1972 Graz
Oct 9, 1972 – Oct 17, 1972
Graz
Festival info
Start: Oct 9, 1972
End: Oct 17, 1972
Locations: Graz
Hosting member(s)
(Co-organized by ORF Studio Steiermar and presented in conjunction with Musikprotokoll 1972 and within the Steirischer Herbst ’72)
“Without any risk of being suspected of trying to be merely courteous I may safely state that the International
Society for Contemporary Music feels proud to be able to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in the very country
where its foundation was decided upon.”
— André Jurrès, ISCM President from 1969-1975 (from the official 1972 WMD Program Book)
Program Committee
Ulrich Dibelius
Luc Ferrari
Vinko Globokar
Ingvar Lidholm
György Ligeti
Joji Yuasa
+
Karl Ernst Hoffmann, consultant for choral music
Wilfried Weber, consultant for contemporary music theater (specifically for the Wiesbaden 70 Ensemble)
Gerd Zacher, consultant for organ music
Concerts
Monday, 9 October 1972, 19:45 ORF Symphony Orchestra at the Opernhaus
(E) » Friedrich Cerha (Austria, b. 1926): Spiegel I – VII for movement groups, lights, and objects (1960-61) [82′] [world premiere of the complete cycle] conducted by the composer.
Tuesday, 10 October 1972, 19:45 – SWF-Orchestra Baden-Baden (conducted by Ernest Bour and Pierre Stoll) at the Stephaniensaal
D Yoritsune Matsudaira (Japan, b. 1907; d. 2001): Mouvements Circulatoires for two chamber orchestras (1971) [world premiere];
D Franco Donatoni (Italy, b. 1927; d. 2000): To Earle per orchestra da camera in due sezioni (1970);
S Peter Schat (Netherlands, b. 1935; d. 2003): Thema for oboe solo, guitars, organ and winds (1970) [14′] featuring Han de Vries;
+ Luciano Berio (Italy, b. 1925; d. 2003): Chemins IIb for orchestra (1970) [10′].
Wednesday, 11 October 1972, 19:45 Pro-Arte-Ensemble Graz conducted by Karl Ernst Hoffmann at the Stephaniensaal *
(E) * Ernst Krenek (United States, b. 1900 in Austria; d. 1991): Lamentatio Jeremiae Prophetae Mvt I – In coena domini for unaccompanied chorus (1941) [10′];
* Jorge Antunes (Brazil, b. 1942): Chronamorphonética for unaccompanied female chorus (1967) [9′] [world premiere];
+ Iannis Xenakis (France/Greece, b. 1922 in Romania; d. 2001 in France): Nuits for unaccompanied chorus (1967/68) [12′];
D Paul Gutama Soegijo (West Germany, b. 1934 in Indonesia; d. 2019): Landschaften for chorus and ensemble (1971) [18′] [world premiere].
Thursday, 12 October 1972 19:45 Chamber Orchestra of Radio-Television Zagreb conducted by Mario di Bonaventura at the Weiz Secondary School
D Umberto Rotondi (Italy, b. 1937; d. 2007): Musica per 24 for chamber orchestra (1970) [12′];
S Ilja Zeljenka (Czechoslovakia [Slovakia] b. 1932; d. 2007): Polymetrická hudba (Polymetric Music) for 4 string quartets (1970) [13′] [first public performance] **;
(E)* Karel Goeyvaerts (Belgium [Flanders], b. 1923; d. 1993): Al naar gelang for five orchestra groups and fixed media electronics ad libitum (1970-71) [15′];
* Witold Lutosławski (Poland, b. 1913; d. 1994): Preludes and a Fugue for 13 solo strings (1970-72) [35′] [world premiere].
Thursday, 12 October 1972, 22:30 – Ensemble XX. Jahrhundert directed by Peter Burwik and conducted by Wilfried Weber at the Weiz Secondary School
D Yoriaki Matsudaira (Japan, b. 1931): What’s Next? for soprano and two noisemakers (1967-71/’72) [13′] [world premiere of revised version] sung by Roswitha Trexler;
D Theodore Antoniou (Greece, b. 1935; d. 2018): Six Likes for solo tuba (1967) [15′] performed by Yannys Zouganellis (tuba);
” Roger Reynolds (United States, b. 1934): Ping for flute, piano, and percussion (harmonium, bowed tam tam, bowed cymbal) plus actor, film, and slide projections (1968) [22′] [European premiere];
E * Anestis Logothetis (Austria/Greece, b. 1921 in Bulgaria; d. 1994 in Austria): karmadharmadrama (1961-68) [world premiere].
Friday, 13 October 1972, 19:45 – ORF Symphony Orchestra and the ORF-Chor conducted by Milan Horvat at the Stephaniensaal
+ Pierre Boulez (France, b. 1925; d. 2016): Cummings ist der Dichter for chorus and ensemble (1970) [14′];
D Róbert Wittinger (West Germany, b. 1945 in Austria): Costellazioni, op. 22, for cymbalom solo and chamber orchestra (1971); featuring Márta Fábián;
” Josef Maria Horváth (Hungary, b. 1931; d. 2019): Melencolia I for violin and orchestra (1972) [13′] [world premiere] featuring Ernst Kovacic;
S Klaus Huber (Switzerland, b. 1924; d. 2017): …inwendig voller Figur… for choir voices, loudspeakers, tape and large orchestra (1971) [24′].
