Iancu Dumitrescu
Encyclopedia
Iancu Dumitrescu is a Romanian
avant-garde
composer
.
; Celibidache led Dumitrescu to an engagement with the philosophy of Edmund Husserl
and an effort to apply the principles of phenomenology to music.
He began composing his mature works in the early 1970s. In 1976 he founded the Hyperion Ensemble
, which he describes as "a multimedia group dedicated to experimental music." Several of Dumitrescu's early works for solo contrabass were recorded by the noted avant-garde bassist Fernando Grillo.
Dumitrescu has composed a large body of works for acoustic instruments and ensembles as well as works combining acoustic and electronic sounds and works composed entirely using tape or computer. In its emphasis on long tones that undergo transformations of timbre, Dumitrescu's music can be loosely grouped with that of Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi
and with the spectral music
of fellow Romanian Horatiu Radulescu
and the French composers of the spectral school.
Dumitrescu describes his music as "acousmatic" but disclaims a relationship with the Acousmatic music
of French musique concrete pioneer Pierre Schaeffer
. He accepts the "spectralist" label, though he distinguishes his work from some others in the spectral school in that it is not serial
. "I think of myself as a spectralist, but in completely different way from the French."
Dumitrescu is married to fellow composer Ana-Maria Avram
(born 1961); they have more than 20 joint CD releases on their Edition Modern label. Recordings of Dumitrescu's works have also been released by Edition RZ, ReR Megacorp, Generations Unlimited, and other record labels. He is represented by Editions Salabert.
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
avant-garde
Avant-garde music
Avant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Life and works
Dumitrescu received a master's degree in composition in Bucharest; Alfred Mendelssohn was among his teachers. Later, he studied conducting and philosophy with Sergiu CelibidacheSergiu Celibidache
- Biography :Celibidache was born in Roman, Romania, and began his studies in music with the piano, after which he studied music, philosophy and mathematics in Bucharest, Romania and then in Paris...
; Celibidache led Dumitrescu to an engagement with the philosophy of Edmund Husserl
Edmund Husserl
Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl was a philosopher and mathematician and the founder of the 20th century philosophical school of phenomenology. He broke with the positivist orientation of the science and philosophy of his day, yet he elaborated critiques of historicism and of psychologism in logic...
and an effort to apply the principles of phenomenology to music.
He began composing his mature works in the early 1970s. In 1976 he founded the Hyperion Ensemble
Hyperion Ensemble
Hyperion Ensemble is a chamber music ensemble from Romania, based in Bucharest. It was founded in 1976 by composer Iancu Dumitrescu and specializes in the performance of contemporary classical music, more particular it is the main promoter in Romania of the Spectral Music trend.Hyperion performed...
, which he describes as "a multimedia group dedicated to experimental music." Several of Dumitrescu's early works for solo contrabass were recorded by the noted avant-garde bassist Fernando Grillo.
Dumitrescu has composed a large body of works for acoustic instruments and ensembles as well as works combining acoustic and electronic sounds and works composed entirely using tape or computer. In its emphasis on long tones that undergo transformations of timbre, Dumitrescu's music can be loosely grouped with that of Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi
Giacinto Scelsi
Giacinto Scelsi , Count of Ayala Valva was an Italian composer who also wrote surrealist poetry in French....
and with the spectral music
Spectral music
Spectral music is a musical composition practice where compositional decisions are often informed by the analysis of sound spectra. Computer-based sound spectrum analysis using tools like DFT, FFT, and spectrograms...
of fellow Romanian Horatiu Radulescu
Horatiu Radulescu
Horaţiu Rădulescu was a Romanian-French composer, best known for the spectral technique of composition.-Biography:Rădulescu was born in Bucharest, where he studied the violin privately with Nina Alexandrescu, a pupil of Enescu, and later studied composition at the Bucharest Academy of Music ,...
and the French composers of the spectral school.
Dumitrescu describes his music as "acousmatic" but disclaims a relationship with the Acousmatic music
Acousmatic music
Acousmatic music is a form of electroacoustic music that deals specifically with acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The practice has a historical basis in musique concrète. It can be created using non-acoustic technology, exists only in a recorded format , and is composed for reception...
of French musique concrete pioneer Pierre Schaeffer
Pierre Schaeffer
Pierre Henri Marie Schaeffer was a French composer, writer, broadcaster, engineer, musicologist and acoustician of the 20th century. His innovative work in both the sciences —particularly communications and acoustics— and the various arts of music, literature and radio presentation after the end...
. He accepts the "spectralist" label, though he distinguishes his work from some others in the spectral school in that it is not serial
Serialism
In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
. "I think of myself as a spectralist, but in completely different way from the French."
Dumitrescu is married to fellow composer Ana-Maria Avram
Ana-Maria Avram
Ana-Maria Avram is a Romanian composer affiliated with the spectral music style. She represents with Iancu Dumitrescu the Hyper-Spectral trend in contemporary avant-garde music....
(born 1961); they have more than 20 joint CD releases on their Edition Modern label. Recordings of Dumitrescu's works have also been released by Edition RZ, ReR Megacorp, Generations Unlimited, and other record labels. He is represented by Editions Salabert.
External links
- Iancu Dumitrescu homepage
- Unencumbered Sound: a guide to Iancu Dumitrescu and Ana-Maria Avram
- Interviews with Dumitrescu and Avram translated into English, in Monk Mink Pink Punk #7
- Biography from the 2007 George Enescu Festival (from Internet Archive)