimentationapparentintheworksofotherinternationallyrecognized
composerssuchasBoulez,Lutosawski,Stockhausen,Varse,andXenakis.

ThemanuscriptsketchesforbothPolymorphia(thirtythreepages)and
Fluorescences(eightypages)areorderedandnumberedinreversechronology,
withthecompleteddraftsinfullscoreappearingfirst.Thesesketchesarequite

impressivevisually,bothforthe

PendereckiPOLYMORPHIA

aggressiveuseofcolorandforthedominatingpresenceofPenderecki's
innovativegraphicnotation.Thecompletedscoresarefollowedbyincomplete
sketcheswhichgrowprogressivelymorefragmentedandgraphicallyabstract.
Bothsetsofsketchesarenotatedprimarilyinmulticoloredink,withsomebrief
passagesinfelttipmarkersandpencil.Performancedirectionsandothertext

writteninPenderecki'shandareineitherPolishorGerman.

Polymorphiaisscoredforfortyeightstrings:twentyfourviolinsandeight
eachofviolas,cellos,andbasses.Itwascomposedin1961infulfillmentofa
commissionfromNorthGermanRadioHamburgandpremieredonApril6,
1962,inaHamburgperformanceconductedbyAndrzejMarkowski.Other
worksbyPendereckipremieredin1962wereStringQuartetNo.1,Canonfor
stringsandtape,andFluorescences.1962wasalsotheyearinwhich
PendereckicompletedthecompositionofhisStabat Mater,aworkwhich
wouldlatergaingreatersignificanceasamovementofhishighlyacclaimedSt.
Luke Passion.2

Somewhatironically,thetitlePolymorphia(literally"ofmanyforms")doesnot
refertothestructureofthepiece.TheformofPolymorphiaisafairly
straightforwardABA'withthreesegmentsofroughlyequaldurationlasting
threeminutes.Penderecki'sbiographerWolframSchwingerassociatesthetitle
with"thebroadlydeployedscaleofsound...theexchangeandsimultaneous
penetrationofsoundandnoise,thecontrastandinterflowofsoftandhard
sounds."3Theworkisnotatedinaframeworkofanonmetricalsystemin
whichsegmentsofspecific,yetfluctuatingdurationaremarkedoffinseconds
andreadbytheperformersataspeedproportionaltotheoverallperformance
time.

Thetimbreandtextureofcontinuouslinearsoundinthetwooutersectionsof
Polymorphia,composedprimarilyofbandsofmicrotonalclusters,contrasts
greatlywiththemiddlesection,whichischaracterizedas"acatalogueof
punctualandpercussivesounds."4Thepiececloseswithasustained
CMajortriaddeployedthroughoutallfourstringsections.This
anachronisticsoundingtriadfunctionstoreleasetheclimactictensionofthe
previousmicrotonalmaterialandcanberegardedasthecodatotheoverall
ABA'form.5Ina1977interviewwithComposermagazine,Pendereckiclaims
thatthischordwastheseedfromwhichtheentirecompositiongrew.Hisuseof
thismostbasicelementofcommonpracticeharmony"hasnothingtodowith
tonality"butrathertheroleitcanplayintheunderlyinginterplayof"tension
andrelease."

ThecompletescoreinthissetofsketchesforPolymorphiaisprobablythefinal
draft,astherearenosignificantdiscrepanciesbetweenthisversionandthe
editionpublishedin1963byMoeck,Celle.Itisnotatedinred,green,blue,and
blackballpointink,withsomemusicalsegments,numbering,andmost
correctionsinleadpencil.Blueandblackfeltmarkerswereusedtodrawinthe
solidbandsofsustainedclustersand"encephalographic"pitchnotation,oneof
themostvisuallydistinctiveaspectsofthiswork.Thisnotation,usedtosignify
asoundmassofunbrokenslidingpitches,isbasedonactual

electroencephalograms(i.e.,representationsofbrainwaves)recordedatthe
KrakowMedicalCenter,wherePendereckiwasworkingasavolunteer.
Pendereckiwasinspiredbytheelectroencephalogramsrecordedaspatients
listenedtoarecordingofhisearlierandbestknowncomposition,Threnody for
the Victims of Hiroshima.

