Other Voices for 24 wind instruments, 4 gongs and chimes (1975)

Other Voices was premiered during the 1975 Warsaw Autumn Festival. It is written only for wind instruments and – characteristically of Sikorski – gongs and chimes.  

The work begins with a broad chord, made up of aperiodically repeated notes, which in number 2 is enhanced by the sound of the gongs. In number 5 the oboe, clarinet and bassoon parts receive new material: gradually decelerated and accelerated tremolandi. The static nature of the work is maintained, although the whole begins to gradually loose its balance. The lack of stability is compounded by the appearance of “undulating” quasi-trills in the trumpet and French horn parts. Number 10 brings a surprising change: sharp sforzati against the background of shimmering valve trills and massive gong sounds – as if transported from Sikorski’s earlier sonorist compositions. The following parts of the piece (from number 12 onwards) are marked by a return of broad chord planes – this time fortissimo – also supported by the gong sound. There is also a return of quavering tremolandi (numbers 14 to 19). Interestingly, with loud dynamics these chord planes produce a strong colour effect, whereas when they are played quietly the effect is euphonic. Number 20 is a clear return to the beginning of the work – quiet, long, irregular chords. This time, however, the dynamics rise only to mezzoforte, only to gradually lose its power, together with the chimes that are brought in number 25, dying away (perdendosi) in absolute silence.

With its transparent formal structure and dramatic outline (climax in numbers 10-12) and much reduced and carefully selected musical material, the composition may seem inconsistent. Sequences of the various chords or larger fragments of the piece may seem accidental to the listener. However, this may have been exactly what the composer intended, this is how he may have imagined these “other voices”. They are unpredictable, varied, but at the same time very similar. Yet it is difficult to pinpoint this similarity. The voices merge, sometimes outshout each other, fade away and return in an incredible manner – agitated or calm. The voices seem to be moving like a shoal, but without its beauty. Rather, they provoke anxiety and fear.

When it comes to the musical material used in the work, Other Voices resembles Homophony written five years earlier. In both pieces Sikorski uses aperiodic long chords, tremolandi and strong dynamic contrasts. The scoring in both cases is similar (Homophony – 12 brass instruments, piano and gong; Other Voices – 24 wind instruments, 4 gongs and chimes). Yet in fact the works are each other’s negatives. In Homophony the composer “demonstrates” that everything seeks an equilibrium, order, a kind of zero state – silence. In Other Voices, on the other hand, he shows that all attempts to organise, classify, find rules, in a word: understand, are doomed to failure.