An Analysis of Electronic Music Thinking in Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima

ZHOU Qingwen

Journal of Central Conservatory of Music ›› 2025 ›› Issue (3) : 103-121.

Journal of Central Conservatory of Music ›› 2025 ›› Issue (3) : 103-121.

An Analysis of Electronic Music Thinking in Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima

  • ZHOU Qingwen
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Abstract

Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima exhibits a deep infiltration of electronic music concepts within acoustic instrumental composition,reflecting the 20th-century trend of cross-media fusion in musical language.This article begins with the composer's early violin studies and his experiences in electronic music composition during the late 1950s and early 1960s,and analyzes the treatment of pitch material and sound formation characteristics in the Threnody.By illustrating Penderecki's application of electronic music principles—such as sound-based composition ideas,continuous transforming sound structures,cut-and-paste techniques,and granular synthesis simulation—and the unique sonic textures thus generated,the article reveals the subtle influence of electronic music on his acoustic instrument compositions and its transformative effect on traditional compositional concepts and techniques.

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ZHOU Qingwen. An Analysis of Electronic Music Thinking in Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima[J]. Journal of Central Conservatory of Music. 2025(3): 103-121

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