1979 Athens
Sep 11, 1979 – Sep 20, 1979
Athens
Festival info
Start: Sep 11, 1979
End: Sep 20, 1979
Locations: Athens
Hosting member(s)
From contemporaneous reviews
“Although this is possibly the largest festival of contemporary music in the world no-one can listen to the best music of this kind [anymore]. […] I am afraid that it is all about a routine that is kept alive even when the reasons for which it was established have already ceased.”
–Katy Romanou, Καθημερινή (Kathimeriní – Daily), 15 September 1979
(translated by Ioannis Tsagkarakis in his 2013 Thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Royal Holloway University of London, The Politics of Culture: Historical Moments in Greek Musical Modernism,
p. 252 fn29).
“Founded in 1923, it [the ISCM] was indispensable in an era when composers were less internationally mobile and there were few records, radio or tapes to disseminate works and information widely. Now all that has changed. For some time the ISCM Festival has been a meeting-place mainly for composers, critics and publishers. Gradually, these are leaving the sinking ship: all realise that ISCM finances could be better deployed in other ways. Who will fire the final torpedo and start the salvage operation?”
–Meirion Bowen,
“Full Close: Why It’s High Time to Abolish the International Society for Contemporary Music,”
The Guardian, Wednesday, 21 November 1979, p. 16.
Additional subsequent commentary about the festival
“Despite the chronically poor state of its finances, the Greek government funded the festival to the tune of 6,000,000 Greek drachmas. This was an unprecedented amount disposed for a single cultural event, and it was justified by John G. Papaioannou as being of cultural and political significance for Greece.”
— Ioannis Tsagkarakis, The Politics of Culture: Historical Moments in Greek Musical Modernism
(Thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Royal Holloway University of London, 2013), p. 249 (available online).
Jury
Günther Becker
Yannis Ioannidis
Rudolf Kelterborn
Maryvonne Kendergi
Zygmunt Krauze
Lennart Reimers
Brigitte Schiffer
Concerts
Tuesday, 11 September 1979
Michael Fahres (West Germany, b. 1951): Minimal for bass clarinet and electronic transformer (1977) [duration variable];
Claude Coppens (Belgium, b. 1936): The Horn of Plenty for amplified horn, percussion, and electronics in five acts (1978) [25′] [world premiere];
Minoru Kobashi (Japan, b. 1928): Kijo for five percussionists and a singer (multimedia event) (1975) [12′?] performed by Percussion Group 72.
Wednesday, 12 September 1979, afternoon – Concert Presented by the ISCM Swiss Section
Landscape of Swiss Music (short pieces by 23 Swiss composers);
Urs Peter Schneider (Switzerland, b. 1939): Zeitraum (Period) for flute, bass clarinet, violin, and violoncello (1977) [16′];
Peter Streiff (Switzerland, b. 1944): Von Magischem Nr. 7 for two winds, two strings, piano and organ (1970) [duration variable];
Roland Moser (Switzerland, b. 1943): Schattenkusse (Shadow Kisses) from Five Studies for piano solo (1975) [c. 2′-3′?]
Wednesday, 12 September 1979, early evening at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Luca Lombardi (Italy, b. 1945): Klavierduo for two pianos (1978-79) [14′] [world premiere];
Jakob Jež (Yugoslavia [Slovenia], b. 1928): Pogled narave (Nature’s Gaze) for soprano, mezzo-soprano, clarinet, horn and percussion (1973) [10′] featuring soprano Olga Jež;
Joep Straesser (Netherlands, b. 1934; d. 2004): Intervals [text: Matsuo Bashō] for chamber chorus plus flute, violoncello and harp (1975/76) [10′];
Mats Persson (Sweden, b. 1943): Refractions for 2 amplified pianos (q976/78) [10′] performed by the composer and Kristine Scholz;
” Ingvar Lidholm (Sweden, b. 1921; d. 2017): Stamp Music for soprano and tam-tam (1971) [6′];
A Choral Improvisation by the Bromma Chamber Choir of Stockholm under the direction of Bo Johansson;
Olav Anton Thommessen (Norway, b. 1946): Stabat Mater for chorus (1977) [5′] most likely performed by the Bromma Chamber Choir led by Johansson;
Klaus Ager (Austria, b. 1946): Beta break towards infinity for 24-voice chorus (making 24-sounds) and tam-tam (1976/78) [9′] most likely performed by the Bromma Chamber Choir led by Johansson.
