Paweł Mykietyn

born in Oława in 1971, he studied composition with Włodzimierz Kotoński at the Music Academy in Warsaw (diploma in 1997). He made his ‘Warsaw Autumn’ debut at the age of 22, with La Strada. In 1995, his Polish Radio commission – 3 for 13 – was placed first in the under 30s-category at the International Composers’ Rostrum in Paris. In the same year, he received a ‘Warsaw Autumn’ commission (Eine kleine Herbstmusik featured in the programme of the 1995 event).
The following year his Polish Radio commission, Epiphora, won First Award in the category of young composers at the 4th International Rostrum of Electro-acoustic Music in Amsterdam; in addition, it won one of the four nominations in the general category. Mykietyn is founder of, and clarinettist in, the Nonstrom Ensemble which specializes in the performance of contemporary music.

Selected works: …Although Dedalus Reached… for clarinet, cello and piano (1990), La Strada for three instruments (1991), Four Preludes for piano (1992), At Radek’s for clarinet, trombone, cello and piano (1993), 3 for 13 for 13 performers (1994), Sonatina für Alina for alto saxophone and tape (1994), Eine kleine Herbstmusik for chamber ensemble (1995), Epiphora for piano and tape (1996), Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1996), …On one’s Own Theme for chamber ensemble (1997), Four for four for clarinet, trombone, cello and piano (1997), String Quartet (1998), Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1998), Commencement de siŹcle for chamber ensemble and live electronics (1999), An Ignoramus and a Madman, chamber opera (after Thomas Bernhard, 2001), Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra (2002), An Album Leaf for cello and computer (2002), Krzyki for strings (2002), Lekko for six male voices (2003), Klave for harpsichord and chamber orchestra (2004), Ładnienie (Becoming Fine) for baritone, harpsichord and string quartet (2004); incidental music for the theatre, film music.

Ładnienie (Becoming Fine) for baritone and five instruments, to a poem by Marcin Świetlicki of the same title, was written in the summer of 2004 as a commission of the ‘Warsaw Autumn’ Festival, with the excellent Polish baritone Jerzy Artysz in mind.
The solo part is accompanied by a microtonally-tempered harpsichord and string quartet.

Paweł Mykietyn

Becoming Fine

A fine day
to go for a walk.
A fine light
to see you more clearly.
A fine day
is a blessing from God.
A fine finale.
A fine finale.

First a small wound
will appear on my palm.
(...)
Then a shadow
will cut across the sun.
And it’ll become ever so bright.
And ever so painful.

A fine place.
Yours is a fine place.
Though it’s winter,
the strong sun is creeping.
A fine place.
Yours is a fine place.
A fine finale.
A fine finale.

Light will fall.
Shine into the thief’s eyes.
Light will fall.
The drunkard’s glass will crack.
Light will fall.
The pervert will deviate.
Light will fall.
The priest’s cassock will tear.

A fine day
to go for a walk.
A fine light
to see you more clearly.
A fine day
is a blessing from God.
A fine finale.
A fine finale.

A fine place.
The sun is smitten.
Glistening ashes
fall onto the earth.
The night is glistening.
Yours is a fine place.
Beasts rule here.
Beasts rule here.

A fine place.
The beasts have two heads,
two tongues,
are double-sexed.
They multiply,
devour the fruit of thy womb.
And then they devour
one another.

A fine place,
even the beasts are gone.
Dusk fades away.
The pit gapes.
Void.
Pit.
The void falls into the pit.
Into the bottomless pit.
The bottomless pit.

(...)
A fine finale.
A fine finale.

A fine place.
Yours is a fine place.
And it’ll become ever so fine.
It’ll become ever so bright.

Then you’ll bring forth a sun.
Then you’ll bring forth a pearl.

Marcin Świetlicki
trans. Elżbieta Wójcik-Leese