London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall , photo:Richard Cannon/ London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1932, is one of the most important orchestras not only in the UK but all around the world. On April 12, 2014, the world première performance of Henryk Górecki’s Symphony No. 4 will be performed by the orchestra under the baton of Andrzej Borejko.
The première of the Symphony was originally to be held in 2010, but it was postponed due to Górecki’s deteriorating health. The composer died in November 2010. His symphony had already been completed in 2006, but the composer had not managed to orchestrate it and left only a summary score.
The full version for a symphony orchestra with organs and piano obbligato, was created by the composer's son, Mikołaj Górecki, according to his father's instructions. Symphony No. 4's style differs from the previous "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs", which was a resounding success primarily in the United Kingdom and the United States, where it remained on the classical music charts for many weeks.
London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall , photo: Richard Cannon/ London Philharmonic Orchestra
The full title of the symphony is "Fourth Symphony - Tansman Episodes". The four-part symphony reflects the composer's musical travels and is a homage to Alexander Tansman, another Polish composer. Górecki researcher Adrian Thomas of Cardiff University noted that Górecki, in his last symphony, does not quote Tansman's music, but refers to chamber music, which the composer created in the 80s.
The concert at London's Royal Festival Hall is supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Polish Cultural Institute in London, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and Zaterdag Matinee Amsterdam.
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (1933-2010) was a renowned Polish composer of contemporary classical music. He made his début in 1958 at the 2nd "Warsaw Autumn" International Festival of Contemporary Music with Epitaph, Op. 12. Thanks to this work, Górecki became known as one of the most radical avant-garde composers in Poland. The composer received honorary degrees from, among others, the music academies of Katowice and Krakow, the Catholic University in Washington, D.C., the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the University of Victoria in Victoria and the University of Montreal. He was awarded the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honour, a month before his death.
Source; organizators materials, ed. NZ., translated: Katarzyna Maksimiuk, 20.03.2014