Henryk Mikołaj Górecki: "Beatus Vir op. 38", "Amen op. 34", "Three pieces in an Old Style", "Piano Concerto op. 40", "Kleines Requiem fur eine Polka op. 66". Adam Kruszewski - baritone, Janusz Olejniczak - piano, Polish Radio Choir, Polish Chamber Choir "Schola Cantorum Gedanensis", Sinfonia Varsovia, cond. Jerzy Maksymiuk. BeArTon 2003 - CDB026/027, DDD 38'05"
"The Pearls of Polish music" is the title of a new recording series published by BeArTon Company. Its goal is to introduce the selected most important and most precious masterpieces of the thousand year output of Polish music, and to review the diverse forms, genres and styles from the Middle Ages till modern times as well as to offer a panorama of novel trends and performances for the 21st century. Three titles were released so far: "Liban Jerzy from Legnica" (CDB016), "The Best of Paderewski" (CDB018) and "Kilar" (CDB020). The fourth title -"Górecki" - is a two-disc set released on the occasion of the 70th birthday of one of the most known contemporary composers - Henryk Mikołaj Górecki.
The discs feature some of the most important works of the creator of the SYMPHONY OF SORROWFUL SONGS / SYMFONIA PIEŚNI ŻAŁOSNYCH. They are a very good illustration of the most important traits of the composer's idiom, which is defined by - amongst others - the presence of religious topics. They appear in the work commissioned by Karol Wojtyła {C}{C} [Pope John Paul II], commemorating the martyrdom of the Cracow's bishop Stanislas - Beatus Vir and in the focused and filled with an air of prayer Amen. The remaining pieces create a wide panorama of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki's instrumental music. Each one is different and yet all of them have the distinct hallmarks of the composer's personality.
Trzy utwory w dawnym stylu / THREE PIECES IN AN OLD STYLE from 1963 delight with interesting musical ideas, rich dynamics and a diversity of colours. They are maintained in an "early music style", although the applied techniques have a contemporary character. They are contrasted with the Koncert klawesynowy / HArPSICORD CONCERTO, written in 1980 for the great Polish harpsichordist Elżbieta Chojnacka, here performed in a version for piano by Janusz Olejniczak. The piece is dominated by fast repetitive figures that create a very lively music, although maintained in a sober and anxious mood. The record ends with a deeply moving KLEINES REQUIEM FÜR EINE POLKA / MAŁE REQUIEM DLA PEWNEJ POLKI (1993), a work with a mysterious title that was never explained by the composer. The music in this piece is very diverse and the atmospheric aura is constantly changing - from calm, focused and quiet, through dramatic and massive sounding to dance and barrel organ motives.
The great music found notable performers - the singer Adam Kruszewski and the pianist Janusz Olejniczak who are accompanied by the excellent, already legendary orchestra Sinfonia Varsovia, known before as the POLISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA directed by its founder Jerzy Maksymiuk, and the POLISH RADIO CHOIR and SCHOLA CANTORUM GEDANENSIS.
It is worth noting that in March 2004 the record was honoured with the Phonographic Academy Award - the Fryderyk 2003.
Górecki. Henryk Mikołaj Górecki: "Beatus Vir op. 38", "Amen op. 34", "Three pieces in an Old Style", "Piano Concerto op. 40", "Kleines Requiem für eine Polka op. 66". Adam Kruszewski - baritone, Janusz Olejniczak - piano, Polish Radio Choir, Polish Chamber Choir "Schola Cantorum Gedanensis", Sinfonia Varsovia, cond. Jerzy Maksymiuk. BeArTon 2003 - CDB026/027, DDD 38'05"+42'57" (2CD).
Polish Music Information Center
Polish Composers' Union
March 2004