Górecki

I confess; before this week, my knowledge of the Polish composer Henryk Mikolaj Górecki was restricted to the knowledge that such a composer existed. In my weekly prowl through the cheap book and record shop in the basement of Zürich main station (my favourite source of cheap cantata recordings), I came across a CD of the Royal Philharmonic that they were virtually giving away. This had the third symphony and "Three pieces in old style" by the aforementioned Górecki. So I gave it a whirl, and surprised myself by quite liking it. I think you have to be in a particular mood for it, because it is quite repetitive. Moreover, the symphony's three movements are all lento. I guess that, as it's subtitled "Symphony of sorrowful songs", this is understandable. I was even more amazed to find that this, tuneful music, was written in 1976. I had assumed that serious music had become a series of tortured cats long before this date and that the baton of tuneful, non-rock music had passed to the blockbuster scorers of Hollywood. My faith in human nature is restored.

The "Three pieces in old style", written earlier, are more discordant, but survivable, with (to my ears) echoes of Grainger and Holst.

Anyone know any more that Górecki wrote that's worth a listen?

 

There's a harpsichord concerto I heard in a concert about the time Dawn Upshaw had made the 3rd symphony famous...

Best avoided, in fact avoid it like a very nasty rash, it's absolutely dire. If you like the symphony why not try Avo Part, some of his stuff you can get now on Naxos, you might like it, then again you might not

 

I was bowled over by Gorecki's 3rd on first hearing - it makes a big impact.... but on repeated hearing it gets much less so. definitely a case of diminishing returns, so often the case with the contemporary religious minimalist music. Some of Part's stuff has staying power.

 

I think thats it for him Tones,I think everything else he wrote underwhelmed.The third is perfect though for reading late at night.

 

Tones - had a quitck gander through the listings at MDT and there seem to be several recordings of a Miserere and one of a Requiem, that sound promising, but I've never heard them so can't really comment. Once recording of the Miserere is coupled with something by Sofia Gubaidulina, who's another sort of "holy minimalist". I've heard some very nice stuff by her - although again it's probably best to let it wash over you rather than to listen to too closely. Oh, and how about John Taverner's "Akathist of Thanksgiving" (choral) or "Protecting Veil" (cello and orchestra)?

Of the Part stuff I know, some can get tediously repetitive (e.g. Berliner Messe, and "Passio" goes on a bit too long as well), and I think you may well find his famous Tabula Rasa and Fratres a bit too 'felicophobifact' for you. I would however thoroughly recommend the Hyperion disc by Polyphony entitled "Triodion". Won't be as cheap as the Naxos stuff, but it's pretty tuneful through all the pieces on the disc (even his setting of "My Heart is in the Highlands" - set for countertenor and chorus, the soloist singing on a monotone, rising by a third for each of the three verses....it's much better than its description). I often have this as a last disc before (or just after) lights out. His other pieces that are really in the same vein is "Spiegel im Spiegel", for violin and piano, and "Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten". Both of these are again deceptively simply structured but wonderfully atmospheric.

 

Gorecki's 3rd (with Dawn Upshaw) was the Classic FM classic round about when it first started. There was a time you could barely tune into Classic FM and not hear at least part of it within 5 minutes . Classic FM made it famous and to some extent, it really established Classic FM. That's partly what's always put me off it as it was so massively overplayed.

Might be worth a listen now though.

Michael.

 

I guess it reflects an element of desperation on the part of Classic FM - you find something modern that doesn't cause listeners to run shrieking from their listening chairs, covering their ears, and you cling to it with the enthusiasm normally reserved for straws by drowning men.

 

yep,they Einaudi every pair of plates as well,he is never off for long.Its like listening to constant film scores