“It is my world, to which you are invited…”. Composers’ self-reflection in the programme books of the Warsaw Autumn (1999–2016)

Abstract

Although we usually treat writing and speaking about music as a secondary activity in relation to creation and performance, discourse about the latest compositional output is now gaining considerable independence. The need for creative artists to work together with institutions and with a whole network of mediators means that in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, verbal discourse has played even a key role, and the search for a nuanced and original language that might attract potential listeners to new repertoire is proving a serious challenge.

Keywords

• warsaw autumn
• composers’ self-reflection
• programme notes
• contemporary music
• festivals