Wednesday, 12 September 1979, 23:00 (but the performance actually didn’t start until Midnight) at the Odeon
Hans Wüthrich (Switzerland, b. 1937; d. 2019): Das Glashaus, an operetta for seven actors/musicians (1974-75) [30′] performed by the Basel Mixed Media Ensemble;
Coriún Aharonián (Uruguay, b. 1940; d. 2017): Homenaje a la flecha clavada en el pecho de Don Juan Díaz de Solís for fixed media electronic sound (1974) [14′];
* Stephanos Vassiliadis (Greece, b. 1933; d. 2004): En pyrí (On Fire), in memoriam Jani Christou, for amplified double-bass, fixed media electronic sound and projections (1972-73) [16′]. #
Thursday, 13 September, afternoon
Helen Standring (Australia, b. 1934; d. 1991): Sol-Jay for two trombones;
” Theodore Antoniou (Greece, b. 1935; d. 2018): Stichomythia II for solo guitar (1977) [13′] performed by Costas Kotsiolis;
Bent Lorentzen (Denmark, b. 1935; d. 2018): Colori for solo piano (1978) [22′];
Juraj Beneš (Czechoslovakia [Slovakia]; b. 1940; d. 2004): Intermezzo (No. 1) for 6 flutes (1976) [10′];
Erhard Grosskopf (West Germany, b. 1934): Klavierstück I from 3 Stücke für Klavier, op. 21, “quasi un sonata” for solo piano (1978);
Paul-Heinz Dittrich (East Germany, b. 1930; d. 2020): Cello-Einsatz for solo violoncello (1975) [13′];
” Yannis Papaioannou (Greece, b. 1910; d. 1989): Syneirmoni (Associations) for chamber ensemble (1978) [14′].
Thursday, 13 September, evening – – Concert Presented by the ISCM Hungarian Section
Miklós Kocsár (Hungary, b. 1933; d. 2019): Capricorn Concerto for flute and ensemble (1978) [13′] possibly featuring Tihamér Elek;
László Kalmár (Hungary, b. 1931; d. 1995): Monologo 2 for solo violin (1973/77) possibly performed by Pál Éder;
László Sáry (Hungary, b. 1940): Quartetto for soprano, flute, violin and cimbalom (1968) [6′] performed by Pál Éder? and Márta Fábián;
István Láng (Hungary, b. 1933): Improvisazioni for cimbalom (1973) [8′] performed by Márta Fábián;
Attila Bozay (Hungary, b. 1939; d. 1999): Improvisations for Zither solo, op. 22 (1972) [10′] performed by the composer;
György Kurtág (Hungary, b. 1926): 8 Duos for Violin and Cimbalom, op. 4 (1961) [6′] performed by Pál Éder? and Márta Fábián;
György Kurtág: Egy Téli alkony emlékére (In Memory of a Winter Sunset), op. 8, for soprano, violin and cimbalom (1969) [8′] featuring Pál Éder? and Márta Fábián;
András Szőllősy (Hungary, b. 1921; d. 2007): Pro Somno Igoris Stravinsky Quieto (1978).
??? Ethnomusicological presentations of Greek folk music, ancient Greek, ancient Byzantine and Japanese music.
Friday, 14 September 1979 – 2 multimedia spectacles at archaeological sites
Joji Yuasa (Japan, b. 1929; d. 2024): A Ritual for Delphi: The Midnight Sun for shakuhachi, small percussion instruments, and fixed media electronic sounds (1979) [world premiere] (in Delphi);
Patrick Fleury (France, b. 1951): Espace IX: Philopappos for fixed media electronic sounds, projections, and lights (1979) [42′] [world premiere] (presented for three continuous nights in Philopappos across from the Acropolis).
