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An exquisite work of an unknown composer: The Organ Sonata of Aleksander Glinkowski

March 19, 2003
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In my article "Current Streams in Polish Organ Music"  (The Diapason, May 1995) I mentioned the Organ Sonata of Aleksander Glinkowski as one of the most interesting contemporary compositions written for organ in Poland in the 1980s. Indeed, comparing the Sonata with contemporary organ music in Europe, one can consider it an outstanding piece belonging to the concert repertoire and challenging to every virtuoso of the organ. So why is this piece unknown and relatively seldom performed even in Poland? The answer is simple: the Organ Sonata of Glinkowski, written in the very difficult--for Poland--time of 1981, is still not published. The composer, Aleksander Glinkowski (1941-1991), studied composition at the Music Academy in Katowice and later in Paris. His professor in Katowice, Boleslaw Szabelski (1896-1979), represented the generation of neoclassically oriented composers, but made a spectacular turn to dodecaphony in his last works. In Paris in 1972-1973 Glinkowski studied with Iannis Xenakis. Until his premature death he lived in Katowice, teaching composition at the Music Academy. Very modest, introverted and diffident, he didn't publicize his compositions, so his name is not widely known although Glinkowski represented the best values of Polish contemporary music: intensity, modern technique, fertile sonoristic invention, and sense of form. His Koncert wenecki (Venetian Concert) for oboe and orchestra was awarded a prize in the Artur Malawski Competition in Cracow in 1972.

The organ is constantly present in music of Glinkowski. As a
first attempt he composed Inicjacje
(Initiations) for string quartet, organ and percussion (1966); later, his
Passacaglia for organ solo (1968) and Aisthesis for organ and orchestra (1969) appeared. Only the Passacaglia style='font-style:normal'> was published as Polska wspólczesna
miniatura organowa
(Contemporary Polish
Organ Miniatures, PWM Cracow 1975), together with other compositions that
received awards in the Organ Music Competition in Kamien Pomorski in 1968. The
Organ Sonata of Glinkowski was performed for the first time in 1983 in Katowice by Zygmunt Antonik, and later, several times it was played in Poland, Germany and Switzerland by both Zygmunt Antonik and Marta Szoka. Everywhere, the audience was strongly impressed by the monumental architecture and unusual character of this music.

For a long time the form of the sonata was strictly
connected with tonality and the rules of tonal harmony. In the 19th century an
intensive expansion of harmony in the romantic sonata had its basis in the
development of instrumental texture--especially in the area of piano music. The
situation of the sonata in the 20th century is much more complicated. But among
so many types of contemporary sonatas at least two ideas still hold: one is the
principle of the transformation of thematic material, and the second concerns
the development of an idiomatic (for any instrument) instrumental texture. The Sonata of Glinkowski demonstrates that even with the most modern musical language (aleatorism, sonorism etc.) it is possible to respect both principles. In this piece the composer examined all specific organ attributes. There are so many organ compositions written recently by composers who are used to thinking about organ technique as the synthesis of a highly developed pianism with the addition of some elements of pedal technique. Glinkowski took the idea of his Sonata just from the organ console--both manual and pedal techniques are inextricably intertwined--considering not only the variety of dynamic and color levels, but also the phenomenon of echo in the church interior--the natural environment for the organ. His Sonata was written for a large tracker organ, the "cathedral" type. Moreover, the composer displayed a real mastery of using rests.

The Sonata is a real
challenge for every concert organist. The highest virtuosity consists of a
variety of manual and pedal techniques, including linear and figurative
configurations as well as many types of chords and clusters. The figurative
element is for Glinkowski not only a part of manual technique, but also a type
of texture. Thanks to this special texture he could obtain new sound qualities.
In general, in the whole
Sonata
there are many examples of an extremely fast figurative motion and ostinato
technique. As a result, we have here an impression of a static sound-stream,
although the shape of the figurations varies. These so-called sound-streams, or
sound-strands, make the organ sound similar to the sound quality of electronic
music. The strong influence of the aesthetics of electronic music in
contemporary composition is observed not only in organ music, but the organ,
with its idiomatic attributes, is an especially convenient instrument for these
kinds of experimental ideas.

The two most obvious signs of the influence of electronic
music include: first, the extreme extensions of singular static sound (one
tone, singular chord, or a sound-strand) with no equivalent of the metric or
rhythmic factors; and second, the transformation of sound by adding or
subtracting sound colors (in the organ: registers). The typical electronic
sound-strand that modulates by inducing or by putting out overtones, could be
easily imitated with organ sound and varying registration and articulation. Volumina by György Ligeti is one of the best examples here. In the Sonata of Glinkowski the interior pitches of the sustained sound-strands are changeable; the varying sound color and pitch are a source of internal vibration. Let's examine the beginning of the Sonata. (See Example 1.)

