Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020)

[Josquin des Prez]

Holy crap they have a video of the Sextet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rddTU2zp5YI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJmdQ6CBfU0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eKTazKUPUg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBStMga1pGY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNdRtRhsSoQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bTVqfsAoF0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBUZWNDc5fI

The last part seems to be missing thought. This is awesome all the same. Anybody knows where this is from? I'd like to have the whole thing on my computer.

[Maciek]

Still no one with definite information on Penderecki's clarinet and flute concerto "minefield"?

[greg]

Holy crap they have a video of the Sextet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rddTU2zp5YI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJmdQ6CBfU0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eKTazKUPUg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBStMga1pGY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNdRtRhsSoQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bTVqfsAoF0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBUZWNDc5fI

The last part seems to be missing thought. This is awesome all the same. Anybody knows where this is from? I'd like to have the whole thing on my computer.

Thanks!

Still no one with definite information on Penderecki's clarinet and flute concerto "minefield"?

I had taped the flute concerto after requesting it from an internet radio broadcast, but I made a dumb mistake. Maybe I told everyone about this already?....
I had that and a few other things on one side of a tape- including some Harbison songs. My friendwas trying to make some music that combines rock and rap (even though that's pretty much been done extensively already) so he said to send me a tape of me playing guitar. I recorded it on the other side. He loved it, but kept on forgetting to bring it back. It was the around end of school... during the last day of school, he's like, "Ahhhh..... man, i left on the bed."
So I haven't heard the flute concerto for 2 years now 

[Dundonnell]

Still no one with definite information on Penderecki's clarinet and flute concerto "minefield"?

Yes, thanks for returning to my question of some days ago I may however be able to answer the question myself since I have the two concertos on order(Dux) and, presumably, the notes will clear up the confusion

[Maciek]

Depends on who translated them...

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

A dreary October day here (no surprise, eh?) and I decided I was in the right autumnal mood to listen to the Sextet, which I hadn't done in a couple of years.

Has anyone else noticed that the long 2nd movement appears to be in the form of a dumka, the old Slavic ballad form that Dvorak liked to use? A dumka consists of a slow melancholy tune that is interrupted at regular intervals by passionate outbursts in a much faster tempo. That's exactly what KP is doing here. I don't know if it was deliberate or it just came out that way, but this is the only classical dumka I know outside the ones Dvorak wrote.

[Maciek]

Tchaikovsky, Janacek, Martinu, Chopin, Balakirev and Moniuszko all wrote dumkas, and I'm sure they weren't the only ones.

There are two senses of the word though. The dumkas by Chopin and Moniuszko were closer to the original Ukrainian folk ballad (long phrases, overall sad, melancholy aura, see Duma or Дума). Even today, in Polish the association is automatic: dumka = sad Ukrainian folk ballad. (In 19th century Polish the word "duma" was sometimes used to mean any sort of sung epic folk poem; but the diminutive "dumka" always meant specifically a Ukrainian ballad).

I think Dvorak developed his own form (which other composers, esp. Czech, might have picked up).

I have no idea what the relation of all this to Penderecki's piece is. Or if there's any relation at all.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I have been listening to Penderecki's Lieder der Vergänglichkeit ("Songs of Transience"), mentioned earlier on this thread, which he also calls his 8th Symphony, though I would argue it is not terribly symphonic. Oh well, Mahler also called Das Lied von der Erde a symphony, and it feels like the model for this one.

I like the Lieder. Both musically and in terms of its choice of texts (German, mostly Romantic) it feels very like a piece by one of those post-Mahler expressionist composers, like Zemlinsky or Berg or Schreker. I can easily imagine hearing this in down-at-the-heels 1920s Vienna, wondering where all the good times had gone and deriving enjoyment from the poignancy of the emotions on display. One or two critics have complained about this time-capsule aspect, but since I like this style, and I think it is deployed effectively here, I have no complaints.

On the whole, another triumph for the Naxos/Wit team. Though I wish they hadn't been so cheap as to make the song texts available only on the Internet.

[Dundonnell]

Having now returned from my holiday in sunny Stockholm(during which I encountered absolutely no drunken Swedes ) I can attempt to catch up with what has been happening on this forum.

Going away for even a few days does present a problem. It is positively intimidating to find so many posts on subjects of interest and on which I would have liked to comment

Anyway, Penderecki!

From what I can establish his concertante works include-

Fonogrammi for Flute and Chamber Orchestra(1961)

Violin Concerto(1963-withdrawn; material reused in the Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra of 1967)

Sonata for Cello and Orchestra(1964)

Capriccio for Oboe and strings(1964)

Concerto for Violino Grande and Orchestra(1967-revised as Cello Concerto No.1 of 1972)

Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra(1967-material extracted from the withdrawn Violin Concerto of 1963; version for Cello and Orchestra
    in 1968?)