Inthecompositionalmethodemployedduringthisexperimentalperiod,
Pendereckibeginsacompositionbytranslatinghisauralconceptsintoabstract
graphicdrawings.Throughthetransformationandmanipulationofthe
drawings,heformulatesthepitchmaterialandformalstructureofthe
composition.Thesedrawingsthengivewaytowhathedescribedasa
"shorthand"notationwhich,inturn,iseitheradaptedtosignifyanarticulatory
performancedirectiveorisalliedtospecificpitcheswhichsonicallyillustrate
thecorrespondinggraphicfigure.

ThesketchesforPolymorphiaincludemorethanafewexamplesofthis
graphicshorthand.Themoststrikingandillustrativeisafullpageplanofthe
entirepieceasitevolvesthroughvariouslevelsofdevelopment.

FluorescencesfororchestrawascommissionedbytheSouthwestGerman
RadiofortheannualfestivalatDonaueschingenwhereitwaspremieredon
October21,1962,underthebatonofHansRosbaud,thework'sdedicatee.

PendereckidescribedFluorescencesasthe"terminalbalancesheet"6ofhis
experimentalperiodandas"aculminatingpointfromwhichitwasdifficultto
progress."7Workscomposedinthetimeperiodimmediatelyfollowing
Fluorescencesarecharacterizedbyaturntowardthepastforinspirationfrom
moretraditionalstylesandformsandamorelighthandeduseofthe
experimentalsonoritiescommontohisworksfromthelate1950stoearly
1960s.WolframSchwingerdescribesFluorescencesas"thedirect
continuation"ofPolymorphia:"whathehadachievedthere,onstringsonly,
mustnowbebravedwiththefullcomplementofthesymphonyorchestra."8
Penderecki'sfirstworktoincludewinds(inquadrupleforces,noless:foureach
offlutes,clarinets,oboes,andbassoons),Fluorescencesisalsoscoredforafull
complementofstrings,pianoforte,andsixdifferingpercussionsections.The
score,publishedbyMoeckin1962,containsamore

PendereckiFLUORESCENCES

extensivelistofsymbolsandabbreviationsforspecialeffectsthananyof
Penderecki'sworks,beforeorsince.Themostdistinctivetimbrescontributing
tothesonicfabricofthisworkaretheeerievoicesoftheflexaton,siren,sega,
andatypewriter,includedasmembersofthesixthpercussionbattery.The
auraleffectsheardinFluorescencesgowellbeyondthepercussiveand
glissandolikegesturesofPolymorphia;performersareinstructedtohumwhile
theyplay,tosawwoodorironwithahandsaw,torubpercussioninstruments
vigorouslywithametalfile,andtorubthesoundboardofthestring
instrumentswithanopenhand.Foreachofthesenewgestures,Penderecki
createdgraphicsymbols,allofwhicharederivedfromtheinitialconceptual
graphicoutlineforthecomposition.

ThestructureofFluorescencesdoesnotcorrespondwithanypreestablished
musicalformsbutmostcloselyresemblesanABA'pattern.Assuggestedby

Schwinger,itcanbebestunderstoodasamusicaltranslationofthe
significanceofitstitleas"theacousticalemergenceofunusuallyarticulated
manifestationsofsound"amidstalandscapeof"fluenttransitions...fromsoft
tohardtimbres,fromtranslucenttoopaquenoises...reinvestigatedthrough
fieldsofcontrast,adjacentandoverlapping,insuchawayastoachieveformal
correspondencetopassagesresumedandaudiblyreversed."9Inthefirst
section,distinctsonictexturesareindividuallyilluminatedinsequence.TheB
sectionor"inventionononenote"asitissometimesreferredto,isatimbral
andrhythmicstudyofthepitchC.Thefinalthirdoftheworkreintroducesthe
previouslypresentedtimbresandtexturesincombinationsofgreaterdynamic
andtexturalintensitywhichcontributetoacontinuallyheighteningdegreeof
tension.Thistensionisrelievedintheclosingmomentaseachinstrumentbya
downwardglissandopassesthroughthepitchCandfadestosilence.

