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ClassicsOnline Home » PENDERECKI, K.: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4 (Polish National Radio Symphony, Wit)
By NH100270 23-Sep-2012
Shadows on the wall
Two persuasive symphonies by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. Both are one-movement affairs which surge and swell in a style that might be defined as muscular, concrete, nocturnal and brooding. There is drama here, though it feels tightly managed and precise: at times I could almost hear the music "thinking" as it passed on by. Sinister ambition is consistently evoked. Intrigue is left to dangle. This is sublimely stark music that tempts the listener into its darkly fragrant glamour. It works, and its signature is distinctive.more....
By Arved Asby American Record Guide 01-Aug-2000
By Nicholas Williams BBC Music Magazine 01-Oct-2000
Born in Poland towards the end of 1933, Krzysztof Penderecki established a reputation as one of the most revolutionary composers of the 20th century, his scores gaining acclaim among modernists. In the mid-1960's he surprised the musical world by adopting a more traditional and populist style of composing, using melodic conventions as the basis of his music. This return to tonality generated a renewed interest in the symphonic form, the dramatic First Symphony of 1973 completing his restoration of melodic language. It was a style continued in the Second Symphony, commenced by the composer on Christmas Day 1979. The Fourth Symphony was commissioned by Radio France to mark the bicentenary of the French Revolution, the music moving between conflict and moments of reconciliation.
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PENDERECKI, K.: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4 (Polish Na...