Thanatos

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Description +
- I met the Polish composer Marcin Blazewicz (1953-2021) in August 1980 in Hungary, where he attended a master class by the French composer François-Bernard Mâche. It was the start of a long friendship with an exceptional musician who was full of energy and creative imagination. When the master class ended, Marcin agreed to write a solo flute piece for me. This became Thanatos, which I received a few months later. It is a very strong piece and one that is representative of the writing of a young composer, who, inspired by the acoustical discoveries of recent years, explored tonal possibilities through many long-forgotten playing techniques.
  
  Thanatos, the God of Death, fascinates and frightens, is sometimes desired, but always exercises his power in our minds. (Henrik Svitzer once told me about an enormous reptile, which was discovered recently and which the scientists had named Thanatos, evidence of the power brought about our minds by this ancient Greek god).
  
  Why did Marcin Blazewicz want to present his mediation on Thanatos at such a young age?
  
  The philosopher François Cheng explains that death is a gift of life, inextricably linked to it. An artist as much in love with life as Marcin Blazewicz had, inevitably, to engage in this reflection. In fact, by facing Thanatos, Marcin celebrates life with uncommon strength, similarly to exorcism.
  
  Thanatos explores the feelings of the human soul facing life and death. His music includes a wealth of colors and uses all possible techniques of flute playing with perfect mastery. He expresses anger as well as nostalgia or tenderness. As always, Marcin's music reveals an astonishing technical mastery which is at the service of what he wants to express.
  
  I consider Thanatos to be a chef-d’oeuvre among the compositions written for solo flute during the 1980s.
  
  Pierre-Yves Artaud
  Bourges, 09/18/2022
Instrumentation +
- Flute
About the composer +
- Composer and teacher. Born in Warsaw in 1953. He began to study music when he was 13 years old, first at the Oskar Kolberg primary Music School then at the F. Chopin Secondary Music School (double bass). Upon passing his secondary school leaving examination (matura) he studied natural philosophy at the Academy of Catholic Theology for one year (1975/76). Upon graduating from secondary music school in 1977 he began to study at the Department of Composition, Conducting and Theory of Music at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw in Professor Marian Borkowski's class of composition which he finished with honours (1977-1982). He attended composer courses led by François Bernard Mâche (Pécs, Hungary 1980) and Yannis Xenakis (Salzburg, Delft 1985), obtained a SACEM scholarship from Sociéte des Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique (France) and, as holder of an Acanthes scholarship, he attended a course in composition led by Olivier Messiaen in Avignon (France) in 1987.
  
  Professor Marcin Błażewicz has been a member of the faculty of the AMFC in Warsaw since 1985, first as assistant then tutor (1996-2003) and finally as associate professor at the Chair of Composition. He teaches the following subjects: score reading and introduction to composition and instrumentation (his main interest). He has supervised many master's theses. He was deputy dean of FCUM Department I in 1999-2002 and 2005-2008. In 2008 he was elected dean of the Department of Composition, Conducting and Theory of Music for term 2008-2012.
  
  Marcin Błażewicz presented a paper "On the situation in Polish Music after 1989" at the 5th Biennial "La recherche musicale en Europa" (Gif-sur-Yvette, France 1992). He has organised more than 200 concerts propagating contemporary music including several cycles: Presentation of Young Composers, Encounters with Contemporary Music, Young Musicians for Young Audiences (Warsaw 1979-81). Artistic director and founder of the International New Music Forum festival (Warsaw 1983-87), artistic director of the International Festival "Jeunesses Musicales" (Częstochowa, 1986, Warsaw 1990). Co-founder of the Modus group (1983), music advisor to the French Institute in Warsaw (1985-86). Member of the jury of the International Radio Festival Prix Italia (Peruggia 1989). Musical director of the Polish Radio Theatre (1986-97). Editor-in-chief of the journal "Muzyka21" (2000-2001). Since 2005 he has been holding a class of composition in Fryderyk Chopin University of Music/ FCUM/.
Credits +
- Cover: Thomas Lindvall Brundin
  Designer: Love Lindvall Brundin
  Engraving: Ary Golomb
  Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
  Copyright © Edition Svitzer
  www.editionsvitzer.com

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