Saturday, 14 October 1972, 19:00 Ensemble Musique Vivante conducted by Diego Masson
First portion of the program in the Messehalle
E ” Karlheinz Stockhausen (West Germany, b. 1928; d. 2007): Stop for 6 groups (1964-65) [20′];
S Sven-David Sandström (Sweden, b. 1942; d. 2019): Disturbances for brass sextet (1972) [10′];
(E)” Toru Takemitsu (Japan, b. 1930; d. 1996): Stanza II for harp and fixed media electronic sounds (1972) [6′];
E ” Carlos Roqué Alsina (France, b. 1941 in Argentina): Omnipotenz for 2 soloists und chamber orchestra (1971) [15′] featuring the composer as piano soloist and one additional soloist;
Second portion of the program in the Kongresshalle
E” Heinz Holliger (Switzerland, b., 1939): Kreis for 12 players (1971) [12′] [world premiere];
” Luciano Berio: Sequenza III for unaccompanied voice (1965) [8′] ***;
(S Michael Gielen (Austria, b. 1927; d. 2019): die glocken sind auf falscher spur melodrama and interludes [with poetry by Jean Arp] (1967-69) [30′] recitation by Karlheinz Donauer) ***;
(? Iannis Xenakis: Linaia =? Linaia-Agon for horn, trombone and tuba (1972) [16′]) ***
Final portion of the program in the Messehalle
” Vinko Globokar (France/Yugoslavia [Slovenia], b. 1934): Concerto grosso (1969) [51′?] [world premiere of new version] featuring the composer on trombone and alphorn.
Sunday, 15 October 1972, 11:00 – organ recital by Gerd Zacher at the Basilica, Seckau
(+) Juan-Carlos Paz (Argentina, b. 1897-Aug 26, 1972): Galaxia ’64 for organ (1964);
(+) Hans-Joachim Hespos (West Germany, b. 1938): Traces de… for organ (1972) [12′] [world premiere of new version];
(+) Giuseppe Giorgio Englert (Switzerland, b. 1927; d. 2007): Cantus plumbeus non pulsando pro organo (1972) [world premiere];
(+) Juan Allende-Blin (West Germany, b. 1928 in Chile): Mein blaues Klavier for organ and barrel organ (1970) [15′] performed with the composer;
+ John Cage (United States, b. 1912; d. 1992): Variations III (1962/63; version for organ) [duration indeterminate].
Sunday, 15 October 1972, 19:45 in the Festsaal, Murau
S Eduardo Bértola (Argentina, b. 1939; d. 1996 in Brazil): Signals for 17 instruments (1969) [world premiere] performed by Ens. Kontrapunkte conducted by Peter Keuschnig;
* Luigi Dallapiccola (Italy, b. 1904; d. 1975): Commiato for soprano and ensemble (1972) [14′] [world premiere] featuring Dorothy Dorow with Ens. Kontrapunkte/Keuschnig;
+ György Kurtág (Hungary, b. 1926): Egy Téli alkony emlékére (In memory of a winter evening), op. 8, for soprano, violin, and cymbalom (1969) [7′] featuring Alice Németh, Judit Hevesi, and Márta Fábián;
S Rolf Gehlhaar (United States, b. 1943 in Germany (now Poland); d. 2019): Musi-ken for string quartet (1972) [15′] performed by the Gaudeamus Quartet;
* Rufo Herrera (Brazil, b. 1933 in Argentina): Engramas for 9 musicians and 13 instruments [5′] [world premiere] performed by Ens. Kontrapunkte/Keuschnig;
” Irmfried Radauer (Austria, b. 1928; d. 1999 in Greece): Kontraktion for 13 instruments [world premiere] performed by Ens. Kontrapunkte/Keuschnig.
Monday, 16 October 1972, 19:45 – Ensemble die reihe conducted by Friedrich Cerha at the Stephaniensaal
D Junsang Bahk (South Korea, b. 1937): Seak (I) for chamber ensemble (1971) [14′];
+ Morton Feldman (United States, b. 1926; d. 1987): The Straits of Magellan for seven instruments (1961) [5′];
” György Ligeti (Austria, b. 1923; d. 2006): Melodien for orchestra (1971) [13′];
* Giuseppe Sinopoli (Italy, b. 1946; d. 2001): Opus Ghimel for chamber orchestra (1971) [8′];
S Maurice Weddington (Denmark, b. 1941 in the United States; now based in Germany): Nina Larker-Tina Nørløv-Susanne Rudkjøbing for ensemble (1970) ****.
