The synthesis of medieval and contemporary creative ideas in Veni Creator op. 103 and Sonate de Requiem for cello and piano op. 283 by Olivier Greif

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The synthesis of medieval and contemporary creative ideas in Veni Creator op. 103 and Sonate de Requiem for cello and piano op. 283 by Olivier Greif

Journal Title: Notes Muzyczny - Year 2015, Vol 1, Issue 3

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present Olivier Greif, an outstanding French pianist and composer. An opportunity to touch on this subject was the National Scholarly and Artistic Conference Chamber Music in Works by French Composers, organised at the Academy of Music in Łódź in November 2014. During that event the author of this article, together with cellist Anna Sawicka, PhD, performed the pieces mentioned in the title, and in case of Veni Creator it was its first ever performance in Poland. Sonate de Requiem was played by the composer himself together with cellist Christoph Henkel in 1993 during their short stay in Warsaw. Today, after over 20 years, the biography and creative output of Olivier Greif are still little known despite the Polish descent of his parents and the Polish theme in his sonata. Olivier Greif was a child prodigy playing the piano since he was three and composing as early as at the age of nine. While studying at the Paris Conservatory he won numerous awards in his both specialties (piano and composition). These two types of activity filled his whole life until his untimely death. As a man of an abundant and ‘always searching’ personality he also had extraordinary interests in philosophy and metaphysics, which were reflected in numerous pieces. It needs to be stressed that these interests encompassed various cultural circles: American, Jewish, Indian, Chinese, and others. In the described pieces the most evident were the Christian foundations of culture. Their musical reflections are: Gregorian chorale, locally used organum form and motet as a form of a piece. The philosophical references to the mentioned Christian roots are the texts by Dante, C.G. Jung and J.R. Lowell. Their counterbalance are the contemporary composition means of a global nature as well as numerous quotations and references to mass culture.<br/><br/>

Authors and Affiliations

Anna Mikolon

Keywords

Olivier Greif Veni Creator Sonate de Requiem

Veni Creator op. 103 and Sonate de Requiem op. 283 for cello and piano by Olivier Greif, i.e., homo musicus in search of the total form

The article was written on the basis of the interpretation issues its author came across while preparing for the Polish first performance of Veni Creator and the second premiere of Sonate de Requiem (the first one took p...

Synteza średniowiecznych i współczesnych idei twórczych w „Veni Creator” op. 103 i „Sonate de Requiem” na wiolonczelę i fortepian op. 283 Oliviera Greifa

Celem artykułu jest przybliżenie postaci wybitnego pianisty i kompozytora francuskiego, Oliviera Greifa. Okazją do podjęcia tematu stała się Ogólnopolska Konferencja Artystyczno-Naukowa Muzyka kameralna w twórczości komp...

EP ID EP517854
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