Ivan Wyschnegradsky
Ivan Alexandrovich Wyschnegradsky (born 2 Maijul / May 14 1893greg in Saint Petersburg, .. † September 29, 1979 in Paris) was a Russian composer, who spent a good two thirds of his life in France and one of the pioneers of microtonal music.
Life
Wyschnegradsky was the son of a banker. His grandfather Ivan Alexeyevich Vyshnegradsky was a noted mathematician and 1888-1892 Minister of Finance. After initial studies of law Wyschnegradsky moved to the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied from 1911 to 1914 with Nikolay Sokolov. There he became acquainted with the work of Scriabin, exercised its strong influence on him. In 1916 and 1917, the oratorio La Journée de l' Existence built on your own text, at the end sounds in which a 12 - töniger cluster over five octaves. From the ideas of a " sound continuum " that developed Wyschnegradsky in the following years and decades, numerous compositions were created using micro- intervals and ultra chromatic systems, but in the world of music found greater attention only towards the end of his life.
1920 emigrated to Paris Wyschnegradsky. In 1922 he traveled to Berlin to meet there other composers who were concerned with quarter tones: Richard Stone, Alois Haba, Willy von Möllendorff and Jörg Mager. Plans to construct together with Hába a quarter tone piano, failed; partly for technical reasons, partly because of visa problems, which forced him to return to Paris.
Did not lead to satisfactory playable solutions Once in the aftermath construction attempts to make a quarter-tone piano ( Wyschnegradsky left in 1930 to build a three-manual wing at the company forester ) to Wyschnegradsky decided in 1936, his previous compositions - even now resulting vierteltönige orchestral works that were considered to be impracticable - to fashion for several tuned pianos at the respective distance (eg two pianos in quarter tone spacing, three pianos in sixth-tone spacing). 1937, when a concert was given, which was devoted entirely to his music.
After the Second World War Wyschnegradsky had for a long time in a sanatorium in order to cure tuberculosis and fell into a creative crisis. Among other things, the young Olivier Messiaen, however, encouraged him to continue with his work. At a performance of the Deuxième fragment symphonique in a version for four pianos in 1951 had the young Pierre Boulez.
1977 organized by Radio France a big concert with Wyschnegradskys music. At the invitation of the DAAD as " Composer in Residence " to Berlin he could no longer meet health reasons.
Work
Wyschnegradsky wrote mainly (also from performing practical reasons) with chamber music instrumentation works, especially for two pianos tuned a quarter tone spacing ( including Concert Etudes op 19, 24 Preludes, Op 22 (1934 ), 2 joints, Op 33, Op 49 integration ), continue several works for three pianos tuned in sixth-tone spacing ( Prelude and Fugue, Op 30, Dialogue à Trois op 51, 1974), as well as Arc -en- Ciel op 37 for six pianos in twelve-tone. This play was performed for example in 2010 at the Donaueschingen Music Days.
He also wrote two string quartets in quarter tones (Op. 13, 1923-24 and op 18, 1930-31 ), also another string quartet in conventional mood (op. 38, 1945/59 ) and an unfinished, one-movement String Trio in quarter tones ( op 53, 1978).
Wyschnegradsky also wrote a manual of quarter-tone harmonies (Manual d'Harmonie à Quarts de Ton, Paris 1932) and essays on the topic ultrachromaticism.