New publication to be seen on the website page videos: the Méditation sur deux thèmes de La Journée de l’Existence op. 7, with Katharina Gohl Moser, cello and Anton Kernjak, piano, produced by La Pataconera in february 2024 in Basle.
 
The American Festival of Microtonal Music in New-York made a compilation of several Ivan Wyschnegradsky’s works they had published in CDs during the last 30 years: https://johnnyreinhard.bandcamp.com/album/ivan-wyschnegradsky-pierce-jonas-tom-chiu-johnny-reinhard-dan-auerbach-soldier-string-quartet-american-festival-of-microtonal-music
 
If you are able to communicate the details of a concert, research or an event concerning Ivan Wyschnegradsky, we would be grateful for your informing us.
 
 

EDITO

 
NB Previous editos are available by clicking here.
 
 
In the year 2024, the centenary of composer Claude BALLIF’s birth and the twentieth anniversary of his death, it is imperative for us to join in this tribute.
 
Claude Ballif was certainly the closest composer, musician and man to Ivan Wyschnegradsky during the last ten years of his life (from 1969 to 1979), when they were in close contact.
 
Claude Ballif helped him sort, classify and rewrite his handwritten notes in order to publish the article entitled « L’ultrachromatisme et les espaces non-octaviants » in Revue Musicale no. 290-291, published in 1972 under his direction and devoted to Nicolas Obouhov and Ivan Wyschnegradsky.
 
In Claude Ballif’s Entretiens with Alain Galliari, an entire chapter is devoted to Ivan Wyschnegradsky (Editions Promusica, 1992). We extract a single sentence from it: « Rarely in my life have I been able to converse from composer to composer as I did with him »…
 
Among the sum of Claude Ballif’s Ecrits, compiled in two substantial volumes by members of the Association Claude Ballif in 2015 and published by Editions Hermann, three articles are devoted to Ivan Wyschnegradsky. The first is a Biography, while the second, entitled « Harmonies du soir », appeared at the head of our 1st Cahier Ivan Wyschnegradsky, which we produced in 1985. The third, « Ivan Wyschnegradsky et les espaces non octaviants » (Ivan Wyschnegradsky and non-octave spaces) was written by Claude Ballif in 1976 for a conference coupled with a concert at the Archipel Festival in Geneva, in which we took part.
 

Claude Ballif at home, on the Ivan Wyschnegradsky's piano. Photo Michèle Tosi.

Claude Ballif at home, on the Ivan Wyschnegradsky’s piano. Photo Michèle Tosi.


Ivan Wyschnegradsky was well aware of Claude Ballif’s exceptional attitude towards him, his devotion and loyalty, for he had bequeathed him his 3-manual grand piano in ¼ tone, his harmonium and clarinet, also both in ¼ tone. These instruments, after a long stay with Claude Ballif, became the property of the Paul-Sacher Foundation in Basel.
 
This year’s events around the work of Claude Ballif are available on the website claudeballif.com.
 
Claude Ballif founded with us the Ivan Wyschnegradsky Association in 1983 and was its President until 2002. His commitment and probity have always been with us, and remain with us in all our actions and projects for us in all our actions and choices.
 
Martine Joste – march 2024
 
 

IVAN WYSCHNEGRADSKY

 

I could have been a poet, a philosopher or a musician. I chose music: I am therefore a composer.’

 

Ivan Wyschnegradsky, born in Saint Petersburg in 1893, lived in Paris from 1920 until his death in 1979. Admired by numerous composers, amongst whom we can mention Olivier Messiaen, Henri Dutilleux, Bruce Mather, Alain Bancquart and Claude Ballif, Ivan Wyschnegradsky is recognized by the musical world as one of the pioneers in 20th century music.

 
 
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, 1979 - Photo René Block

 

Ivan Wyschnegradsky’s 1/4 tone piano, which in 1927 he had ordered from the August Förster manufacture, first was in the home of Claude Ballif, to whom he had bequeathed it. Since 2009 it belongs to the Paul-Sacher Foundation in Basel. Photo René Block (1979).
 
 
 



 

Association Ivan Wyschnegradsky - last update 18 march 2024