TheadditionalmaterialforFluorescencesincludesadraftofthecomplete
score,twopagesofperformanceinstructionswrittenoutinGerman,and
fortyeightpagesofsketcheswhichgrowprogressivelymorefragmentedand
notationallyabstract.Recordeduponthesepagesaretwodifferentdatesand
locations:"Wien,7.VI.61"onpage59and"Stockholm27.XI.61"onpage41.10
Otherpointsofinterestincludeacarefulmappingoutofthespecific
instrumentationforthesixdifferingpercussionbatteriesandafullpage
graphicoutlineforanothercomposition,drawninfivecolorsandlabeled
Penetrazioni.

Thesesketches,substantiallymoresothanthoseofPolymorphia,reveala
compositionwhichgreatlychallengeditscomposerandhisabilitytogive
voiceandlogicalformtohissonicabstractions.Thecompletemanuscript
score,unlikethatofPolymorphia,reflectsaworkinprogressandnotthefinal
versionfoundinthepublishededition.11

Theinnovativedevelopmentsinsonicexplorationandtheaccompanying
experimentalnotationachievedduringPenderecki'sfirstperiodofprofessional
andstylisticevolutionreachedtheirzenithinthecompositionofPolymorphia
andFluorescences.Polymorphiacarriedoutthesearchfornewsonic
possibilitiesinthestringfamilyinitiatedwiththecompositionofAnaklasis.
Fluorescencesjoinedtheseinnovationswiththeforcesofpercussionandthe
fullorchestratoelevatePenderecki'searlymusicallanguagetoitshighest
point.

Forexample,WolframSchwinger,Penderecki'sprimarybiographertodate,citesthe
"Polishpredilectionforstrings"sharedbyPenderecki,Gorecki,LutosawskiandSerocki.
WolframSchwinger,Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work,trans.WilliamMann
(London:Schott,1989).

1962wasalsotheyearinwhichPendereckifirstmetOttoTomek,whosoonafter
becametheprogramdirectorattheannualDonaueschingenmusicfestival,atwhich
Penderecki'sworkswereoftenperformed.Discussionsinitiatedatthisfirstmeeting
resultedinTomek'scommissioningoftheSt. Luke Passion.

Schwinger,op.cit.,p.131.

MichaelTomaszewski,linernotestoKrzysztof Penderecki, Volume 1,Krakow

PhilharmonicOrchestra/HenrykCzyz(MuzaPNCD017A/B,1989).
5

OtherPendereckicompositionswithsimilartensionreleasingmajorchordfinalesare
theStabat Mater(1963)andtheSt. Luke Passion(1966).

Schwinger,op.cit.,p.140.

AtesOrga,"KrzysztofPenderecki,"Music and Musicians22(October1973):39.

Schwinger,op.cit.,p.140.

Ibid.,p.141

10

SchwingernotesthatPendereckiwasinViennaatthistimeforthepremiereofthe
secondversionofhisDimensions of Time and Silence,performedbytheRIASChamber
Choir,EnsembledierieheandconductedbyFriedrichCerhaatthe35thISCMFestival.
Reconsiderationofthiscompositionwhilecomposing Fluorescencesisreflectedin
severalcompositionalsimilaritiesbetweenthetwoworks.Thesesimilarities,themost
strikingofwhichwereeditedoutbeforethefinalcopy,arequiteevidentinthese
sketches.Amoredetailedstudycomparingthesetwoworkswouldmostlikelyreveal
moreextensivesimilarities.PendereckitravelledtoStockholminJulyforaperformance
ofThrenodyunderMichaelGielenintheNudikaMusikseriesofconcerts(Schwinger,
op.cit.,p.28).
11

Themoststrikingdifferencebetweenthescorecontainedinthesesketchesandthe
publishededitionisthatofsix"measures,"numbered1924inthesketches,whichdonot
appearinthepublishedscoreandtotalapproximatelyoneminuteinlength.Thissketch
segmentrecallsthestyleofchoralwritingfoundinthechamberworkDimensions of
Time and Silence(1959/1960).Inthisearlierwork,thechorusaddstothetextureofthe
"noisespectrum"vocalizingnonpitched,systematizedsequencesof"acutely
pronounced"consonantswithsungvowelsinterspersedonsustainedandspecified
pitches.