The genius of Krzysztof Penderecki

I am into him bigtime these days. Its the horror and beauty of his early, cutting edge modernist works that speaks to me the most and loudest. I made this list of my favorite compositions so far, over at RYM. But I made it to get reccomendations, and maybe some kind of interesting discussion going. I'm hoping it could work as some sort of guide as well.

Sometimes these things works better on PA's board.

I've only been a real fan of this genius a couple of years, so its neither an expert-or a complete list. Links to all compostitons, but three.

1		Threnody For the Victims of Hiroshima, 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp3BlFZWJNA&feature=related
2		Dies Irae (Auschwitz Oratorium), 1967 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_jvgdAFJlM (in five parts)
3		De Natura Sonoris II, 1971 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9d8OopJrhg
4		Polymorphia, 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e76nfh7hu2I
5		Emanations, 1958-59 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBm0ay4QD4w
6		Partita for Harpsichord and Orchestra, 1971 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwN_K57PQug (there's two parts)
7		Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, 1983 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S3mmNMs3Go
8		The Dream of Jacob, 1974 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOTQ9TVkG98
9		Utrenja, 1969-71 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mmcq1HylCg
10		De Natura Sonoris, 1966 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H5Ys3KSfb4
11		The Awakening of Jacob, 1974 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbJ8kwRHBQ4
12		Violin Concerto No. 2 Metamorphosen, 1992-95 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXNxraYxTIU
13		Fluorescences, 1961-62 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cAYFJCe3gg
14		Stabat Mater, 1962 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOGN3LsL9FY
15		Miniatures for Violin and Piano, 1959
16		Canon for Orchestra and Tape, 1962 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKcKGssg-Vc
17		Cappricio for Violin and Orchestra, 1967 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8r4xJTia9g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jqk79f2YU8
18		Fonogrammi, 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO7HiHOkQj4
19		Adagietto from Paradise Lost, 1979
20		St. Luke Passion, 1966 http://vimeo.com/5391056
21		Anaklasis, 1959 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNRKkXFXDrI
22		Sonata for Cello and Orchestra, 1964 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N4VaKbAzLs
23		Cello Concerto, 1972 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=458BECVbTak

Edited by Rocktopus - August 17 2010 at 04:27

Please do (stend a bit of time on youtube, I mean). I haven't been so exited about getting into a new artist for years.

That Don Cherry/Penderecki LP, Actions is it? Unfortunately I think its largely an unfocused, unlistenable mess, even by Don's standard (which I consider to have one of the most uneven discographies in jazz).

Noak wrote: I've only heard the stuff that is on Matrix 5, but it's really brilliant stuff.

That's one hell of a collection (Next logical purchase should be Matrix 17)

I guess you voted for Threnody? Hard not to.

You introduced him to me a year or so ago. I've heard some of these, but will go through all of the youtube links.

Partita, haven't listened to it in a while, nice hearing it again.

Apsalar wrote: Do you have any suggestions on say three discs to start with? Or is that covered in the rym list you spoke of? I'd be interested in some of the vocal stuff. I've been listening to a considerable amount of Opera recently (from my two favourite composers); if they can even be call opera's anymore...

Vocal: I only know, and can only reccomend sacred work and not opera:

Dies Irae (the version I link to is my favorite version. Polymorphia and De Natura Sonoris on the B-side. A perfect LP, but hard to find. Naxos version is also very good, but its paired with 50 minutes of dull, recent stuff.

Utrenja which Naxos has a brilliant release/recording. Should be easy to find. The truly nightmarish choir parts and sounds when poor Wendy runs around the halls of Overlook Hotel and sees ghosts in Kubrick's The Shining, is taken from here.



Ain't it something? This version is probably the ultimate. But I don't have it.

The seven minute long Stabat Mater is also sublime. Make sure its the one from 1962, and not just a part of the 75 minute long St. Luke Passion from 1965 (Which is my least favorite among my favorites, but the most popular/known) Stay away from everything vocally composed after 1975.

As for the rest: The EMI CD's Matrix 5 and Matrix 17 covers his early period nicely, but far from complete (or perfect) and ecxept Canticum Canticorum Salomonis which is more than ok, but not among my real favorite choral works, all orchestral. It doesn't really matter if you buy collections, because all the compositions are presented in full. And the "originals" are just collections of compositions anyway.

The best reccomendation is still to listen to clips and hunt down any release that has most of what you enjoy. 

Thanks for the all the recommendations. I'll follow up on them in time; its best to digest things slowly with these type of guys.

Apsalar wrote: Thanks for the all the recommendations. I'll follow up on them in time; its best to digest things slowly with these type of guys.

Indeed. Just one more vocalreccomendation. The slightly transitional piece; Magnificat composed in 1974. Up there with Dies Irae, imo.



(its all there in five parts, or so)

^Well, Penderecki being from Poland is beside the point. This isn't a polish composer competition-thread. And not liking something because of too much hype is as silly as falling for a hype. Give him a listen istead of sticking to your absurd desicion that Chopin "beats" him.

(And if there's anyone that gets too much undeserved hype, its Krzysztof Kiesvlowski)

lucas wrote: Rocktopus wrote: ^Well, Penderecki being from Poland is beside the point. This isn't a polish composer competition-thread. And not liking something because of too much hype is as silly as falling for a hype. Give him a listen istead of sticking to your absurd desicion that Chopin "beats" him. (And if there's anyone that gets too much undeserved hype, its Krzysztof Kiesvlowski) Kieślowski. He was not a musician, but a movie-maker, don't really see why you cite him. And he made some excellent movies, not the ones with the french actress, but the ones he did in Poland, Short Working Day (Krótki dzień pracy 1981) or The Decalogue (Dekalog 1988). Of course, you talk about him, without having seen these movies...   And yes, Krzysztof Penderecki is pure sh*t (too much hype because there are too much snobs who claim that they listen to music full of emotion while it's only noise or distorted sounds : other composers like Jacques Ibert play beautiful music but stay in the shadow), with comparison to Fryderyk Chopin, just like Pierre Boulez is pure rubbish with comparison to Claude Debussy.   Open your ears : There is too much garbage in contemporary music.

Edited by Noak - August 26 2010 at 09:56