Saturday, 15 September 1979, afternoon
” Nikos Mamangakis (Greece, b. 1929; d. 2013): Encormion to N. Skalkottas for solo clarinet [world premiere];
Makoto Shinohara (Japan, b. 1931; d. 2024): Tayutai (Fluctuations) for baritone, koto, and percussion (1972) [7′] featuring the composer on koto;
Agnaldo Ribeiro (Brazil, b. 1943): Korpus-Et-Antikorpus for chamber orchestra (1975) [14′];
Ariel Martinez (Uruguay, b. 1940): Tromboffolón II for horn, trumpet, trombone, and fixed media electronic sounds (1971-78) [12′];
” Herman Rechberger (Finland, b. 1947 in Austria): Il Fa-To-Re for solo recorder, performed by the composer (1978) [14′] [world premiere];
Raimund Jülich (West Germany, b. 1949): Stationen for wind ensemble (1977).
Saturday, 15 September 1979, evening – – Concert Presented by the ISCM Polish Section
Boguslaw Schaeffer (Poland, b. 1929; d. 2019): Kwartet dla czterech aktorów (Quartet for Four Actors) (1966) [c. 12′-60′];
Leoncjusz Ciuciura (Poland, b. 1930; d. 2017): Spirale II for variable ensemble (1964-) [duration variable] [world premiere];
Adam Walaciński (Poland, b. 1928; d. 2015): Dichromia for flute and piano (1967) [10′];
Andrzej Nikodemowicz (Poland, b. 1925; d. 2017): Lamentacja ‘Rythm do Pana Jezusa ukrzyżowanego patrząc na figurę Męki Pańskiej’ for soprano, piccolo, violoncello, and 2 pianos (1978);
Józef Rychlik (Poland, b. 1946): C’est-à-dire for chamber ensemble and fixed media electronic sounds (1978);
Krystyna Moszumańska-Nazar (Poland, b. 1924; d. 2009): Bel canto for soprano, celesta, and percussion (1972);
Boguslaw Schaeffer: Heraklitiana for piano, 4 actors, and fixed media electronic sound (1970?) (21′?) [world premiere??].
Sunday, 16 September 1979, evening – – Concert Presented by the ISCM Austrian Section
Anestis Logothetis (Austria, b. 1921 in Bulgaria; d. 1994): Scenes from the opera Daidalia oder das Leben einer Theorie for actors, fixed media electronics and pictures (1976-78) [world premiere];
Friedrich Cerha (Austria, b. 1926): Curriculum for 13 winds (1971/72) [18′];
Wilhelm Zobl (Austria, b. 1950; d. 1991): Gegenstimme [text: Ingeborg Bachmann and Pablo Neruda] for female voice, violoncello and fixed media electronic sounds (1977-79) [world premiere];
Dieter Kaufmann (Austria, b. 1941): Kakophonie-Euphonie for an actress, fixed media and live electronic sounds (1979) [14′][world premiere];
Roman Haubenstock-Ramati (Austria, b. 1919 in Poland; d. 1994): Sonata for Solo Violoncello (1975) [14′];
Heinz Karl Gruber (Austria, b. 1943): Frankenstein-Suite, op. 25, for baritone, quintet, and toy instruments (1971; revised in 1976-77 as Frankenstein!! and Frankenstein-Suite subsequently withdrawn) [22′].
Monday, 17 September 1979, late afternoon – ” – Concert Presented by the ISCM British Section
Dominic Muldowney (United Kingdom [England], b. 1952): Solo/Ensemble (1974) for piccolo, flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, viola, violoncello [15′];
Oliver Knussen (United Kingdom [England], b. 1952; d. 2018): Cantata, op. 15, for oboe and string trio (1975-77) [10′];
Peter Maxwell Davies (United Kingdom [England], b. 1934; d. 2016): Ave Maris Stella for flute/alto flute, clarinet/basset horn, marimba, piano, viola, and violoncello (1975) [32′].
Monday, 17 September 1979, afternoon?
