Horațiu Rădulescu
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Horațiu Rădulescu (; 7 January 1942 – 25 September 2008) was a
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
- French composer, best known for the spectral technique of composition.


Life

Rădulescu was born in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, where he studied the violin privately with Nina Alexandrescu, a pupil of
George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanians, Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, teacher and statesman. He is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history. Biography En ...
and
Jacques Thibaud Jacques Thibaud (; 27 September 18801 September 1953) was a French violinist. Biography Thibaud was born in Bordeaux and studied the violin with his father before entering the Paris Conservatoire at the age of thirteen. In 1896 he jointly won th ...
, and later studied composition at the Bucharest Academy of Music (MA 1969), where his teachers included Stefan Niculescu, Tiberiu Olah and
Aurel Stroe Aurel Stroe (5 May 1932, in Bucharest – 3 October 2008, in Mannheim) was a Romanian composer, philosopher and linguist. In 2002 he was awarded the Herder Prize from the University of Vienna; and in 2006 he was awarded the Promaetheus Prize by the ...
, some of the leading figures of the emerging
avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
. Upon graduation in 1969 Rădulescu left Romania for the west, and settled in Paris, becoming a French citizen in 1974. He returned to Romania thereafter several times for visits, beginning in 1991 when he directed a performance of his ''Iubiri'', the first public performance of any of his mature works in his native country. (Rădulescu nonetheless commented that in the interim he had dedicated many of his works to a "virtual and sublimated" Romania). One of the first works to be completed in Paris (though the concept had come to him in Romania) was ''Credo'' for nine cellos, the first work to employ his spectral techniques. This technique "comprises variable distribution of the spectral energy, synthesis of the global sound sources, micro- and macro-form as sound-process, four simultaneous layers of perception and of speed, and spectral scordaturae, i.e. rows of unequal intervals corresponding to harmonic scales". These techniques were developed considerably in his music of subsequent decades. In the early 1970s he attended classes given by
Cage A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and displayi ...
, Ligeti,
Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...
, and Xenakis at the Darmstadt Summer Courses, and by
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
and Kagel in Cologne. He presented his own music in
Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...
's classes at the Paris Conservatoire in 1972–73; Rădulescu recalled that while Messiaen himself was sympathetic, later calling him "one of the most original young musicians of our time", some of the students were more reticent, not understanding his music's "colourful, dreamy, mystical" inclinations. Beginning in the early 1970s Rădulescu's works began to be performed at the leading contemporary music festivals, including Gaudeamus (''Taaroa'', 1971; ''in ko 'tro – mioritic space'', 1972), Darmstadt (''Flood for the Eternal's Origins'', 1972), Royan (''fountains of my sky'', 1973; ''Lamento di Gesù'', 1975), Metz (''Wild Incantesimo'' for nine orchestras, 1978; ''Byzantine Prayer'', 1988) and Donaueschingen. From 1979 to 1981 he studied computer-assisted composition and psycho-acoustics at
IRCAM IRCAM (French: ''Ircam, '', English: Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) is a French institute dedicated to the research of music and sound, especially in the fields of Avant-garde music, avant garde and Electroacoustic ...
, although his work makes relatively little use of electronic means of sound production. In 1983 he founded the ensemble European Lucero in Paris to perform his own works, a variable ensemble consisting of soloists specialising in the techniques required for his music. In 1991 he founded the Lucero Festival. In the mid-1980s Rădulescu was based in
Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...
, Germany, though for many years he retained an address in
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of ÃŽle-de-France, ÃŽle-de-France region in Franc ...
. In 1988 he lived in Berlin on a DAAD fellowship, and in 1989–90 he was a resident in San Francisco and Venice as a laureate of the Villa Médici hors les murs scholarship. In the mid-1990s he moved to Switzerland, living first in Clarens and later in
Vevey Vevey (; ; ) is a town in Switzerland in the Vaud, canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Leman, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the Vevey (district), district of the same name until 200 ...
. He died from
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
in Paris on 25 September 2008 and found his final resting place at the cemetery of Clarens.


