Cezary Duchnowski

born in 1971 in Elbląg, he studied composition with Leszek Wisłocki at the Music Academy in Wrocław. He was one of the founders of the Academy’s Studio of Computer Composition, with which he has been associated as a lecturer since the beginning. Electroacoustic music has been the focus of his artistic activity for the past few years. He is a co-founder (with Marcin Rupociński) of the ‘Morphai’ Artistic Group, which undertakes interdisciplinary projects. He works regularly with Agata Zubel in recitals for voice and computer.

Selected works: Żuławy Impressions for chamber orchestra (1993), An Epic Poem of Hops for soprano, actors’ choir and large symphony orchestra (1996), Poems from the Rabble of Nobody’s Thoughts for choir, three sopranos, piano and harpsichord (1996), Taps, concert-performance for piano, soprano with the participation of a quintet, dance theatre and actor (1997), Hypér tes morphés for soprano, saxophone and tape (1998), Morphai, multi-media spectacle for soprano, piano, marimbaphone and electronic media with dance, performance and video (1998), Mediants for string quartet, harpsichord and piano (1998), Games, audiovisual spectacle for soprano, saxophone, piano, marimbaphone and electronic media with dancers and actor (1998), Vernissage for photography, piano and tape (1999), Ludus for symphony orchestra (2000), Ovinu Malkeinu for tape (2000), monad 1 for accordion and two violins (2001; version for harpsichord and two violins 2002), Sequences, audiovisual spectacle (2001), The Beginning, radio broadcast for announcer and electronics (2001), Progress for soprano and electronics (2001), The Aim, radio broadcast No. 2 for announcer and electronics (2001), Wyczochraczone for computer (2002), Dishevelled Grass for voice and tape (2002), Triads for string orchestra and electronics (2002), monad 2 for soprano, trumpet and computer (2003), Meloodia for Arvo Pärt for four male voices and tape (2003), monad 3 for voice, piano and computer (2003), monad 4 for Baron, Wojtasik and computer (2004).

monad 3
The ‘monad’ cycle is created in the spirit of exploring new musical values by means of modern expressive devices. In this piece these explorations proceed at the level of the work’s basic components. This is connected with the need to interfere deeper with the sound matter. Hence the use of the computer, an instrument whose open potential to a large degree helps discover a new aspect of the elementary properties of music which is not burdened with any extra-musical content. Apart from composing a specific time-space, the instruments themselves can be ‘composed’ here. Such a situation allows for an encounter with the essence of music. It makes it possible to shape its point of departure which is at the same time its conditio sine qua non – the sound which is in itself of an individual character. It is the sound which constitutes the indivisible substance of which the musical being consists. The sound is, like Leibnitz’s monad, a closed cosmos.