Jury
Edward Clark
Désiré Defauw
Grzegorz Fitelberg
Roberto Gerhard
Vojislav Vučković
Concerts
Friday, 14 April 1939 orchestral concert
Josep Valls (Spain [Catalonia], b. 1904; d. 1999 in France): Symphony (1935) [world premiere, but the whole work was not played];
Christian Darnton (United Kingdom [England], b. 1905; d. 1981): Five Orchestral Pieces (1938) [8′] [world premiere];
Marcel Poot (Belgium [Flanders], b. 1901; d. 1988): Légende épique for piano and orchestra (1938) [14′];
Slavko Osterc (Yugoslavia [Slovenia], b. 1895; d. 1941): Passacaglia and Chorale for orchestra (1934);
Wladimir Vogel (Switzerland, b. 1896 in Russia; d. 1984): Scherzando and Finale from the Violin Concerto (1937) [9′(total=35′)];
Jean Rivier (France, b. 1896; d. 1987): Symphony (No. 1) in D major (1931) [27′].
(The following additional work had originally been scheduled, but was not performed:
Karel Boleslav Jirák (Czechoslovakia, b. 1891; d. 1972 in the United States): Przebudzenie, song cycle for Contralto and ensemble.)
Saturday, 15 April 1939
Conrad Beck (Switzerland, b. 1901; d. 1989): Kammerkantate (based on the Sonnets of Louise Labe) for soprano, flute, piano, and strings (1937);
Knudåge Riisager (Denmark, b. 1897 in Estonia; d. 1974): Concerto for Trumpet and String Orchestra (1933) [10′];
Francis Poulenc (France, b. 1899; d. 1963): Mass in G Major for soprano solo and unaccompanied chorus (1937) [19′];
Luigi Dallapiccola (Italy, b. 1904; d. 1975): Tre Laudi for soprano and chamber orchestra (1937) [14′];
André Souris (Belgium [Wallonia], b. 1899; d. 1970): Rengaines for wind quintet (1937) [8′];
Robert de Roos (Netherlands, b. 1907; d. 1976): 5 Etudes for Piano and Small Orchestra (1929).
(The following additional works had originally been scheduled, but were not performed:
Roman Palester (Poland, b. 1907; d. 1989): Concertino for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra (1938) [c. 18′];
Milan Ristić (Yugoslavia [Serbia], b. 1908; d. 1982): Suite for four trombones (in quarter-tones) (1938).)
Sunday, 16 April 1939 concert of the ISCM Polish Section
Stanisław Wiechowicz (Poland, b. 1893; d. 1963): Kantata Romantyczna for soprano, chorus and orchestra (1930);
Michał Kondracki (Poland, b. 1902; d. 1984 in the United States): Cantata ecclesiastica for chorus and orchestra (1937);
Karol Szymanowski (Poland, 1882-1937): Stabat Mater for soprano, alto, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1925-26) [28′].
(*?? Monday, 17 April 1939 chamber music concert (cancelled?)
? The following works were scheduled to be performed but due to cancellations from many performers, the first six of these works appear to have been combined with several works originally intended to be performed on the 20 April concert:
Elisabeth Lutyens (United Kingdom [England], b. 1906; d. 1983): String Quartet No. 2 (1938);
Eugen Suchoň (Czechoslovakia [Slovakia], b. 1908; d. 1993): Sonatina for Violin and Piano, op. 11 (1937) [13′];
Kōjirō Kobune (Japan, b. 1907; d. 1982): String Quartet No. 1 (1937) performed by the Poland Radio Quartet;
Alberto Hemsi (Egypt, b, 1898 in Turkey; d. 1975): Coplas Sefardies for voice and piano (1923-1937);
Honorio Siccardi (Argentina, b. 1897; d. 1963): Dos Cancions de Amado Villar for voice and piano (1937);
Henk Badings (Netherlands, b. 1907; d. 1987): String Quartet No. 2 (1935) [18′];
Anton Webern (Austria, b. 1883; murdered in 1945): String Quartet op. 28 (1936-38) [8′].)