?? a music theater evening with the Kulturkvartetten (not listed in Slonimsky or the official program book)
???E Jan Bark (Sweden, b. 1934; d. 2012) and Folke Rabe (Sweden, b. 1935; d. 2017): Electricity and Trombones.
? Tuesday, 17 October 1972, TIME? – Electronic Music Concert
” José Ramón Maranzano (Argentina, b. 1940): Mnemon (1970);
??? * Otto Pircher: Konzept für Kammermusik;
” Per Nørgård (Denmark, b. 1932): Den fortryllede skov (The Enchanted Forest) (1968) [12′];
” Miro Bázlik (Czechoslovakia [Slovakia], b. 1931): Aria (1970) [11′];
+ Bengt-Emil Johnson (Sweden, b. 1936; d. 2010): Through the Mirror of Thirst (1969) [6′].
Tuesday, 17 October 1972, 19:45 Radio and Television Orchestra of Ljubljana conducted by Samo Hubad
D Ștefan Niculescu (Romania, b. 1927; d. 2008): Unisonos for orchestra (1970-71) [10′] [world premiere of the 1971/72 version];
+ Edison Denisov (Soviet Union, b. 1929; d. 1996 in France): Chant d’Automne for soprano and orchestra (1971) [15′] featuring Dorothy Dorow;
+ Witold Lutosławski: Cello Concerto (1970) [24′] featuring Heinrich Schiff;
+ Lojze Lebič (Yugoslavia [Slovenia], b. 1934): Nicina for orchestra (1971) [14′] [world premiere].
The following additional works had also originally been programmed but were not performed during the festival
+ Mauricio Kagel (West Germany, b. 1931 in Argentina; d. 2008): Repertoire aus Staatstheater (1967-70) [57′];
+ Dieter Schnebel (West Germany, b. 1930; d. 2018): Glossolaliefor 2-4 speakers and 2-4 instrumentalists (1959) [10′];
D Thomas Kessler (Switzerland, b. 1937; d. 2024): Smog for trombone and orchestra (1971) [12′];
+ Boris Tishchenko (Soviet Union ‘[Russia], b. 1939; d. 2010): Cello Concerto No. 1 (1963) or? No. 2 (1969);
+ Terry Riley (United States, b. 1935) Rainbow =? A Rainbow in Curved Air for one player on multiple keyboards (1968) [19′];
?? E Olaf Anton Thommessen (Norway, b. 1946): A Little Sound;
E * Hans G Helms (West Germany, b. 1932; d. 2012): unspecified speech piece;
E ” Ferdinand Kriwet (West Germany, b. 1942): an unspecified Hörspiel;
E * Ernst Jandl (Austria, b. 1925; d. 2000) or Gerhard Rühm (Austria, b. 1930): an unspecified Hörspiel;
Notes
* Slonimsky lists this Wednesday 11 October concert as taking place in the afternoon and a different concert taking place in the evening featuring works by Schnebel, Kagel, and Reynolds which is not listed by Haefeli who states, as per above, that the Schnebel and Kagel works were programmed but not performed due to insufficient rehearsal time and that the Reynolds work was performed during the 12 October concert. The official Program Book for the 1972 Festival lists the Schnebel-Kagel-Reynolds concert as taking place in the Schauspielhaus at 22:30 on 11 October, featuring performances by Das Ensemble 70 Wiesbaden under the direction of Wilfried Weber; Ensemble 70 is not listed by Haefeli among the performers at the festival. So, even though details for this concert show up in various archive listings of these events, e.g. the online listings on the Steirischer Herbst website which actually also mixes up the two originally planned 11 October concerts, is reasonable to assume that this 22:30 concert was cancelled.
** While the performance of Ilja Zeljenka’s Polymetrická hudba is listed as a world premiere by Haefeli, it was actually performed for a studio recording at Czechoslovak Radio, Bratislava on 10 Mar 1971.
*** The Gielen and Xenakis pieces listed in parentheses in the 14 October program were probably not performed even though they are listed in the official ISCM festival program book as well as in Slonimsky’s Music Since 1900 since neither is listed in the program given by Haefeli who actually states that Gielen’s work was cancelled. He never mentions the Xenakis work at all, but rather lists Berio’s Sequenza III which is not stated in the program book or by Slonimsky.
**** This is actually a composite of three different Maurice Weddington compositions that can be played together: Nina Larker for four percussionists; Tina Nørløv for four piccolos; and Susanne Rudkjøbing for contrabassoon, bass saxophone, bass trombone and bass tuba, all of which were composed in 1970.
Other significant interpreters
Singers: Carol Plantamura
Viola: Johannes Fritsch
Clarinet: Michel Portal
Percussion: Jean-Pierre Drouet
Sources
Anton Haefeli, Die Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM), Ihre Geschichte von 1922 bis zur Gegenwart (Atlantis Musikbuch-Verlag, 1982).
Nicolas Slonimsky, Music Since 1900, Sixth Edition edited by Laura Kuhn (Schirmer Reference, 2001), pp. 655-657.
Official Program Book for the 1972 ISCM World Music Days (available online)
(annotated by Frank J. Oteri, in progress)