"Composing Techniques" Summer School
19-25 August 2000, Ohrid

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The summer school was opened on the 20th, by the Director of PAC MULTIMEDIA. Lectures followed: Goce Kolarovski held a lecture about Vlastimir Nikolovski and some of his well known compositions, mainly including folk music elements and combining them with contemporary music writing. Alexander Radvilovich was analysing compositions by some of the most distinguished composers of our time: Brian Ferneyhough and George Crumb. John Woolrich was lecturing about technical and aesthetic basis of his Oboe concerto, commissioned by BBC. At the consultation sessions, all leaders had busy schedules. The consultations were an opportunity to discuss the participant's compositions and get answers for more specific questions. In the evening the participants were listening to music connected with the morning lectures: work by Ferneyhough and Crumb.

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The 21st has been a busy day. Alexander Radvilovich was lecturing on Sergei Slonimsky and Helmut Lachenmann. Kilian Schwoon held his first lecture making a wonderful introduction to contemporary music technical grounds: he extracted the colour and pitch organization and presented a very accurate study of development of these two very important parameters. The choice of examples analysed was also very helpful: it begun with Verdi and Schoenberg but arrived at Berio, showing great invention in organization of the material. Eric Gaudibert was talking about his composition techniques and presented an outstanding creativity and technical knowledge. Alexander Radvilovich presented some of his compositions and talked about certain techniques connected with his compositional writing. Consultation sessions followad: because of increased number of participants asking for a consultation, the leaders held group consultations and this has shown very good results. The participants could get a feedback from other participants as well: many interesting discussions took place. At the Listening session, participants played their own compositions.

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On the 22nd, all the participants went to Ohrid and the lectures were held there, in the Primary Music School. Alexander Radvilovich was lecturing on piano music of our age, especially the "prepared" piano. He analysed and played pieces by Galina Ustwolwkaya, Sergei Slonimski, Karlheinz Stockhausen, George Crumb and his own piano music. John Woolrich gave a very interesting lecture. The participants were also taking part. The theme of the lecture was the organization of the piece, regardless of the style and duration: feeling of "musical" time and the degree of change. After the participants had an opportunity to visit Ohrid and its main places of interest. In the afternoon, consultations were held: more and more participants took part. In the evening the Alea Ensemble had its firs concert on the summer school. Pieces by the participants were performed. During the previous couple of days the participants had been working closely with the players and had exchanged valuable experience.

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The 23rd brought very interseting lectures: Eric Gaudibert was talking about some diverse contemporary writing techniques. Kilian Schwoon continued with his lectures about organization, this time about pitch organization and its relation to other parameters. Goce Kolarovski was lecturing about the most interesting pieces of Macedonian contemporary music. After two sessions of consultation, the second concert took place: the members of the Alea Ensemble played compositions by participants and leaders.

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On the 24th we had the busiest schedule. John Woolrich had a panel discussion with the participants, led by the coordinator of the summer school. Many interesting questions were asked, both of aesthetic and practical nature, and we all felt happy to be able to exchange some ideas about composition today. Kilian Scwoon talked about some of his pieces and their technical grounds. Eric Gaudibert held a very interesting lecture and analysing two very different and written in a span of thirty years, and yet, very contemporary pieces: t-Air-e by the Swiss composer Heinz Holliger and Livre pour Orchestre by Witold Lutoslawski. Members of Alea Ensemble took part, playing extracts from Livre pour Orchestre. Goce Kolarovski was talking about some of his recent compositions. After the consultations, all the participants and leaders went to Ohrid for the final concert in the wonderful 11th century St. Sophia Cathedral. Compositions by leaders and participants were performed by Alea Ensemble with Sasha Nikolovski - Gjumar conducting.
On the 25th, the Summer School moved to Skopje, for the Final concert in the Concert Hall of the Faculty of Music.

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