Playing time: 3’40 (1’40 + 2′)

Publisher: Belaïeff.

First performance: 7 January 1977 at the Maison de Radio France, Paris, by Jean-François Heisser.

Playing time: 2′30

Unpublished

First performance: 5 October 1979 at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, by Jean-Claude Pennetier.

Playing time: 8′ (2’10 + 5’50)

Unpublished

First performance: 19 December 1928 at Salle Chopin-Pleyel, Paris, by the Vandelle Quartet.

Ivan Wyschnegradsky wrote in his journal: November 1928. Rehearsal of my fugue by the Vandelle Quartet. The Vandelle Quartet plays my fugue before the Pro Musica committee. The quartet is accepted. 19 December 1928. Hearing of my fugue by the Vandelle Quartet at the Société Pro Musica concert. (English translation: John Tyler Tuttle)

Playing time: 4’05 (2’ + 2’05)

Unpublished

Playing time: 4’15

Unpublished

Unpublished

Playing time: 42’30

Publisher: Belaïeff

Excerpt of the Preface of the 24 Preludes by Ivan Wyschnegradsky:
This work is composed in an ultrachromatic quartertone scale; that is in a pitch system containing 24 equidistant tones within an octave. It is written for two pianos tuned a quartertone apart. The first piano remains at the concert pitch, the second is tuned a quartertone lower.
New accidentals were invented to create a quartertone notation : (……)
However, because of the quartertone displacement of the two instruments, this notation was not necessary for the two-piano score. These accidentals are nevertheless applied to the two-stave transcription of the work, the purpose of which is to convey an overall image of the makeup of each prelude and which is edited separetely.
A vertically striped half-moon spanning an interval signifies a tone-cluster, indicating that the hand (held flat) is required to depress the white and the black keys together. Mezzo denotes a dynamic nuance between mp and mf. (English translation: John Tyler Tuttle)

In the catalogue established by Ivan Wyschnegradsky in 1976, this opus was entitled Two pieces for piano: 1 – Prelude; II – Elévation, composed respectively in 1957 and 1964. Also see Solitude of 1959, integrated into Opus 38.

Published in 2019 by Ed. Jobert/Lemoine

First performance of Prélude: 3 February 1980 in Berlin, by Sylvaine Billier.

Playing time: 9′

Publisher: Belaïeff

First performance: 8 April 1971 at the Royan Festival, by Marie-Elena Barrientos.

Wyschnegradsky definitively formulated his theory of cyclical tonal space with a regulated internal structure in 1952. The opus 40 is the first composition that strictly follows the rules of this theory. It is based on the Magic Square as it was found in the Roman catacombs.

SATOR
AREP0
TENET
OPERA
ROTAS

The same words are formed vertically downwards as horizontally left to right. Wyschnegradsky replaced the letters of the words with measures, in this case, six of them, the ends of which lead back to the beginning and which, when placed in canonic order, result in the structure of the Magic Square. The form of the Etude alternates between improvisation with the given elements and strict submission of these elements to the structure. If there ever was a case of musical cubism, this is it. Since the order within the tonal space approaches that of Messiaen’s scales, the resulting sound is also very similar. Messiaen even wrote a letter to Wyschnegradsky praising the « uncompromising organization », the « imaginative rhythms », and the « vicissitude of the form, so captivating and full of life. » Gottfried Eberle (LP disc Block, English Translation: Alice Dampmann)

Playing time: 4’30

Unpublished

First performance: 13 February 1998, Amstelveen, Netherlands, by Joop van Goozen.

Playing time: 4’45 (3′ + 1’45)

Unpublished

First performances:
– 22 October 1986 in Graz (Austria), Georg Friedrich Haas performed the Etude Op. 44b on the synthesizer.
– 8 May 2002 in Mexico City, Martine Joste played the Etude Op. 44b on Julian Carrillo’s piano in twelfths of tone.
– 27 september 2023, in Palermo (Sicily), transcription for synthesizer by Giovanni Damiani of the Poème Op. 44 a.

Playing time: 7′ (3′ + 4′)

Unpublished

First performance: 18 August 1972 in Munich, by Martine Joste.

The Mexican Julian Carrillo (1893-1965) demonstrated his micro-interval pianos in 1958 in the Salle Gaveau in Paris, which divided the whole step into any desired number of intervals from three to sixteen. Ferruccio Busoni had already developed a third tone system in 1906. The interesting thing about Carrillo’s instrument is the complete absence of the half-step. In opus 48 Wyschnegradsky contrasts a delicate, meditative Prelude with a hectic, screaming-siren-like Etude. Gottfried Eberle (LP disc Block, English Translation: Alice Dampmann)

Playing time: 4’

First performance: 29 November 1993 in Prague, by Vojtěch Spurný on the quarter-tone piano by the August Forster Co.

Playing time: 1’40

Unpublished

Became the second of the Three Pieces, Op. 38

Published in 2019 by Ed. Jobert/Lemoine

First performance: 28 August 2004, Kunnersdorf (Görlitz), Germany, Christoph Staude, piano.

Publication in march 2022 by Editions JOBERT (www.jobert.fr) of the score of Ombres, 3 early works for piano solo in 1/2 ton. Revision and presentation by Martine Joste.

Became the third of the Three pieces, Op. 38

Playing time: 4’20

Published in 2019 by Ed. Jobert/Lemoine

First performance: 28 August 2004, Kunnersdorf (Görlitz), Germany, Christoph Staude, piano.

Playing time: I and II, c. 5’

Unpublished

First performance: 29 November 1993, in Prague, by Vojtěch Spurný on the piano in quarter-tones of the August Forster Co.

Ivan Wyschnegradsky wrote in his journal:’ July 1923: I am writing a piece for violin and piano in quarter-tones [later destroyed] and 2 etudes for piano in quarter-tones (later, with the Humoresque, they will make up the 3 Epigrammes for piano in quarter-tones, of which the sole copy, on the advice of R. Petit, was sent in 1927 to Hába to be played on the piano in quarter-tones and that he will never return to me). Then later, January 1927: I learn that Hába is going to introduce the quarter-tone piano in Paris. Following the advice of R. Petit, I’m sending him my music to be played at this concert (Chant funèbre, 6 Etudes sur la note do, 3 épigrammes). Not only will it not be played, but I will never see my music again (except for the 1st, the former humoresque that will now become a capriccio).’ (Note by Franck Jedrzejewski – English translation: John Tyler Tuttle)

Unpublished

First performance: 29 November 1993 in Prague, by Vojtěch Spurný on the quarter-tone piano by the August Forster Co.

Score in 2 colours, Ivan Wyschnegradsky’s sole attempt at this type of writing in quarter-tones. This score, in red and black, was found in very poor condition in 1992 by the Czech composer and musicologist Martin Smolka amongst Alois Hába’s archives in Prague. See the note from Ivan Wyschnegradsky’s journal for the Three Epigrammes.