Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki (1933-2010)

[vandermolen]

I liked the old Olympia recording but the Naxos is excellent too.

[snyprrr]

I say the Only One is the one on Koch, with Stephania W. singing. The best I've heard...

[Maciek]

I think the Olympia is also with Woytowicz, but with a different conductor, since it is a Polskie Nagrania recording. The description I've found on line is ambiguous, but I'm guessing Katlewicz? If yes, then it has also been released on Polskie Nagrania (more than once, I think).

Of the 3 recordings with Zofia Kilanowicz that I'm aware of, there's one with the composer conducting. Don't think I have ever heard it, though.

[mszczuj]

I think the Olympia is also with Woytowicz, but with a different conductor, since it is a Polskie Nagrania recording. The description I've found on line is ambiguous, but I'm guessing Katlewicz?

Woytowicz Katlewicz - for me this is the only recording. But I never heard it from CD.

[vandermolen]

The Olympia is with the Polish Radio National Symphony of Katowice conducted by Jerry Katlewicz.

[Drasko]

In the end I went for Woytowicz/Katlewicz and Kilanowicz/Wit. Thanks everyone!

[snyprrr]

In the end I went for Woytowicz/Katlewicz and Kilanowicz/Wit. Thanks everyone!

But you must get Dawn Upshaw!!!   'MURICA!!! #WOO!!!

[Mirror Image]

In the end I went for Woytowicz/Katlewicz and Kilanowicz/Wit. Thanks everyone!

The Kilanowicz/Wit is a fine choice and certainly would be my second pick, but I can't forget Upshaw/Zinman.

[Brahmsian]

Just discovered Gorecki's 3rd symphony for the first time today, on my local classical radio station.  Winnipeg's Classic 107.1 FM.

I tuned in about midway through the work, and was stunned by its beauty.  The only thing I recognized was Dawn Upshaw's unmistakably beautiful voice. 

I have heard about Gorecki and his famous 3rd symphony, but until today, had never heard a note of it!  What a great blind discovery. 

[North Star]

Just discovered Gorecki's 3rd symphony for the first time today, on my local classical radio station.  Winnipeg's Classic 107.1 FM.

I tuned in about midway through the work, and was stunned by its beauty.  The only thing I recognized was Dawn Upshaw's unmistakably beautiful voice. 

I have heard about Gorecki and his famous 3rd symphony, but until today, had never heard a note of it!  What a great blind discovery. 

Excellent! For recordings of the 3rd, Zofia Kilanowicz with Jacek Kaspszyk & Kraków SO isn't half bad either.

[Brahmsian]

Excellent! For recordings of the 3rd, Zofia Kilanowicz with Jacek Kaspszyk & Kraków SO isn't half bad either.

Thank you, Karlo, for the recommendation! 

[North Star]

Thank you, Karlo, for the recommendation! 

Seems to be unavailable outside this box, though - and there is lots of standard recording of standard rep here, so potentially lots of duplication.

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[Pat B]

Thank you, Karlo, for the recommendation! 

I have Zinman and Kord. Between those two I prefer Kord (but then, I'm not a big fan of Zinman in general).

Check out his string quartets if you haven't already.

[TheGSMoeller]

These are my two favorite, Perruche and Kozlowska offer the best vocal performances in my opinion, and Kord's handling of the string chords in the third mvt. are breathtaking. (The Kord/Kozlowska recording has multiple covers, this is the most recent I believe although not the cover I own, which I did add) ...

[asin]B00080JDKU[/asin]  [asin]B006FUA87E[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

^ I agree, Greg. That Kord performance is quite special indeed.

Just discovered Gorecki's 3rd symphony for the first time today, on my local classical radio station.  Winnipeg's Classic 107.1 FM.

I tuned in about midway through the work, and was stunned by its beauty.  The only thing I recognized was Dawn Upshaw's unmistakably beautiful voice. 

I have heard about Gorecki and his famous 3rd symphony, but until today, had never heard a note of it!  What a great blind discovery. 

Better late than never as they say! It's certainly a gorgeous work and that Upshaw/Zinman performance is my personal favorite.

