From: erwin@helsinki.ks.uiuc.edu (Edgar Erwin)
Subject: Re: Gorecki's Symphonly # 3
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 19:15:05 GMT

> gt0963d@prism.gatech.EDU (Deeptendu Majumder) writes:
> >I bought a cheap version of this work as performed by East European
> >artists...
> >I would appreciate it very much if somebody can give the track listing
> >of the work from the more expensive (and probably better, I do not
> >know) Dawn Upshaw, et al recording. 
> 

Gregory Taylor writes
> The symphony is a three movement work. Timings are roughly 1-26:00,
> 2-10:00, 3-19:00 or so (this from memory on the Upshaw.) 
> I'd really recommend that you think someday of acquiring the Nonesuch
> recording; of the two, I really think that the sound of the recording
> and Upshaw's voice make it the superior of the two. 
>

Also from memory, the tempo indications are 
  I.   Lento something
  II.  Lento something else
  III. Lento something else
Those somethings, and something elses must be important, because the three  
movements are quite different.

There have been four recordings of the complete symphony.  The first was the  
longest, the second was shorter, and the last two were shorter still.  Although  
I greatly enjoy the new recording, I think the first movement could still be  
made shorter.

Every review I have seen has considered the recent recording the best yet,  
particularly because of Dawn Upshaw.

Although I think it is generally say things like ``If you like X, you'll surely  
like Y'', but I think I can safely say that if you like Gorecki's 3rd, you'll  
probably like Arvo Paert's vocal music. 

> >I enjoyed the symph very much even with my very limited knowledge
> >about classical music. I have not heard any of his works before
> >including the performances by Kronos Quartet.
>  
> There's another Nonesuch recording of Gorecki's which includes
> a recording of the Kronos Quartet's performance "Already
> It Is Dark". The other work on the disc eludes me, but I'm certain 
> that there are some Gorecki fans out in netland whose sandals I'm not
> even fit to untie who can fill in this information and perhaps point
> you in other directions still.
> 

"Already it is Dusk", played by Kronos, is available on a Kronos compilation CD  
and on another CD which also includes "Lerchenmusik", a trio for clarinet,  
cello and piano.  I'd recommend the latter CD, because the second piece is  
quite worthwhile as well.

According to the liner notes, "Lerchenmusik" has more to do with Messiaen and  
the "Quartet for the End of Time" than just the instrumentation, but not being  
very familiar with Messiaen, I don't see the connection.  

I heard "Lerchenmusik" the first time this week, so I'm no authority on it  
either, but I have listened to it four times since. Two things I like about  
this piece are (I) a section where the clarinet and cello play the same notes  
in unison (with the cello rather high in its register) creating the illusion of  
a new and eerie instrument, and (II) The last movement begins with a quote of a  
plainchant melody.  This goes through some slight variations until suddenly it  
becomes recognizable as a famous theme from a Beethoven piano concerto.  I  
won't give it away, because part of the fun of this piece is the moment when  
you recognize the similarity between the plainchant melody and the Beethoven  
theme.  On subsequent hearings, it is hard not to hear the Beethoven from the  
start since the themes are remarkably similar, but the first time it is a  
revelation.

By the way, I'm offended by the assumption that I wear sandles.  I won't go  
near the things.

Ed erwin@lisboa.ks.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical