Serenitatis

Serenitatis (for Piano solo)

From my earliest recollections, the cosmos has held an enduring fascination for me, particularly the American spaceflights of the Apollo program, culminating in the historic moon landing. In January ’23 I fulfilled my lifelong dream: visiting NASA’s Space Center in Houston.

One of the attractions at Space Center Houston is the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility and Lunar Samples Vault. This facility hosts the largest display of Moon rocks on public view in the world. One of the incredible experiences is undoubtedly touching a fragment of the moon. Only eight lunar rocks are available for the general public to touch worldwide. The particular one I touched in Houston was brought back to Earth by the Apollo 17 crew in December 1972 and is 3.8 billion years old. Astronauts Schmitt and Cernan collected the sample in the Valley of Taurus-Littrow, located on the edge of the Sea of Serenity (Mare Serenitatis) in the upper right quadrant of the Moon as viewed from Earth.

A few months after returning to the UK, my friend Carl Petersson—an outstanding Swedish pianist currently living in Canada—reached out to me with a request to compose a solo piano piece for a rather unconventional album. The recording project would feature piano pieces inspired by the moon. My visit to Space Center Houston and the inspiration drawn from the place will be translated onto the musical score.

The primary inspiration shaping Serenitatis for me was the idea of depicting the moon’s gravity (1.62 m/s²) in a musical manner. I decided to create something resembling fluid or moving harmony (the vertical texture of the piece) and embellish it with a continuous rising and falling motion (the horizontal texture of the piece), often-in opposing directions.

The harmony of Serenitatis constantly migrates. Sometimes very imperceptibly (already in the theme presentation with half-tones), and sometimes very radically (the cascading opening arpeggios, arpeggio ranges closing the composition, and the transformation of the composition itself). To capture the atmosphere of the night, but above all the vast shades of grey, silver, and finally black (which the moon reminds me of), I decided to construct nearly 80% of Serenitatis’ harmony from pure minor chords that constantly clash and complement each other.

Serenitatis is also a distant reminiscence of the form of nocturne – music of the night. An echo of the typical theme texture (melody) that appears especially in the nocturnes of Frédéric Chopin. Hence, the main theme of Serenitatis has a very chromatic, fleeting, and lyrical character. The theme itself gravitationally changes—each successive presentation (increasingly fuller) drifts in half-tones.

Gravity is also reflected in the rhythm. Based on initial static triplets (the left-hand texture recurring as a 'nocturnal’ accompaniment in the left hand), the main theme and its development seem to continually appear in an open (rhythmically and harmonically), almost ethereal character.

Despite the nocturnal character of the theme itself, Serenitatis is a virtuosic, lively, and energetic piece. It starts from the highest register of the piano but also concludes with a tremendous ascent from the lowest to the highest possible piano notes.

I hope that Serenitatis will take you and future performers on a short journey to the moon. The piece was commissioned and is dedicated to Carl Petersson.


Marek Pasieczny
Leeds, UK, November, 2023

The Elements: Triple Concerto in 8K on YouTube!

◾ GENESIS This composition was commissioned by and dedicated to ACG (Austin Classical Guitar, for which I was appointed Artist in Residence for the year 2022-23. I was asked to create a piece that largely reflects the theme of ACG’s 2022-23 artistic year, which was 'HOME.’ I also knew that this composition had to be written for five separate groups of guitarists. Each group could independently prepare their assigned portion of the larger whole, but, more importantly, they were to perform that section and treat it as a finished and stand-alone piece.

These two factors (’HOME’ and the five independent guitar groups) directed my inspiration towards the philosophy of go-dai, which I had used previously when composing the 'Go-Dai Concerto’ for guitar and orchestra in 2012.

◾ 'GO-DAI’

The philosophy of Go-Dai is a Japanese concept of five elements known as godai, or the „five great”: air/wind (Japanese: 風, fū or kaze), fire (Japanese: 火, ka or hi), water (Japanese: 水, sui or mizu), earth (Japanese: 地, chi or tsuchi), and void/sky (Japanese: 空, kū or sora).

◾ 'HOME’

For me, „HOME” broadly refers to our planet as our shared home, regardless of where we live. Therefore, my initial intention was to reference weather conditions through the elements of the Go-Dai philosophy.

◾ ELEMENTS

The first step in the composition process was to develop the main themes for each of the five Go-Dai elements. Each of these themes, along with their harmonization, development, and adaptation to specific guitar groups, was shaped by the character of each element. This way, the music not only conveyed the essence of each element but also visually and suggestively impacted the listener. The choice of expressive techniques, compositional solutions, and structural elements such as meter, harmony, rhythm, tempo, and structure were closely tied to each of the five elements during the composition process.

◾ FORM / ORCHESTRATION

Despite there being five independent compositions (elements), I strongly wanted to avoid a suite-like form with clear and distinct parts. My goal was to integrate all five elements while maintaining their individualism, much like in nature. During the creation of THE ELEMENTS, I was given the choice to write a solo part for the guitar. This inspired me to consider additional solo parts on various instruments. First, I chose the cello as an instrument that blended well with the guitar’s sound. The second addition was a solo part for a percussionist who was to handle over twenty percussion instruments, which I felt naturally relates to the fundamental elements of nature.

The piece begins with abstract, low, and primal sounds symbolizing darkness. Within the structure of the triple concerto, THE ELEMENTS features three main solo cadenzas: solo (timpani), duet (guitar and cello), and trio – fugue (guitar, cello, and marimba). The entire composition is interspersed with abstract moments that serve as links between the various elements. These abstract segments contrast with meticulously developed motifs for each of the elements.