Cello Concerto No.1(1972-revision of Concerto for Violino Grande of 1967)

Violin Concerto No.1(1974-76; revised 1987)

Cello Concerto No.2(1981/82)

Concerto for Viola and Orchestra(1983; versions for Viola and Chamber Orchestra in 1984, for Cello and Orchestra in 1989, for Clarinet
    and Orchestra in 1997)

*Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra(1984-revision of Viola Concerto of 1983)

*Concerto for Cello and Orchestra(1989-revision of Viola Concerto of 1983)

Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orchestra(1992; version for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra in 1995)

Violin Concerto No.2 'Metamorphosen'(1992/95)

*Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra(1995-revision of Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orchestra of 1992; also sometimes
      referred to as Sinfonietta No.2 for Clarinet and Strings)

*Clarinet Concerto(1997-revision of Viola Concerto of 1983)

Music for Alto Flute, Marimba and Strings(2000)

Piano Concerto 'Resurrection'(2001/02; revised 2007)

Concerto Grosso No.1 for Three Cellos and Orchestra(2000/01)

Largo for Cello and Orchestra(2003; also sometimes referred to as Adagio for Cello and Orchestra)

Concerto Grosso No.2 for Five Clarinets and Orchestra(2004)

Horn Concerto(2008)

* refers to works which are versions of previous concertos

I may have made errors or there may be ommissions Please feel free to correct

[Dundonnell]

Hello? Anyone?

[Mark G. Simon]

Hey! A concerto for five clarinets! That's gotta be cool!

[Maciek]

You've done some impressive research. I wish I could contribute, but my knowledge of Penderecki's concertos is limited. (Quite, quite limited, as I see now, pondering that lengthy list...) I wonder, though, how good can a concerto for a given instrument be, how idiomatic, if you're able to quickly rewrite it for something else? 0:)

(Just mean ol' me.)

[Dundonnell]

You've done some impressive research. I wish I could contribute, but my knowledge of Penderecki's concertos is limited. (Quite, quite limited, as I see now, pondering that lengthy list...) I wonder, though, how good can a concerto for a given instrument be, how idiomatic, if you're able to quickly rewrite it for something else? 0:)

(Just mean ol' me.)

I do tend to agree with you. That is to say, not that the research is impressive but that this habit of Penderecki's of rewriting/recycling his concertos does make one wonder I have never heard the Viola Concerto in its original form but I have heard the versions for cello and for clarinet.
The truth of the matter is that Penderecki has not actually written a Clarinet Concerto per se. Both of the Clarinet Concertos are versions of previous works(cello and flute).

It is confusing for the record buyer but at least I think that I have got it straight now....unless of course the new Horn Concerto is......

[greg]

Hey! A concerto for five clarinets! That's gotta be cool!

So let me guess, he just puts the clarinet section at the front where the soloists normally are? 
Or are they added- meaning the clarinet section stays, too? 

[Dundonnell]

http://www.schott-music.com/shop/9/show,175799.html

This is the link to the piece on Penderecki's publisher's website. It seems to have been performed only once(in Madrid).

I regret that I am not familiar enough with the German abbreviations to determine whether or not there are the usual clarinets in the orchestra in addition to the 5 soloists. Certainly in the first performance 2 of the soloists were (unnamed) members of the orchestra.

Perhaps someone else could help?

[Mark G. Simon]

There are 5 clarinet soloists in front of the orchestra. 3 of them play the usual B flat and A clarinets. The 2nd doubles also on Eb clarinet. 2 of them play bassett horns, and the 2nd of those doubles on bass clarinet.

The orchestra contains 2 flutes, the 2nd of which doubles on piccolo, 2 oboes, the 2nd of which doubles on English horn, 2 bassoons, four hours, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones. There are 4 percussionists, harp, celesta and strings. There are no clarinets in the orchestra.

[Dundonnell]

Thank you for that clarification!

[Maciek]

The Third Quartet premiered over here, in Warsaw on Friday - as part of the composer's birthday celebrations.

No, I did not go and did not listen to the radio broadcast (assuming there was one). Just wanted to notify those who follow Penderecki's catalog.

[greg]

The Third Quartet premiered over here, in Warsaw on Friday - as part of the composer's birthday celebrations.

No, I did not go and did not listen to the radio broadcast (assuming there was one). Just wanted to notify those who follow Penderecki's catalog.

Nice to be updated. Never saw a third quartet coming!

[MDL]

Looks like Naxos are releasing a recording of Utrenja in April 2009, part of Wit's ongoing cycle. Bring on Kosmogonia and The Devils of Loudun!