1950

 

13 January

Serocki takes part in the first concert of Group 49 in Warsaw. The programme features Tadeusz Baird’s Piano Concerto, Jan Krenz’s Symphony and Serocki’s 4 Folk Dances. This is how Stefan Jarociński explains the objectives of the young composers:

[...] what these young musicians want first of all is to break with the traditions of unbridled novelty and restore lost contact with the listeners, who are becoming the main consumers of culture today. Their music is anti-elitist in spirit, but it does not intend to pander to cheap petit bourgeois taste, which is why in pursuing their objectives they do not want to give up any achievements of modern harmony.

 

11 February

Serocki and Jan Krenz leave for Bucharest to take part of a Polish-Romanian cultural convention. Serocki gives a concert at the Bucharest Philharmonic Hall and performs in some provincial towns, a fact reported by Życie Warszawy of 17 February that year.

 

17 June

During a concert tour of Germany, Serocki gives a piano recital at the Kleine Theater in Baden Baden, playing Bach, Chopin as well as works by Różycki, Szymanowski, Lutosławski, Debussy and Milhaud.

 

22 November

During the 2nd Fryderyk Chopin Composers’ Competition, organised by the Polish Composers’ Union, Serocki wins an honourable mention for his Sonatina and the 3rd Prize for his Four Folk Dances (group A – stage works)

The composer begins his adventure with film music, providing musical illustrations for Tadeusz Kański’s film Devil's Ravine.

 

 

1951

 

12 January

The inaugural concert of the re-established Symphony Orchestra of the Warsaw Philharmonic under Witold Rowicki’s baton. The premiere of Serocki’s Romantic Concerto featuring the composer. The work was performed several more times – also in West Germany, Czechoslovakia and Romania – and its performance was Serocki’s last appearance as a pianist.

17 January

Serocki sends a letter to the Board of the Polish Composers’ Union, asking for a leave from his position as secretary general. The decision is caused by his obligations associated with the musical directorship of the film Chopin' Youth.

April-December

Working with Tadeusz Baird, Andrzej Dobrowolski and Włodzimierz Kotoński, Serocki initiates and co-organises the 1st Polish Music Festival, covering nearly entire Poland. Three stages of the project included: 1) review of professional and amateur ensembles in regional centres; 2) promotion of music and singing in rural areas and among workers all over the country; 3) presentation of Polish works – old and new – associated with the General Assembly of the Polish Composers’ Union.

19 December

Serocki wins the 2nd prize at the Polish Music Festival in the cantata category for his Warsaw Bricklayer to words by Domaradzki.

 

 

1952

 

30 May

The premiere of Serocki’s First Symphony at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall. The work is performed by the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Jan Krenz. It is the second concert by Group 49. The programme also features Jan Krenz’s reconstruction of Antoni Milwid’s symphony and Tadeusz Baird suite Colas Breugnon.

 

17 July

The Government of the People’s Republic of Poland awards Serocki with the 2nd prize for literature and art for his musical illustration of the film Chopin’s Youth (directed by Aleksander Ford).

In the second half of the year Serocki travels to Czechoslovakia to attend performances of his works. He becomes friends with a young trombone player – Juliusz Pietrachowicz. After listening to his playing, Serocki offers to write a new work for him and Pietrachowicz introduces the composer to the secrets of trombone playing.

13 December

Serocki becomes a member of the Board of the Polish Composers’ Union.

 

 

1953

 

Serocki composes Second Symphony – “Symphony of Song” and a cycle of piano miniatures for children – The Dwarfs– dedicated to his first teacher, Maria Drzewiecka.

He also writes some trombone pieces: Trombone Concertodedicated to Juliusz Pietrachowicz and Suite for 4 Trombones for Pietrachowicz’s quartet, which, in addition to himself, included Antoni Skrybant, Pankracy Zdzitowiecki and Jan Wróblewski.

He composes music for another film directed by Aleksander Ford – The Five from Barska Street.

 

 

1954

 

24–26 April

During the 7th General Assembly of the Polish Composers’ Union Kazimierz Serocki is elected deputy president of the Union alongside Tadeusz Baird and Andrzej Panufnik.

11 June

Second Symphony – “Symphony of Song” is premiered at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall under Witold Rowicki’s baton.

