Henryk Gorecki Leaves Us

Today we learn of the passing of Polish composer Henryk Gorecki, undoubtedly best known for his "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" for soprano and orchestra. I remember well my first listen nearly twenty years ago, staring out into a rainy Los Angeles night from my darkened downtown loft, hearing Dawn Upshaw and the London Sinfonietta.

Here is a different performance (in Auschwitz) of the music, but one which conveys the feeling from that night. The text of this movement is said to be taken from a prayer inscribed on a cell wall by a 17-year-old Polish girl who was imprisoned and tortured by the Gestapo in 1944.

Soprano: Isabel Bayrakdaraian, Sinfonietta Cracovia, conducted by John Axelrod.
Taken from "HOLOCAUST - A Music Memorial Film from Auschwitz". For the first time since its liberation, permission was granted for music to be heard in Auschwitz and a number of leading musicians were brought there to perform music for the film.

I have to wonder how many people across the planet are listening to Gorecki's symphony now, tonight ...

Happily, my music collection also includes the Gorecki string quartets commissioned by the Kronos Quartet. A remembrance is posted here by Kronos' David Harrington.

Some background on Gorecki if you are not familiar is here and many other places on the Web, like Wikipedia.