” Morton Feldman (United States, b. 1926; d. 1987): Piano (1977);
Michalis Adamis (Greece, b. 1929; d. 2013): Quartet for flute and string trio (1977);
Niccolò Castiglioni (Italy, b. 1932; d. 1996): Quilisma for piano quintet (1977) [8′];
Rolf Gehlhaar (United States, b. 1943 in Germany (now Poland); d. 2019): Strangeness, Charm and Colour for piano, 2 trumpets and trombone (1978) [13′] featuring pianist Roger Woodward;
Dimitris Terzakis (Greece, b. 1938): Liturgia Profana for tenor, mixed chorus, recorder, 2 violoncellos, and percussion (1976/77) [18′].
Monday, 17 September 1979, 23:00 – concert of electronic music
Vangelis Katsoulis (Greece, b. 1949): Territorium for fixed media electronic sounds;
Barry Truax (Canada, b. 1947): Androgyny for quadrophonic fixed media electronic sounds (1978) [17′];
” Nikiforos Rotas (Greece, b. 1929): Antiphonia I for fixed media electronic sounds (1974) [8′] [world premiere?];
Rolf Enström (Sweden, b. 1951): Myr for computer-controlled fixed media electronic sounds and slide projections (1978) [23′].
Tuesday, 18 September 1979, afternoon – Concert Presented by the ISCM USA Section
Mario Davidovsky (United States, b. 1934 in Argentina; d. 2019): Synchronisms No. 6 for piano and fixed media electronic sounds (1970) [8′];
Dane Rudhyar (United States, b. 1895 in France; d. 1985): Granites for piano (1929) [10′];
Milton Babbitt (United States, b. 1914; d. 2011): Philomel for soprano and fixed media electronic sounds (1964) [19′];
John Melby (United States, b. 1941): Two Stevens Songs for soprano and fixed media electronic sounds (1975) [9′];
Roger Sessions (United States, b. 1896; d. 1985): Five Pieces for Piano (1975) [15′].
Tuesday, 18 September 1979, evening – orchestra concert featuring the Danish Radio Symphony
Katsuhiro Tsubonoh (Japan, b. 1947): The Statue of III for orchestra [world premiere];
Tomasz Sikorski (Poland, b. 1939; d. 1988): Music in Twilight for piano and orchestra (1977-78) [24′] featuring the composer as soloist;
+ Atli Heimir Sveinsson (Iceland, b. 1938; d. 2019): Flute Concerto (1975) [17′];
” Per Nørgård (Denmark, b. 1932): Twilight for orchestra (1976-77) [17′].
Wednesday, 19 September 1979 *Skalkottas Tag I – two piano cycles
Nikos Skalkottas (Greece, 1904-1949): 32 Piano Pieces (1940) [partial world premiere];
Nikos Skalkottas: 4 Etudes (1941) [world premiere].
Wednesday, 19 September 1979 *Skalkottas Tag II – orchestra music
Nikos Skalkottas: Overture Concertante from the Second Symphonic Suite (1944-46);
Nikos Skalkottas: Violin Concerto (1938)
Nikos Skalkottas: Symphony in One Movement ‘The Return of Ulysses’ (1943) [28′].
Thursday, 20 September 1979, afternoon
” Clotilde Rosa (Portugal, b. 1930; d. 2017): Alternâncias for flute and piano (1976) [7′] ##;
Șerban Nichifor (Romania, b. 1954): Carols for trombone and percussion (1978);
+’ Michael Finnissy (United Kingdom [England], b. 1946): Fast dances, slow dances for solo piano (1978-79) [18′] performed by the composer;
* Leo Brouwer (Cuba, b. 1939): La espiral eterna for solo guitar (1971) [c.7′] most likely performed by Costas Kotsiolis
Avril Anderson (United Kingdom [England], b. 1953): Mono-Status for three clarinets (1975) •+;
* Jan W. Morthenson: Tremor for violin and fixed media electronic sounds.
Thursday, 20 September 1979, evening
Alicia Terzian (Argentina, b. 1934): Carmen Criaturalis for horn, vibraphone, cymbals, and string orchestra (1969/71) [10′];
Theo Brandmüller (West Germany, b. 1948; d. 2012): Ach, trauriger Mond for percussion and string orchestra (1977) [14′];
‘ Giorgios Kouroupos (Greece, b. 1942): “Gods’ Duet” from Les Enfants du Sable (The Children of the Sand) (1974);
Nikolaus A. Huber (West Germany, b. 1939): dasselbe ist nicht dasselbe for snare drum (1978) [8′];
Mikhail Barolsky (West Germany, b. 1947 in the Soviet Union [Lithuania]; d. 2009): Sternengesang for chamber orchestra (1977) [12′] [world premiere];
Francisco Otero (Spain, b. 1940): Canción desesperada for soprano, 2 basses and four instrumental groups (1977) [13′].