Musical style and technique

From the very beginning, Rădulescu's musical concepts, and the techniques he invented to realise them, were unconventional. For his final exams in Bucharest he composed the orchestral work ''Taaroa'', named after the Polynesian god; this displeased his teachers, who found the idea "mystical" and "imperialistic";Rădulescu, quoted by the only member of the faculty who supported him was the composer
Anatol Vieru Anatol Vieru (; 8 June 1926 â€“ 8 October 1998) was a Romanian music theoretician, pedagogue, and composer. A pupil of Aram Khachaturian, he composed seven symphonies, eight string quartets, concertos, and chamber music. He also wrote three o ...
. Rădulescu's spectral techniques, as they evolved through the 1970s and beyond, are quite distinct from those of his French contemporaries
Gérard Grisey Gérard Henri Grisey (; ; 17 June 1946 – 11 November 1998) was a twentieth-century French composer of contemporary classical music. His work is often associated with the Spectralist Movement in music, of which he was a major pioneer. Biograp ...
and
Tristan Murail Tristan Murail (born 11 March 1947) is a French composer associated with the " spectral" technique of composition. Among his compositions is the large orchestral work ''Gondwana''. Early life and studies Murail was born in Le Havre, France. His f ...
. His compositional aim, as outlined in his book ''Sound Plasma'' was to bypass the historical categories of
monophony In music, monophony is the simplest of texture (music), musical textures, consisting of a melody (or "tune"), typically sung by a single singer or played by a single instrument player (e.g., a flute player) without accompaniment, accompanying har ...
,
polyphony Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice ( monophony) or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chord ...
and
heterophony In music, heterophony is a type of texture characterized by the simultaneous variation of a single melodic line. Such a texture can be regarded as a kind of complex monophony in which there is only one basic melody, but realized at the same time ...
and to create musical textures with all elements in a constant flux. Central to this was an exploration of the
harmonic spectrum A harmonic spectrum is a spectrum containing only frequency components whose frequencies are whole number multiples of the fundamental frequency; such frequencies are known as harmonics. "The individual partials are not heard separately but are ble ...
, and by the invention of new playing techniques the aim to bringing out, and sometimes to isolate, the upper partials of complex sounds, on which new spectra could be built. The harmonic relationships in his music are based on these spectra and on the phenomena of sum and difference tones. The opening sonority of his fourth string quartet (1976–87), for example, is based on partials 21, 22 and 43 of a low C fundamental; this is an example of what Rădulescu referred to as "self-generating functions" in his music, as partials 21 and 22 give in sum 43 and in difference 1, the fundamental. (On a C fundamental, partials 21, 22 and 43 are all different, microtonally distinct kinds of F, the 21st partial being 29 cents lower than tempered F, partial 22 being 51 cents higher and partial 43 12 cents higher.) Much of his music for strings makes use of a "spectral
scordatura Scordatura (; literally, Italian for "discord", or "mistuning") is a Musical tuning, tuning of a string instrument that is different from the normal, standard tuning. It typically attempts to allow special effects or unusual Chord (music), chords ...
", where the open strings are retuned, often to simulations of the partials of a single harmonic spectrum. For example, in ''Lux Animae'' (1996/2000) for solo cello or viola, the open strings are retuned to the 3rd, 4th, 7th and 11th partials of a low E. Many of Rădulescu's later works derive their poetic inspiration from the ''
Tao Te Ching The ''Tao Te Ching'' () or ''Laozi'' is a Chinese classic text and foundational work of Taoism traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship and date of composition and compilation are debated. The oldest excavated por ...
'' of
Lao-tzu Laozi (), also romanized as Lao Tzu among other ways, was a semi-legendary Chinese philosopher and author of the ''Tao Te Ching'' (''Laozi''), one of the foundational texts of Taoism alongside the '' Zhuangzi''. The name, literally meaning ...
, especially in the 1988 English version by Stephen Mitchell: the titles of his second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth piano sonatas, and of the fifth and sixth string quartets, are taken from this source. The piano sonatas, as well as his Piano Concerto ''The Quest'' (1996) and other later works, make use of folk melodies from his native Romania, integrating them with his spectral techniques.