? A concert of old Polish church music in Krakau
? Ballet night at the Warsaw opera
? Michal Kondracki (Poland)
? Roman Palester
Karol Szymanowski: Harnasie (1923-31) [35′]
?? Thursday, 20 April 1939 chamber music concert
Elisabeth Lutyens (United Kingdom [England], b. 1906; d. 1983): String Quartet No. 2 (1938);
Eugen Suchoň (Czechoslovakia [Slovakia], b. 1908; d. 1993): Sonatina for Violin and Piano, op. 11 (1937) [13′];
Kōjirō Kobune (Japan, b. 1907; d. 1982): String Quartet No. 1 (1937) performed by the Poland Radio Quartet;
Alberto Hemsi (Egypt, b, 1898 in Turkey; d. 1975): Coplas Sefardies for voice and piano (1923-1937);
Honorio Siccardi (Argentina, b. 1897; d. 1963): Dos Cancions de Amado Villar for voice and piano (1937);
Henk Badings (Netherlands, b. 1907; d. 1987): String Quartet No. 2 (1935) [18′];
Demetrij Žebre (Yugoslavia [Slovenia], b. 1912; d. 1970): Trois poemes lyriques for violin and piano;
Joaquin Homs (Spain [Catalonia], b. 1906; d. 2003): String Quartet No. 1 (1938) (erroneously listed by both Haefeli and Slonimski as No. 2);
Piet Ketting (Netherlands, b. 1904; d. 1984): Fugue for piano (1934) [5′].
(These additional works were scheduled but could not be performed:
Jerzy Fitelberg (Poland, b. 1903; d. 1951): String Quartet No. 4 (1936);
Jozef Zavadil (Czechoslovakia, b. 1905; d. 1985): Kleine Suite for violin and piano (1933);
Vladimír Polívka (Czechoslovakia, b. 1896; d. 1948): String Quartet (1937).)
Friday, 21 April 1939 concluding orchestral concert
Bolesław Woytowicz (Poland, b. 1899; d. 1980): Symphony (No. 1) – 20 Variations in symphonic form (1938);
Gaston Brenta (Belgium [Wallonia], b. 1902; d. 1969): Le Savetier et le Financier [Jean de La Fontaine] for baritone and orchestra (1937);
Lars-Erik Larsson (Sweden, b. 1908; d. 1986): Ostinato for orchestra, op. 17 (1936-37) [8′];
Marcel Mihalovici (France, b. 1898 in Romania; d. 1985): Prélude et Invention for string orchestra (1937) [world premiere];
Alan Rawsthorne (United Kingdom [England], b. 1905; d. 1971): Symphonic Studies (1938) [21′];
Antoni Szalowski (Poland, b. 1907; d. 1973 in France): Overture (1936) [6′].
Significant interpreters
Singers: Ginebra Vivante, Waleria Jedrzejewska, Janina Hupertowa, M. Andrien.
Violinists: Suzanne Suter-Sapin, Richard Zika, Stanislaw Jarzebski.
Pianists: I. Blochman, Marcelle Meyer, Rudolf Macudzinski, Jerzy Lefeld, Piet Ketting.
Trumpet: Arvid Degn.
Ensembles: Stratton-Quartett, Quartett des polnischen Radios, Warschauer Quartett, Bläser von Warschau.
Orchestra: Philharmonisches Orch. Warschau, Orchester und Chor des Polnischen Radios.
Conductors: Stanley Chapple, Andre Souris, Kazimierz Hardulak, Tadeusz Wilczak, Stanislaw Nawrot, Robert de Roos, W. Raczkowski, Grzegorz (Gregor) Fitelberg, Mieczyslaw Mierzejewski.
Sources
Andrzej Chlopecki, “Karol Szymanowski and the International Society for Contemporary Music: 1923-1939,” World New Music Magazine, Volume 24 (2014), pp. 78-85.
Emilia Elsner, “Troubled Warsaw is the host to nations [International Society for Contemporary Music],” Modern Music, volume 16 #4 (May-June 1939), pp. 243 + 246-249.
Anton Haefeli, Die Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM), Ihre Geschichte von 1922 bis zur Gegenwart (Atlantis Musikbuch-Verlag, 1982), pp. 497-498 [in German].
Anton Haefeli, “Die Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM), Ihre Geschichte von 1922 bis zur Gegenwart” (“The International Society for Contemporary Music [ISCM]: Its History from 1922 to the Present”), excerpts in English translation, World New Music Magazine, Volume 24 (2014), pp. 88-95.
Nicolas Slonimsky, Music Since 1900, Sixth Edition edited by Laura Kuhn (Schirmer Reference, 2001), pp. 340-341.
Unattributed author, “I.S.C.M.’s 17. musikfest Warszawa 14.-21. april 1939 Program,” DMT Årgang (The Danish Music Review), Vol. 14 (1939) No. 03, pp. 76-78 [in Danish].
(annotated by Frank J. Oteri, in process)