O.V. Sobakina Avant-garde Techniques in Polish Music in the 1960–70s. The Sonoristic and Aleatory Piano Works by Kazimierz Serocki and Bogusław Schaeffer

Abstract: The interest in new artistic trends and viable means of expression became the distinctive feature of Polish music of the second half of the 20th century. In their aspiration for the creation of an individual style, Kazimierz Serocki and Bogusław Schaeffer enriched their musical language with usage of sonoristic, aleatory and serial techniques. The main direction of Serocki’s works was the search for new sound qualities, new means of usage of traditional musical instruments. The quest for stylistic synthesis can be considered to be the distinctive feature of the Polish school of composition of the 1960s and 1970s, since it was along this path, in particular, that the most artistically significant works were created. Particularly in this direction that Serocki brought along extensive changes of sound technique, which justified is fame as one of the most outstanding sonoristic composers. The musical development in Schaeffer’ piano works is determined by idea of “decomposition” and contains a multitude of interpretations. Following the aleatory ideas in various forms, during many years Schaeffer also introduced in his works the dodecaphony and serial principles.

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