Selected works

*''Taaroa'' (1969) for orchestra *''Credo'' for 9 celli (1969) *''Flood for the Eternal's Origins'' (1970) for global sound sources *''Everlasting Longings'' (1972) for 24 strings *''in ko 'tro – Mioritic Space'' (1973) for 11 recitors, string orchestra, electronic and nature sound *''Capricorn's nostalgic crickets'' (1972/1980) for seven identical woodwinds *''Hierophany'' (1973) recitation in 42 languages with 42 children *''Wild Incantesimo'' (1978) for 9 orchestras, 162 players *''Lamento di Gesù'' (1973–75) for large orchestra and 7 psalteries *''A Doini'' (1974) for 17 players with sound icons (bowed vertical concert grand pianos spectrally retuned) *''Thirteen Dreams Ago'' (1978) for 11×3 strings – 11 live with two pre-recordings (or 33 strings live) *''Doruind'' (1976) for 48 voices in 7 groups *''Do Emerge Ultimate Silence'' (1974/84) for 34 children's voices in groups with 34 spectrally tuned monochords *Fourth String Quartet – "infinite to be cannot be infinite, infinite anti-be could be infinite" (1976–87) for 9 string quartets, i.e. 8 (spectral scordatura of 128 strings) around the audience and one in the center *''Outer Time'' (1980) for 23 flutes or 42 gongs or trio basso or two spectrally retuned grand pianos or 8 brass – 4 trumpets and 4 trombones *''Inner Time'' (1983) for solo clarinet; ''Inner Time II'' (1993) for 7 clarinets *''Iubiri'' (Amours) (1980/1) for 16 players & sound icons (if live, another 3 players) *''Clepsydra'' (1983) for 16 players with sound icons *''Das Andere'' (1983) for viola sola or cello solo or violin solo or double bass solo tuned in perfect fifths *''Astray'' (1983/84) for two duos: each of one player with 6 saxes & of one player with a sound icon – score on color slides *''Awakening infinity'' (1983) for large ensemble of 25 players *''Frenetico il longing di amare'' (1984) for bass voice, octobass flute, sound icon *''Dizzy Divinity I'' (1985) for (bass, alto or grand) flute *''Sensual Sky'' (1985) for ensemble: fl in G, cl., alto sax, trombone, sound icon, violin, viola, cello, double bass *''Intimate Rituals'' (1985) for 4 sound icons with or without other soloists *''"forefeeling" remembrances'' (1985) for 14 identical voices *''Christe Eleison'' (1986) for organ *''Mirabilia Mundi'' – music for the Speyer Basilica (1986) for 7 large groups – up to 88 players *''Byzantine Prayer'' (1988) for 40 flautists with 72 flutes *''Dr. Kai Hong's Diamond Mountain'' (1991) for 61 spectral gongs and soloists *''Second Piano Sonata – "being and non-being create each other"'' (1991) *''Animae morte carent'' (1992/95) for oboe d'amore and spectral piano *''Third Piano Sonata – "you will endure forever"'' (1992/99) *''Angolo Divino'' (1993/94) for large orchestra *''Amen'' (1993/94) for organ *''Fifth String Quartet – "before the universe was born"'' (1990/95) *Piano Concerto "The Quest" (1996) *Sixth String Quartet "practicing eternity" (1992) *Fourth Piano Sonata "like a well ... older than God" (1993) *''Amor medicabilis nullis herbis'' (1996) for soprano, clarinet and violoncello *''lux animae'' for violoncello (1996) or viola (2000) *''l'exil interieur'' (1997) sonata for cello and piano *Fifth Piano Sonata "settle your dust, this is the primal identity" (2003) *''Cinerum'' (2005) for four voices and ensemble with period instruments *Sixth Piano Sonata "return to the source of light" (2007)


