Sounds of Carnival: The Musical Language of Le Carnaval d’Aix op. 83b by Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud (1892–1974) is one of the leading composers of the French avantgarde in the 20th century. His stylistic idiom was formed under the influence of the folklore of various cultures from around the world, which he encountered during his numerous travels. One of the compositions inspired by foreign elements, both musical and cultural, is the fantasia Le Carnaval d'Aix op. 83b (1926) for piano and orchestra. The analysis from the genre perspective aims to examine the musical poetics of the composition (including Milhaud’s specific neoclassical strategies) and its links with Carnival. As a result, a dualistic perspective towards the musical language of the composer is proposed as exemplified by the work in question.

Works for Harpsichord by Weronika Ratusińska-Zamuszko—Between the Past and the Present

The article is devoted to two works by Weronika Ratusińska-Zamuszko: the cycle Nymphs for soprano saxophone and harpsichord, and the miniature For Berenika. A miniature in the Baroque style. The introduction contains information about the composer and basic facts about the pieces in question. In the following sections of the article the author analyses: harmony (tonal arrangement and harmonic relations), form (formal models, motifs, rhythms), texture and sound as well as aesthetic aspects. Based on these elements, the key determinants of the composer's style are presented, referring to the Baroque techniques as well as those typical of the postmodern musical language, also discussing the issues of non-musical content resulting from the programme titles of the works. In the analytical part, the author presents an innovative analytical method consisting in reducing the notation of the harpsichord part to the basso continuo notation to verify the thesis that the choice of the instrument (in this case, the harpsichord) determines the style of the composition. The analytical argument leads to interesting research conclusions and is an attempt to define the composer's musical language.

Visions of the Apocalypse in 20th-century Music (Olivier Messiaen, George Crumb, Bernadetta Matuszczak, Aleksander Lasoń)

This article aims to various interpretations of The Apocalypse of St. John in 20th-century music. Because of its comprehensive use of symbols and mystery, The Apocalypse was often an inspiration for painters, poets, and composers. Particularly, worth analysing are symbols and visions used in selected compositions, such as The Quartet for the End of Time by Olivier Messiaen, Black Angels by George Crumb, Apokalipsis and Septem Tubae by Bernadetta Matuszczak, Symphony ‘1999’  by Aleksander Lasoń. Seven trumpets, seven horns, God’s anger, angels, destruction, God’s omnipotence, the victory of good over evil, and hope—those are the most common symbols used in these compositions. Transcendental and mysterious meaning is reflected by composers in various ways (from timbre and instrumentation, rhythmic diminution and tempo that shows eternity, to quotations and characters from The Apocalypse). Music written by different authors gives us a broad perspective on how the topic of Apocalypse was adapted in music.

Music for Nine Post Cards as an Example of Kankyo Ongaku i.e ‘Music that Floats in the Air Like a Smoke’

The aim of the article is an attempt to present the genesis and describe the first compositions that formulated the Japanese ambient trend, i.e. kankyo ongaku. The subject of the research is both the history of the creation of the series by Hiroshi Yoshimura, Music for Nine Post Cards, which became the cornerstone of later albums from the ambient and minimal music trend in Japan, as well as individual works included in the cycle under study. Based on the results of the automated and auditory analysis of Music for Nine Post Cards, the structure of musical works and their stylistic features are determined. For automated analysis, Sonic Visualiser was used—an application used to create a graphical visualisation of the music content of audio files. As a result of the research, the answer was obtained as to how Hiroshi Yoshimura and Satoshi Ashikawa realised the original assumptions of kankyo ongaku.

Unknown Fugues from the Manuscript L 1636 of The Diocesan Library in Sandomierz

The aim of the article is to present the content of the unknown manuscript L 1636 of The Diocesan Library in Sandomierz, with particular emphasis on the fugues contained therein. A closer acquaintance with the manuscript, dated around 1725, allowed to enrich the image of the musical culture in Poland in the first decades of the 18th century. The text is divided into three parts: 1. Description of the source; 2. Manuscript’s contents; 3. Conclusions from the analysis of the fugues from the manuscript PL-SA L 1636. The article is also accompanied by an appendix containing a critical edition of the fugues from the described manuscript.