Henryk Górecki has died.
“The second movement (3rd Symphony) uses the words of a teenage girl, Helena Błażusiak, which she wrote on the wall of a Gestapo prison cell in Zakopane to invoke the protection of the Virgin Mary.”
6 Replies to “Henryk Górecki, 1933-2010”
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May He Rest in the Peace of Christ. Thank you for posting the video. Wonderful to hear Isabel Bayrakdarian singing the solo.
Oh no! I love his music. RIP.
Not to be picky, but Gorecki was born in 1933, not 1993. We are listening to the 3rd Symphony this morning. What a wonderfully haunting piece. Requiescat in pace.
Gorecki was not only a very talented composer, but much of his material is rooted in the sacred music tradition. He has two pieces (Totus Tuus and Beatus Vir) dedicated to Pope John Paul II. His career is also colored by the admirable manner in which he was a man of principle. He gave up a position at the Music Academy in Katowice to protest the Polish governments insistence that the Pope not be allowed to visit the town of Katowice. He also showed great support for the Solidarity movement in Poland. Surely, Gorecki will be missed, but just as surely his memory will live on in his compositions.
He also used a motif drawn from the Szymanowski Stabat Mater for the "Protect me Always" (about 3:20-3:40)
May Henryk Gorecki rest in peace.
Mimi