The composition concludes with a bright, cheerful finale, symbolizing transformation: from emptiness and darkness to brightness, fullness, and hope.

Marek Pasieczny (Leeds, UK 13 Oct. 2023)

Suite for Clarinet in B flat & Guitar

Brand new version of my SIX FOLK MELODIES : suite for Clarinet in B flat & Guitar, based on Polish folk melodies, has just been premiered by phenomenal duo: Vojin Kocic (guitar) & Matthias Müller (clarinet).

Premiere took place last Sunday during the 87th Musikwoche Braunwald in Braunwald, Switzerland.

Solo Piano Music

Revised and completed version of (SZOPEN) RE:MEMBERING III for piano solo just flying to Canada to the brilliant Carl Petersson, to be among a few solo piano pieces he will soon record.

1st Warsaw Guitar Conference | UMFC

I’m looking forward to the 1st Warsaw Guitar Conference at the Uniwersytet Muzyczny Fryderyka Chopina, Warsaw.

Together with outstanding Mateusz Kowalski, we will premiere: (SZOPEN) RE:MEMBERING II and DODECAPHONIC PRELUDE AND FUGUE III, both brand new versions for two guitars.
We will also give Polish premiere of my EX NIHILO (NIHIL FIT) II for Two Guitars and Large Guitar Ensemble w/ the students of the Chopin University, conducted by Ryszard Bałauszko.

teaching | all additional info

Domeniconi / Pasieczny: Composer’s Project

I’ve been lucky over many years now, to make music with extraordinary people, however this is one of a kind, once in a lifetime project. This summer I’m going to compose and record music with living legend, composer I admire very much: Carlo DOMENICONI. I will compose together with Carlo large multi-movement piece for two guitars.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

The very first rehearsal and masterclass at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Premiering THE ELEMENTS: Triple Concerto – version for Two Guitars, Cello and Guitar Octet with fantastic Gen Li (cello), Mark Ashford (guitar) and eight students under conductor Mark Eden.

Premiering on the 23rd of March at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

’SOLO’: VIDEOs & SCOREs

Thank you for purchasing my limited edition album ’SOLO’ (Contemporary Music for Solo Guitar)

YOU are one of only 200 people in the world who has it! Congratulations!

Following links below, you can now watch videos and purchase music scores from this very album 'SOLO’

WATCH VIDEOS FROM ALBUM 'SOLO’

ALL SCORES FROM ALBUM 'SOLO’ YOU CAN ORDER DIRECTLY VIA ✉️ slepayment@gmail.com

’SOLO’ (contemporary music for solo guitar)

New album ’SOLO’ (Contemporary Music for Solo Guitar) will be out on the 1st of February! Only 200 physical copies will ever be released. All signed.

You can order your copy now contacting us directly via ✉️ slepayment@gmail.com

Track List:

01. FOR PAT (to Pat Metheny) [4:41]

SEVEN JAZZ PIECES [13:21]

02. I. African Sketch

03. II. (The Other) Milonga

04. III. For Sylvia (Jazz Vals)

05. IV. Tom’s Blues

06. V. (Afro) Samba

07. VI. Lyle’s Maze

08. VII. Until Then (Jazz Ballad)

BOOK OF VARIATIONS [14:21]

09. I. Polish Variations (Classical)

10. II. Polish Variations (Impressionistic)

11. III. Taiwanese Variations

12. IV. Japanese Variations

from TRAVELS [5:25]

13. Pōkarekare Ana (The Waves Are Breaking)

14. Thula Baba Thula Sana (original soundtrack from the movie ’The Wound Is Where The light Enters’)

LITTLE SONATA [6:07]

15. I. Moderto Galante

16. II. Lento Religioso

17. III. Arpeggiato Largamente

18. IV. Allegro Vigoroso

19. UNTITLED (Black & Blood Orange) [3:59]

20. DESEJO (to Odair Assad) [2:32]

FINIS AUTEM PRINCIPIUM EST (Epitaph on John Tavener) [6:29]

21. I. Itiner

22. II. Lucis Fluctus

SCINTILLA (after Arvo Pärt) [5:54]

23. I. Part One

24. II. Part Two: Psalm

25. III. Part Three

(SZOPEN) RE:MEMBERING  [6:45] 1st Prize at The II International Guitar Composition Competition, Seixal, Portugal (2022)

26. I. no:cturne

27. II. pre:lude

28. III. ma:zurka (obertas)

29. SPIFFY (bonus track) [3:00]

30. LE-GO! (for microtonal guitar) (bonus track) [1:18] 1st Prize at The IV International Microtonal Guitar Competition, Istanbul, Turkey (2020)

Total Time [74:53]

All tracks composed and performed by MAREK PASIECZNY

(szopen) re:membering | score available!

(szopen) re:membering

I. no:cturne
II. pre:lude
III. ma:zurka (obertas)

Edition Type: paper-book, full score: solo guitar & composer’s program notes (12 pages) | Publishers: SLE London Catalogue Number: SLE081 | Date Published: 20 December 2022 | printed in the UK

order your copy now contacting us directly via ✉️: slepayment@gmail.com

1st prize at the 2nd Portugal International Guitar Composition Competition / Seixal, September, 2022 with Maestro Leo Brouwer as chairman of the jury.

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