18 December

The premiere of Trombone Concerto at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall as part of Juliusz Pietrachowicz’s graduation concert.

Serocki composes the last works from his trombone cycle – Sonatina for trombone and piano (in 1974, following Moeck’s request, the composer orchestrated the piano part and the work became Sonatina for trombone and orchestra).

As a composer Serocki goes on a concert tour of the USSR. He also serves as a delegate of the Polish Composers’ Union to the Congress of the German Composers’ Union in Leipzig.

He receives the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

 

 

1955

 

4–20 May

Together with Tadeusz Baird, Andrzej Dobrowolski and Włodzimierz Kotoński, Serocki organises the 2nd Polish Music Festival. This huge organisational venture encompassed over 250 events, including 163 symphonic concerts, 20 chamber concerts, 5 concerts of popular dance music, 30 concerts given by ensembles from the Federation of Polish Singing and Instrumental Ensembles as well as several dozen performances by amateur groups.

During the 2nd Polish Music Festival Serocki receives awards from the Ministry of Culture and Art for his First Symphony and Trombone Concerto.

4–6 June

During the 7th General Assembly of the Polish Composers’ Union, Serocki – the outgoing deputy president of the Union alongside Tadeusz Baird – puts forward a proposal that contemporary music festivals be organised in Poland. In addition, the composer argues that musical relations with other countries should be expanded.

 

 

1956

 

4 June

Serocki wins the 1st prize at the first Grzegorz Fitelberg International Composers’ Competition, organised by the Polish Composers’ Union and the Polish Radio, for his Sinfonietta for 2 string orchestras.

September

The premiere of Serocki’s Sinfonietta in Katowice. The Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Jan Krenz, to whom the piece is dedicated.

12–21 October

The 1st “Warsaw Autumn” International Festival of Contemporary Music takes place. Its programme features a performance of Serocki’s Sinfonietta.

In the same year the composer travels to Bulgaria under an international cooperation agreement concluded by the Polish Composers’ Union.

 

 

1957

 

February

Serocki’s Suite of Preludes for piano is performed during a chamber concert organised by Accademia Filarmonica Romana in Rome.

summer

Together with Andrzej Dobrowolski, Wojciech Kilar, Włodzimierz Kotoński, Jan Krenz, Andrzej Markowski and Janusz Zathey, Kazimierz Serocki attends the 12th Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt. He expresses his position on the idea of total serialism promoted there in Musica concertante, which he begins after his return.

Sonata for piano wins him the second prize and silver medal at the International Composers’ Competition in Moscow organised as part of the 6th International Youth and Student Festival.

 

 

1958

 

7 June

Serocki wins the 2nd prize at the 3rd Fitelberg Composers’ Competition for Eyes of the Air and receives a special mention for Musica concertante.

July

The composer’s mother dies. On 21 July the Presidium of the Polish Composers’ Union wires their condolences to Serocki.

August

Serocki takes part in the 13th International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt. He listens to lectures and compositions by Henri Pousseur, Bo Nilsson, Luigi Nono and Karlheinz Stockhausen. His Musica concertante is premiered during the course.

27 September-5 October

The 2nd “Warsaw Autumn” features the premiere of Serocki’s song cycle entitled Heart of the Night for baritone and piano. It is sung by Heinrich Rehfuss accompanied by Sergiusz Nadgryzowski.

19 December

Serocki’s Piano Sonata and Suite for 4 trombones are performed during a concert of contemporary Polish music in London.

 

 

1959

 

2 April

Sinfonietta for two string orchestras is performed in Haarlem (the Netherlands) by the North Holland Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Henri Arends. The composer also gives a lecture on contemporary Polish music.

25 May

The premiere of a new, four-part version of Second Symphony. It is performed by the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Jan Krenz, with Teresa Żylis-Gara and Andrzej Bachleda as the soloists. This version is also published in print.

10–16 June

Serocki takes part in the 6th International Congress of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) alongside Witold Lutosławski, Tadeusz Baird and Witold Szalonek.

August

For the third time the composer leaves for the International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt.

He writes Episodes for strings and three percussion groups, a work which testifies to his desire to create an alternative to the Darmstadt serialism.