[Mirror Image]

Symphony No. 3, "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"



Henryk Górecki has established himself as one of the most well-known composers of the late twentieth century, with a musical style whose poignancy and accessibility found a broad and diverse audience. His worldwide recognition was rather slow in coming, however, and although his orchestral and chamber works from the 1960s and 1970s found favor with audiences in Poland and some critics abroad, it was the Third that eventually catapulted Górecki into the classical music spotlight. The Symphony No. 3, subtitled "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs," is scored for orchestra with soprano soloist and is cast in three somber movements. The first and longest movement, marked Lento, sonstenuto tranquillo ma cantabile, begins with a slow, deliberative canon, the theme of which is adapted from an old Polish folk song. At its apex, the canon is interrupted by a soprano soloist singing a fervent lament for Jesus in the voice of Mary: "My chosen and lovely son, share with your mother all your wounds...." Her text is taken from the Songs of the Lysagóra, a sacred collection dating from the fifteenth century. In the shorter but equally powerful second movement, a spare harmonic background casts a shadowy pall over the heartwrenching maternal words that were found scrawled on the wall of a Gestapo prison by an 18-year-old female inmate. The tone here turns religious, as well: "Little mother, do not weep, Purest Queen of Heaven, pray, do not abandon me, Hail Mary." The third movement, constructed as a set of variations, once again visits the theme of a mother mourning for her son; its text and theme were derived from Polish folk song. Despite the Third's intense expressivity and uncluttered musical language, its fame cannot be attributed to its style alone -- and in fact, Górecki remained a relatively obscure figure to American audiences for some time after its composition, while three separate recordings of the piece enjoyed only average sales. However, in a happy convergence of musical style, shrewd marketing, and shifting public tastes, the 1992 recording of the work, featuring Dawn Upshaw and the London Sinfonietta, became an overnight hit and climbed up the classical as well as popular charts and sold over a million copies. Górecki's "Sorrowful" Symphony touched a more universal nerve and spoke to a broader audience than virtually any other classical work of its time.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

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I do believe that Gorecki composed a lot of fine music and like Brian mentioned many years ago in an earlier post, the work's popularity shouldn't influence anyone's opinion of the work as, this is, IMHO, one of the finest works from the second half of the 20th Century. What makes this symphony work, for me, is it's decisive expression and overall moral message. What are everyone's favorite performances of it? Right now, I'd say Kilanowicz/Wit is the best one I've heard. I've come to the conclusion that while Upshaw/Zinman is very fine on the surface that the interpretation falls flat in delivering it's musical message. Vandermolen (Jeffrey) mentioned the one on Olympia being his favorite, but I'd have to hear it as this symphony needs great audio quality.

[vandermolen]

I came to know the work through the Olympia John originally on cassette tape before it became famous. So, I've always had a soft spot for that version although I'm yet to hear a bad recording of it.

[Christo]

What are everyone's favorite performances of it? Right now, I'd say Kilanowicz/Wit is the best one I've heard. I've come to the conclusion that while Upshaw/Zinman is very fine on the surface that the interpretation falls flat in delivering it's musical message.

Haven't played it for years, though I agree with everything you write. For me, too, it's the Antoni Witt / Zofia Kilanowicz that I liked most because of its more 'Polish' and less polished (pun intended) character (I think I own most, if not all, performances), just like I prefer the most "Polish" versions of the Szymanowski Stabat Mater.

I met the composer once in my life, early 1990s, when I saw him arrive in my home town of Utrecht in his Mercedes car, arriving straight from Poland, in order to attend some (world?) premiere of one of his orchestral pieces, but cannot remember at the moment which one - should check that out. He was summoned to the platform after the performance and interviewed about it, in German, if IRCC. Love much of his music, but haven't heard it in years. 

[Mirror Image]

I came to know the work through the Olympia John originally on cassette tape before it became famous. So, I've always had a soft spot for that version although I'm yet to hear a bad recording of it.

Yeah, Jeffrey, I just bought that Olympia recording earlier today. Really looking forward to hearing it. I bought the Kord on Philips as well --- another performance I've heard nothing but good things about.

Haven't played it for years, though I agree with everything you write. For me, too, it's the Antoni Witt / Zofia Kilanowicz that I liked most because of its more 'Polish' and less polished (pun intended) character (I think I own most, if not all, performances), just like I prefer the most "Polish" versions of the Szymanowski Stabat Mater.

I met the composer once in my life, early 1990s, when I saw him arrive in my home town of Utrecht in his Mercedes car, arriving straight from Poland, in order to attend some (world?) premiere of one of his orchestral pieces, but cannot remember at the moment which one - should check that out. He was summoned to the platform after the performance and interviewed about it, in German, if IRCC. Love much of his music, but haven't heard it in years. 

That's awesome you got to meet him, Johan! I'm jealous. He comes across as extremely personable and good-natured. I agree with you about the Polish performances, too, although I do like Rattle's Szymanowski a lot.

[vandermolen]

As I drove into work today the 'Sorrowful Songs' symphony was playing on BBC Radio 3.