Polyphonion, concerto after Filonov’s “Formulas” (2001) 17’
extended violin solo, accordion solo, oboe/English horn, clarinet/bass clarinet, French horn, tenor-bass trombone, viola, cello
Visionary painting by Pavel Filonov (1883-1941) is a hermetic realm of pure energies revealed in harmonious structures. Images of people and animals are woven into a web that lives off their energy. I aimed at building a trajectory of penetration into this everchanging realm. No surprise that some of his paintings are called ‘formulas’. In the ‘Formula of Cosmos’ or ‘Formula of Spring’ he highlights the conflict between line and colour, and this idea is reflected in the concertato-principle: six instruments create discussions in pairs that counterwork both soloists. Extended violin (modified after my idea by St. Petersburg violinmaker Alexander S. Rabinovich) has an almost flash bridge, and a very curved bow which allows all strings to sound simultaneously. This changes the violin technique and its voice. A completely new serial method based not on tone but on interval principle was elaborated to compose infinite rows, homogeneous but fluctuating in dissymetrical way. My idea was to create a counterbalance to Filonov’s images, find a dynamic equilibrium between energy and structure, current and crystal. The piece is written for First Pythian Games by The Pro Arte Foundation and dedicated to Vlad Pessin.