Discography

* ''Intimate Rituals''.
Sub Rosa ''Sub rosa'' (Neo-Latin for "under the rose") is a Latin phrase which denotes secrecy or confidentiality. The rose has an ancient history as a symbol of secrecy. History In Hellenistic and later Roman mythology, roses were associated with secr ...
, 2006. Contains ''Das Andere, Agnus Dei, Lux Animae II, Intimate Rituals XI''. Vincent Royer, viola, with Gérard Caussé, Petra Junken and Horațiu Rădulescu. * ''Lao tzu Sonatas''. cpo, 2004. Contains Piano Sonatas nos. 2 (''being and non-being create each other''), 3 (''you will endure forever''), and 4 (''like a well... older than God''). Ortwin Stürmer, piano. * ''Streichquartett nr. 4 (infinite to be cannot be infinite, infinite anti-be could be infinite) opus 33''. Edition RZ, 2001.
Arditti Quartet The Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974 and led by the British violinist Irvine Arditti. The quartet is a globally recognized promoter of contemporary classical music and has a reputation for having a very wide repertoire. They ...
. * ''The Quest'': Piano Concerto, Op. 90. cpo, 1998. Ortwin Stürmer, piano, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt conducted by Lothar Zagrosek. * ''Sensual Sky'', Op. 62; ''Iubiri'', Op.43. Adès, 1996. Ensemble Polychromie conducted by Nvart Andreassian. * ''Inner Time II'', Op. 42. Auvidis, 1994. Armand Angster, "Clarinet System". * ''Horațiu Rădulescu''. Adda, 1993. Contains ''Dizzy Divinity I, Byzantine Prayer, Frenetico Il Longing di Amare, Capricorn's Nostalgic Crickets II''. Pierre-Yves Artaud, flute, Orchestre Français de Flûtes conducted by Horațiu Rădulescu assisted by Pierre-Alain Biget.


References

Sources * * * * *


Further reading

* Dougherty, William. 2014. "On Horatiu Radulescu's 5th String Quartet ("Before the Universe Was Born") Op. 89. ''
Tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
'' 68 (268) (April): 34–45. * Gilmore, Bob. 2003. "'Wild Ocean': An Interview with Horatiu Radulescu". ''Contemporary Music Review'' 22, nos. 1–2 (March–June): 105–122. * Möller, Hartmut. 2001. "Trying to Understand HoraÈ›iu Rădulescu's String Quartet op. 33: 'Infinite to Be Cannot Be Infinite; Infinite Anti-Be Could Be Infinite. In ''The Ratio Book: A Documentation of The Ratio Symposium, Royal Conservatory, The Hague, 14–16 December 1992'', edited by Klarenz Barlow. Cologne: Feedback Studio. * Woodward, Roger (2014). "HoraÈ›iu Rădulescu". ''Beyond Black and White''. HarperCollins. pp. 334–352. * Rădulescu, HoraÈ›iu. 1985. "Musique de mes univers". ''Silences'' 1:51–56.


External links

* * by Mena Mark Hanna, ''
The Oxonian Review ''The Oxonian Review'' is a literary magazine produced by postgraduate students at the University of Oxford. Every fortnight during term time, an online edition is published featuring reviews and essays on current affairs and literature, alongs ...
'', issue 8.7, 9 March 2009
Interview
by Guy Livingston, ''Paris Transatlantic'', 4 September 2007
Recordings
Last.fm Last.fm is a music website founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. Utilizing a music recommender system known as "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm creates a detailed profile of each user's musical preferences by recording the details of the tracks they ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Radulescu, Horatiu 1942 births 2008 deaths Romanian composers French people of Romanian descent Musicians from Bucharest Spectral music National University of Music Bucharest alumni Pupils of Karlheinz Stockhausen Romanian classical composers French classical composers French male classical composers 20th-century French musicians 20th-century French male musicians