There are here five different figurative models. By very
fast movement--all models are repeated or changed freely--the perception of
individual pitches is nearly impossible. Also, the perception of changes
between models is very difficult, especially since the recommended registration
(upperwork without 8' registers) transfers the whole sound-strand very high.
One can say about this as a special "textural convention" that pure
motion becomes the main tectonic and expressive factor. The term "textural
convention" was introduced by Boguslaw Schäffer, a prominent Polish
composer and theoretician from Cracow, in his fundamental work,
"Introduction to composition" (Cracow 1976). But in the Sonata of Glinkowski the fast, aleatoric figuration, although dominant , is not the only type of texture.

Since elements such as melody and harmony are strongly
limited, dynamics and textural changes serve as the basis for form building.
The three parts of the Sonata are
unified by one fundamental motif. So we have here another example of formal
development. The motivic cell is built of two perfect fifths separated by a
half-tone. For instance: G/D + A-flat /E-flat. This serves as the main material
for all important themes, linear figures, chords, structures etc. It is used as
follows:

1. In its elementary form as a linear structure (Example 2);

2. As a strongly dissonant chord: (Example 3). This
syncopated chordal structure is set against linear configurations. Although
both of the structures are built with the same material, the contrast of
rhythm, dynamics and texture is very emphatic. The half-tone and perfect fifth
are also used for other types of chords (Example 4) and for clusters. The
diatonic, or pentatonic cluster with the ambitus of a perfect fifth displacing
the half-tone steps appears in Part III of the Sonata style='font-style:normal'> (Example 5).

3. As model of figuration, also in parallel fifths or
doubled in fifths and octaves (Example 6).

4. As an ornament--for instance as a trill (See Example 6).
Two principal structures based on the motif of the fifth-half-tone--vertical
(chords, clusters) and horizontal (for instance: figuration)--organize the form
of the Sonata. They contrast strongly,
especially in Part I; somehow we can find here the reflection of the classical
rule of thematic dualism. In Part II the motif appears only in the line of the
figuration. The whole Part II is unique, a long pedal solo cadenza which
contains three sections. The first and third sections, symmetrically, are
filled by a continuous chromatic course of figuration (See Example 7). This
kind of figuration is typical of the toccata or etude; to this writer, it is reminiscent also of the Final of Chopin's
B-flat minor Sonata style='font-style:normal'> (See Example 8). There, too, the extremely fast
stream of tones is perceived as pure motion. But besides the textural
similarity, both fragments of the Chopin and Glinkowski Sonatas present the same
type of expression: dark and dramatic, if not tragic.

The second section of Part II is very slow, soft and quiet.
The motion stops; instead of a single line of figuration, the static
tone-strand occurs. The 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 tone harmony appears, but also in the
pedal solo. The composer requires here strict legato playing and a very special
registration (4' or 2' flute solo) (Example 9). In this episode the tension is
much lower thanks to the strong dynamic and tectonic contrasts with the first
and third sections, but soon the course of figuration returns.

The very beginning of Part III of the Sonata style='font-style:normal'> is reminiscent of the character of the slow part in
classical sonata construction. The diatonic cluster d1-a1 style="mso-spacerun: yes">  accompanies the linear theme with a
special rhythmic pattern (See Example 10). Part I refers to the classical
sonata-form, Part II is simply an ABA' scheme (a ternary form), and Part III
develops gradually. The permanent expansion of dynamics, of structural density,
the growing level of textural complication and speed, finally culminate in a
spacious cluster of tutti. This is also the climax of the whole Sonata. At the
ending coda the diatonic cluster and the main motif return again (See Example
10).

Though the Sonata is
a rather long piece (ca. 25 minutes), thanks to its symmetrical form the
listener has the impression of a very coherent, monolithic work. The
contemplative character of the slow parts alternates with the dramatic dynamism
of fast, figurative or chordal sequences. In these ways, the
Organ
Sonata
of Glinkowski demonstrates the
vitality and attractiveness of sonata principles even for contemporary
composers.

Finally, the notation of the Sonata style='font-style:normal'> is partly traditional and partly modern. The
pitch--except some clusters--is strictly definite, as are the dynamics. The
duration of individual musical elements is approximate, however. The composer
used some rhythmic patterns, but also the proportional graphic intervals of
space/time and simple indications of duration. Glinkowski did not belong to that
group of composers who precisely specify the registration of their organ
compositions. On the contrary, he left a fairly large sphere of interpretation
up to the organist. He only indicated registration in a few places of the Sonata (e.g. in the slow episode of Part II, as mentioned above). The free choice of registration should be, however, considered together with tempo, dynamics, structural density and, last but not least, with the kind of organ and its disposition. Obviously, the aleatoric and cluster techniques and the notation result in a quasi-improvisatory piece, so any concert organist may create his own interpretation of the Sonata.