Search - Krzysztof Penderecki, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra :: Penderecki: Anaklasis; Threnody; etc.

THIS IS MUSIC!

Jeffrey Osier | 08/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is THE essential collection of Penderecki works, concentrating on the youthful, ferocious instrumental pieces of the 1960s, along with a sample of his choral writing ("Canticum canticorum Salomonis"). Penderecki has gone through many stages since then, most recently as a somewhat conservatised elder statesman for 20th century Eastern European music. Most of his work is excellent, but for my money nothing compares to the intensity and imagination of "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima," one of the most terrifying, beautiful pieces of music of all time.Look, the number of people who abhor this kind of stuff must be several billion. Ignore them. Yes, this is unforgivingly dissonant, elitist, at times physically painful music (as any piece about the bombing of Hiroshima should be), but if you listen and you let it draw you in, it can remind you (or teach you for the very first time) that there are places music can take you, states that music can put you in, that the vast majority of "music lovers" will never understand. But that's okay, there's plenty of PRODUCT out there for them. If you want to hear something truly genuine, if you want to immerse yourself in one of the great creative imaginations of our era, listen to Penderecki.This IS music."

Astonishing

M. Friedman | New York Area | 02/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Along with Gyorgy Ligeti, Penderecki is probably one of the truly great composers of the last third of the 20th century. Like Ligeti, Penderecki strove throughout the 1950s and 1960s to develop a musical vocabulary that would adequately communicate his sense of postwar alienation, horror at the crimes of the Holocaust and the cold war and, paradoxically, his hope for the future.The selections on this disc cover all of those preoccupations. The Threnody is a chilling aural manifestation of abject terror. Had I heard the piece in my childhood, it would have been the ideal soundtrack for my recurring nuclear armageddon dreams. I can't listen to it today without breaking out into a cold sweat.In contrast, the Capriccio is strangly upbeat, even bouncy -- though no less atonal. Wanda Wilkomurska's solo violin is searching, penetrating and soaring. This is not a tune you can, or would want to hum, but it is a fascinating hopeful contrast to the Threnody.The Canticum Canticorum -- the Song of Solomon -- is sexual love expressed as the primal emotions and motivations that so many other composers glossed over with romantic allusion. If it had an odor, this piece would smell sweaty and musky. You can hear it in the sighing and soaring voices of the choir. Alng with Ligeti's Lux Aeterna and Requiem, this is the essential choral work of the late 20th century.This is an astonishing collection of music."

Horror has never been so clearly expressed...

John Carey | America | 06/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am not usually a fan of so-called "avant-garde" music. Though this may fit into that category, everything that Penderecki does seems to be used as a form of expression. What is he trying to express? Horror.



The very beginning of "Threnody" makes one flinch. I remember turning up the volume quite loud when listening to this, and upon doing so, I was in for quite a surprise. I had never heard music quite like this before. "Threnody" starts with a high, shrill note in the violins, and the rest join in. By the time this section is over, just about anything else that follows seems tame.



What amazed me was, although the work was brutally dissonant at times, there was a beauty in the dissonances. The jarring harmonies all seemed to fit in place. They made sense, though they might have been painful to listen to.



The capriccio was fascinating. The violinist was quite good, both technically and expressively. This piece is quite difficult to describe. The term "capriccio" makes one think that it is supposed to be humorous in some way... and in a sense it is, but in a way that is almost terrifying.



The Canticum Canticorum Salomonis was beautiful and haunting. The voices, like spirits, surround you, crying, gasping, whispering, and moaning. At times there seem to be tonal influences, though they are rare. Overall, this is probably my favorite track on the CD.



I would definitely recommend this CD, even to those without much experience with atonal music, if they are willing to give it a try. It really is beautiful, though the beauty can only be found when one realizes that this music is not supposed to be "pretty", it isn't supposed to be tonal, and it IS supposed to contain strong dissonances. That is how it gets its point across, and in that sense, Penderecki knew what he was doing."