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SZERKEZET I was
completed May 15, 1981 and played for the first time in concert
by the saxophonist Philippe Gisselmann, before beeing played by
the SCRIPTORAL TRIO :
Carol
LIPKIND (classical pianist), Yochk'o
SEFFER (jazz pianist) et myself
(on alto sax.).
THE CADENZA
This
sonata is special in that it requires two different pianists : one
to play the written movements 1, 2 and 4, and the other to improvise
the cadenza which can also be played by saxophone a cappella.
A third possibility is also planned for this cadenza in the edited
version now in preparation : Saxophone and CD, with the improvisation
pre-recorded, and cues adapted for the sax part.
In the present recording, about four fifths of this cadenza are
read by the saxplayer and 100% improvised by the pianist (the saxplayer
improvising about one fifth). In any case, wether the latter reads
or improvises, he finds himself in improvisational territory which
favors "feeling" over precision execution of the written
note. A "mistake", a "quack, is not to be considered
as such if it is lively and meaning-ful, even though it contradicts
the written text. The reading player must defend his concept. Hence
the "bonus"
of this page.
This
is an excellent example of the difference - noted in many instances
on this site - between the type of conception governing composition
and its execution, forever questioning and filtering its primary
inspiration, so as to arrive at the top of the pyramid, perfection,
where it disappears and dies, and the form of intelligence governing
improvisation, refusing to filter in favor of a boiling over of
raw artistic material, cf. Pyramid, Utopia ?, Integration
?, etc...
etc...
IMPROVISER / PLAYER OF WRITTEN PART
SEEKING A BALANCE
This means
that, for the recording, there must be a compromise
between the reading player and the improviser necessitating
adapted recording techniques. For example : the two
musicians see each other through windows in two different
recording studios and hear each other with headsets,
which would allow the improviser to retain his freshness
and the reading player to redo troublesome phrases.
Each could then be satisfied.
On the other hand, the two versions here recorded
of the cadenza are fresh starts for both parties.
The first was chosen over the second which may have
been better having more "feeling" but less
faithful to the written text, in my eyes and so I
eliminated it. I give it only as a bonus
to support my arguments.
The first recording of SZERKEZET I by the SCRIPTORALTRIO was made in 1988 on the (manifesto) LP "LA VOIE
SCRIPTORALE", edited by myself:
Szerkezet, i.e. "jigsaw",
a sonata
born of obsessive dreams
of serpents running through rings.
AUTO-EDITION
ALAIN BOUHEY mailto:abouhey@wanadoo.fr
33LP record 30 cm. pamphlet 16 pages, with Scriptoral
Manifesto.
The writing
of this sonata "swims" in the words of its composer, between
Bartok, his spiritual father, and Messiaen whom he particularly
appreciates, with a jazz "Feeling", à la Coltrane
:
"A
unique guy, fantastic,
his faith in the universe and in God gave him fundamental
energy
with which he devoted his life to become the best saxophonist
in the world.
And he made it !",
(Yochk'o SEFFER, bulletin de l'ASSAFRA
n° 26, avril 1985).
COLTRANE AND BARTOK
"As concerne Coltrane,
I connect him to Bela Bartok. In addition to his incredible technique,
he substituted original chords and discovered in Hindu music the
16 synthetic modes and parallel fourths. He assimilated everything
to know about harmony. Whatever you hear him play, it's elegant
- not a note is outside the harmony. You have to remember that this
is a cycle going from C to C. Starting from five or six situations,
you can learn everything in one year and can't do anything new.
Coltrane is fantastic !
"Like Bartok (who transcribed 6000 pieces) he was interested
in ethnic music. He appreciated Bartok's second violin concerto
and played it on the saxophone. That is how he acquired his fantastic
technique - by playing difficult violin works on his instrument.
You can't do more with a tenor sax. Even he is a genius that I deeply
admire, I don't play like him. Something keeps me from growing in
that direction. May be because I'm not a mimic which is also my
strength. (Yochk'o
SEFFER, ASSAFRA bulletin
n° 26, april 1985).
"FEELING"
!
Did I hear you say
"FEELING" ?...
"FEELING"
""Feeling"
is natural, there's no music without it. Look at how much there is
in the hungarian gypsies. All Bartok's music bathes in it. Imagine
you're playing with a drummer and, all of a sudden, with your phrases,
your accents, you feel light as a bird. The drummer is pushing you
to phrase beyond the tempo. It's magic, inexplicable, and neverthelessit
would be useful to define it so that young classical musicians could
grasp it and include it in their work. Actually its a sensation like
internal boiling, thanksto the external sensation of tempo. It is
brought about by correct placement, anticipated or behind the beat.
Understanding tempo can be different for different musicians, even
classical musicians ! Stern, Perlman, Zuckerman, Oistrakh creat "feeling"
with the energy they throw into their playing. Music must be alive
! What good is dead music ?" (Yochk'o
SEFFER, ASSAFRA bulletin n° 26, april 1985).
ITS
COMPOSER / IMPROVISER,
MUSICIAN, PAINTER, SCULPTOR Return
to menu
Yochk'o SEFFER was
born in Miskolk, the second largest city in Hungary, near the
Russian border. His grandfather was solo clarinette at the opera
and his father also played the clarinette. At six he started conservatory
studies and started with the piano, which was required of all
beginning musicians in Hungary.
"In 1956, at the age of sixteen during the revolution
with the Russians I was given the possibility of emigrating
to Canada, France, America or Australia. I chose France.
At eight, I indicated on the Atlas where I wanded to live
: Paris...
"(...)
"I Studied saxophone in Paris with Marcel Josse (one
year), then Marcel Mule, at the C.N.S.M. where I remained
for two years. I was to do one more year. Marcel Mule
wanted me to stay. He was a great man : generous, wonderful.
He taght me so much...
"But I had lots of jobs in popular music. There was
a lot going on. I mainly played "cuban" in nightclubs.
At the time I didn't like doing that, but nothing is totally
negative. I learned a lot about tempo and sax sound. As
soon as I arrived in Paris I bought a recordplayer, and
my first record was by Miles Davis, it wasn't classical
! There is one eternal locomotive in my life : imagination."
(Yochk'o
SEFFER, ASSAFRA bulletin
n° 26, april 1985).
He applied to the school of graphic arts, Beaux-Arts :
"I do figurative paintings which can decompose into
geometrical abstractions." (Id.),
(cf. chromophonie_scriptorale.htm).
Yochk'o SEFFER was part of the groups : MAGMA, PERCEPTION, ZAO,
then developped his own ideas in NEFFESH MUSIC, Music of the Soul.
This is when, in about 1982, he met yours truly and collaborated
on SCRIPTORAL, a quest for synthtesis, between written and improvised
musics, through hungarian gypsy music, jazz and contemporary music
and, more broadly, synthesis of music and plastic arts with ist
"sculptophonies" : musical sculptures.
With Yochk'o SEFFER,
Carol LIPKIND, American pianist living in Paris
and yours truly, originator of the Scriptoral project, and professor
of saxophone in Rennes (CNR) and in Paris (Francis Poulenc Conservatory).
For more information.