The following additional works had been programmed for the festival but were not performed
Tona Scherchen (Switzerland, b. 1938): Œil de chat for orchestra (1976-77) [24′];
Pascal Dusapin (France, b. 1955): Timée for orchestra (1978) [15′];
Zbigniew Bargielski (Poland, b. 1937): Violin Concerto (1975) [22′];
Harrison Birtwistle (United Kingdom [England], b. 1934; d. 2022): Silbury Air for chamber orchestra (1977; rev 2003) [15′];
Luc Ferrari (France, b. 1929; d. 2005 in Italy): Cellule 75 for piano, percussion, and fixed media electronic sound (1975) [31′];
Emilio Mendoza (Venezuela, b. 1953): Arsis for flute, 2 pianos, 2 percussionists, and double-bass (1979?) ###
Notes
# According to Meirion Bowen: “By 1:30 am we were almost ready for the final item, Stephanos Vassiliadis’s En pyri, in memoriam Jani Christou, for amplified double-bass, tape and projections. After waiting 15 minutes on stage for the technicians to set the piece in motion, the bass player A. Rodoussakis put down his instrument, delivered a brief tirade and left. He returned some time later and the work began.”
## Clotilde Rosa’s piece is not listed by Slonimsky, but it appears in Haefeli’s repertoire list.
### The curriculum vitae published on Emilio Mendoza’s website claims that Arsis was actually performed on one of 20 September 1979 concerts, but this information is not corroborated anywhere else.
Other significant interpreters
Voice: M. Tarko, N. Bello, Bethany Beardslee, Esperanza Abad (S.), Eva Houska (Mezzos.), L. Anghelopoulos (T.), Spyros Sakkas (Bar.), Hidejiro Umehara, Fernando Gallego, Juan Pedro Garcia (B.).
Piano: Gérard Frémy, Claude Coppens, Robert Black, Geoffrey Douglas Madge.
Flute: Stella Gadedi, Toke Lund-Christiansen.
Clarinet: Harry Sparnaay, József Balogh, Antony Pay, N. Ghinos, G. Karayannis, Th. Kardamis.
Horn: Petrus Dombrecht, Nikos Koratzinos.
Trombone: B. Sluchin, J. Naulais, A. Graur.
Violin: Yair Kless, Radu Jelescu.
Violoncello: Sotiris Tachiatis, Heinrich Schiff.
Percussion: Georges Octors, Emil Homlokosh, Toni Roeder.
Ensemble: Ensemble Neue Horizonte Bern, Jeunesses Musicales Hungary, Greek Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble MW 2 Poland, Ensemble Kontrapunkte Wien, Ensemble K&K Experimentalstudio, Nash Ensemble of London, Maklakiewicz String Quartet.
Chorus: Saloniki University Chorus.
Conductors: Anton Ligeti, Yannis Ioannidis, Adam Kaczyński, Yannis Madakas, Miltiadis Caridis.
Sources
Meirion Bowen, “Full Close: Why It’s High Time to Abolish the International Society for Contemporary Music,” The Guardian, Wednesday, 21 November 1979, p. 16.
Anton Haefeli, Die Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM), Ihre Geschichte von 1922 bis zur Gegenwart (Atlantis Musikbuch-Verlag, 1982), pp. 542-544 [in German].
Katy Romanou, “(TITLE?)” Καθημερινή (Kathimeriní – Daily), 15 September 1979 [in Greek].
Nicolas Slonimsky, Music Since 1900, Sixth Edition edited by Laura Kuhn (Schirmer Reference, 2001), pp. 697-700.
Ioannis Tsagkarakis, The Politics of Culture: Historical Moments in Greek Musical Modernism (Thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Royal Holloway University of London, 2013) (available online).
(annotated by Frank J. Oteri, in progress)