Henryk Gorecki: Symphony 3 "Sorrowful Songs"

This album, which catapulted Polish composer Henryk Gorecki to into the international spotlight, takes texts born in pain and turns them into statements of affirmation through the use of music that ebbs and flows in mystic minimalism. The clear voice of soprano Dawn Upshaw, singing the Polish texts, is a large part of the success of this particular recording, but the music, contemporary without either dissonance or movie-music mawkishness, clarifies and uplifts the words. This is a moving and essential element of the modern repertoire. --Sarah Bryan Miller Amazon.com essential recording

Superb! Deep and amazingly performed

Gorecki belongs to the Great Fours, as the group of composers of Polish contemporary music is called, and this piece is probably the most popular one. If someone was not familiar with for. ex. Pendercki, Gorecki is more likely to be recognized, even by people who are not much in love with classical music. Gorecki is rooted in tradition, religious mysticism and folk music of his native country. But he is not the prisoner of tradition or slave of the sources of his inspiration.

The music and the words are moving. Deep sorrow, yet also peace. All performers do superb job. The orchestra, the conductor and Dawn Upshaw. She has such voice that it really draws you into some universe on its own. It made me chocked with emotions. And she does great singing out the Polish words, with great clarity. (This language is so difficult to pronounce, and difficult to sing in opera. The sounds are not so clear like for example in Italian).

Someone doesn't need to be a lover of classical music: if I remember right this music ranked high on charts of popular music, like once the chants of Benedictine monks did. I think it is music for everyone, just let you being carried by it. I am sure it will steer deep emotions, and be in a little bit meditative mood.Of course reactions vary from time to time, one day we can perceive more sorrow and anguish, one day more sadness and peace.Highly recommend! November 4, 2008

Polish lament

I am not a trained musician and cannot speak in such terms. However, I can speak to the emotion I felt as I listened to this music. I find this work particularly moving from the near silence of the beginning of the first movement to the plaintive prayer to Our Lady in the last. To me this is a piece of quiet power; the gradual crescendo of sound to Dawn Upshaw's first soaring soprano and gradual decrescendo to near silence in the first movement, the soulful prayer to the Holy Mother in the second movement. In the third movement where one might expect anger I heard the despairing lament and final quiet resolution. I do not speak Polish but am familiar with the sounds of the language. Dawn Upshaw sings with such clarity that I was able to follow the Polish libretto without difficulty. I am not Catholic but can hear the strong faith in this piece. I believe that even if one is not religious the beauty of this work will move one. October 8, 2008

Pink Floyd does better

This is tripe. Do you love Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Bruckner, Mahler, Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Vaughan Williams? Well, you won't love this garbage. It is MUCH better to love the Beatles and Pink Floyd for what they honestly are. They are at least sincere and original art, in their sphere. This is a fraud on every level. It is properly used for backing tracks on bad movies and pop albums. It is music for callow youths who know nothing about aforementioned composers or music, but want to pretend they are "cerebral" and "deep". It is "classical" music for people who want to translate the machinations of the pop world into a score for a real paid orchestra. Mr. Holland's "Opus" rates as high. I'm sure orchestras love it- no rehearsals needed. Read the funny papers while sawing through this repetitive mediocre pop mess. Good god, Keith Emerson is a bona fide Mozart (and in fact is compared to Glass, Reich etc.) compared to this mindless dreck. I'll take a Bernard Herrman or a John Williams soundtrack any day. Ask yourself this: Why does your friend who knows "absolutely nothing" about classical music declare this as their favorite "classical" album? Guess. August 11, 2008

The very best of Minimalist Classical works!

I can hardly say enough good things about Henryk Gorecki: Symphony 3 "Sorrowful Songs". Here are the essential details along with my personal evaluation of the overall work.

Soprano: Dawn Upshaw
Orchestra: London Sinfonietta
Conductor: David Zinman

Overview -- This symphony reeks of dark beauty and mystery. It is a Minimalist work of steady meter which harbors dark corners tenoned with some buoyant and prophetic interludes. This is an unusual composition, contemporary in nature, to which one progressively gravitates more each time it is heard.

FIRST MOVEMENT -- Lento-Sostenuto Tranquillo Ma Cantabille (26:46)

A moody canon builds from a metered bass rumble of strings to a plateau of moderate volume.

As the plateau wisps away, the vocals of the soprano take up the melody.

A return to the original theme enhanced by additional counterpoint.

At last, the movement fades back to the place whence it came.


SECOND MOVEMENT - Lentoe Largo-Tranqillissimo (9:45)

A contemporary fantasy of piano and strings opens the movement, immediately followed by a dark ship of vocality and bass notes.

The soprano re-emerges, lending a hopeful, if still somewhat bleak, tranquility to the minimalist background.

The key abruptly changes to the major chord and the flavor of the theme evolves to a positive serenade, dissipating into a nebulous fade.


THIRD MOVEMENT - Lento-Cantabile Semplice (17:09)

Redundant strings open the way for the soprano to introduce a slightly new theme which is still vaguely evocative of the First Movement - the dimension of the work begins to escalate.

The listener begins to detect non-string instruments which mirror the vocal notes.

An unforeseen transition of key ushers in an inspirational organ melody, again in parallel with the soprano's voice.

Both the volume and the intensity are diminished to a more comforting level and then another key change to the major key evokes the approach of the conclusion to the work.


The Composer: Henryk Górecki was born in Poland in 1933. Clearly, World War Two had a monumental influence on his "Sacred Minimalist" works. His name is often listed with contemporary composers such as John Tavener, Giya Kancheli, and Arvo Pärt - from my view, Górecki's work surpasses them all. Symphony No. 3, dedicated to his wife, is probably Górecki's most popular composition to date.

The orchestra is superb, yielding just the right volume during each entrance of the soprano. Clearly, the conducting of David Zinman is nothing short of astonishing in this instance.

Zinman was born in New York in 1936 and graduated from Oberlin (Ohio) College Conservatory of Music. He pursued more advanced work in composition at the University of Minnesota where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Since 1985 he has served as Music Director for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He is also the Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival. At one point during his career he caught the notice of Pierre Monteux, the renowned maestro who helped to set the course of Zinman's musical career, opening the way for his work with the London Symphony Orchestra. He now ranks as one of the world's finest conductors.

Finally, Soprano Dawn Upshaw vocally melds into this fine work as if she were born to sing it. An astonishing achievement.

In summary, do not allow the symphony's sub-title of "Sorrowful Songs" keep you from hearing this Masterwork - I would say it is much more inspirational and moving than it is sad. This is not some "esoteric sound experiment" which we nowadays often encounter in contemporary Classical Music. I've never heard so much tonality in a Minimalist work as has been captured here.

Bravo! Don't miss this inspired and marvelous symphony!
August 2, 2008

Excellent, poignant recording

I absolutely love this piece, and this (the original) is an excellent recording of it. Upshaw expresses the feeling of the music so wonderfully. I first heard this in concert with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and they had a video of the view from a helicopter or airplane flying along a beach. This music expresses the same peace and beauty and poignancy (for me at least) of dawn at the beach. July 3, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...