Everything about Krzysztof Penderecki totally explained
Krzysztof Penderecki (born
November 23,
1933 in
Dębica) is a
Polish composer and
conductor of
classical music.
Career
Early years
After taking private composition lessons with
Franciszek Skolyszewski, Penderecki studied music at Krakow University and the
Academy of Music in Krakow under
Artur Malawski and
Stanislaw Wiechowicz. Having graduated in 1958, he took up a teaching post at the Academy. Penderecki's early works show the influence of
Anton Webern and
Pierre Boulez (he has also been influenced by
Igor Stravinsky). Penderecki's international recognition began in 1959 at the Warsaw Autumn Festival with the premieres of the works
Strophen,
Psalms of David, and
Emanations, but the piece that truly brought him to international attention was
Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (see
threnody and
Hiroshima), written for 52
string instruments. In it, Penderecki makes use of extended instrumental techniques (for example, playing on the "wrong" side of the bridge, bowing on the tailpiece). There are many novel textures in the work, which makes great use of
tone clusters (many notes close together played at the same time). The work was originally titled
8' 37", (the duration of the fatal bombing of Hiroshima) perhaps in a nod to
John Cage, but Penderecki changed the title after his publisher suggested he give it a more colorful name.
The St. Luke Passion
| Year |
Song title |
Work |
Instrumentation |
1968:
|
"Miserere mei, Deus"
|
Saint Luke Passion |
Chorus |
The
St. Luke Passion (1963–66) brought Penderecki further popular acclaim, not least because it was a major and devoutly religious work, written in an avant-garde musical language, composed within Communist Eastern Europe. Western audiences saw it as a snub to the Soviet authorities and were keen to give it their support. Various different musical styles can be seen in the piece. The experimental textures, such as were seen in the
Threnody, are balanced by the
baroque form of the work and the occasional use of more traditional
harmonic and
melodic writing. Penderecki makes use of
serialism in this piece, and one of the tone rows he uses includes the
BACH motif, which acts as a bridge between the conventional and more experimental elements. The Stabat Mater section towards the end of the piece concludes on a simple major
chord of D major, and this gesture is repeated at the very end of the work, which finishes on a triumphant E major chord. These are the only tonal harmonies in the work, and both come as a surprise to the listener; Penderecki's use of tonal triads such as these remains a controversial aspect of the work.
1970s-present
Around the mid-1970s, while he was a professor at the
Yale School of Music Penderecki's style began to change. The
Violin Concerto No. 1 largely leaves behind the dense tone clusters with which he'd been associated, and instead focuses on two
melodic intervals: the
semitone and the
tritone. Some commentators went so far as to compare this new direction to
Anton Bruckner. This direction continued with the Symphony No. 2,
Christmas (1980), which is rather straightforward from a harmonic and melodic standpoint for a composer who had been one of the most experimental in Europe. It makes frequent use of the tune of the
Christmas carol Silent Night.
In 1980, Penderecki was commissioned by
Solidarity to compose a piece to accompany the unveiling of a statue at the
Gdańsk shipyards to commemorate those killed at anti-government riots there in 1970. Penderecki responded with the
Lacrimosa, which he later expanded into one of the best known works of his later period, the
Polish Requiem (1980-84, revised 1993). Here again the harmonies are quite lush, although there are moments which evoke his earlier work in the 1960s. The tendency in recent years has been towards more conservative
romanticism, however, as seen in works like the
Cello Concerto No. 2 and the
Credo.
Some of Penderecki's music has been adapted for film soundtracks.
The Shining (1980) features six pieces of Penderecki's music: "Utrenja - Ewangelia", "Utrenja - Kanon Paschy", "The Awakening of Jacob", "De Natura Sonoris 1", "De Natura Sonoris 2" and "Polymorphia."
The Exorcist (1973) features "Polymorphia" as well as "String Quartet" and "Kanon For Orchestra and Tape"; fragments of the "Cello Concerto" and "The Devils of Loudon" are used in the film as well. Writing about
The Exorcist, the film critic for
The New Republic wrote "even the music is faultless, most of it by Krzysztof Penderecki, who at last is where he belongs."
David Lynch has used Penderecki's music in the soundtracks of the movies
Wild at Heart (1990) and
Inland Empire (2006).
In 2001, Penderecki was awarded with the
Prince of Asturias Prize in
Spain, one of the highest honours given in Spain to individuals, entities, organizations or others from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, arts, humanities, or public affairs. Penderecki received an honorary doctorate from the
Seoul National University, Korea in 2005, as well as from the
University of Münster, Germany in 2006. His notable students include
Chester Biscardi and
Walter Mays.
Andrzej Wajda used some fragments of Penderecki's works in the latest film "
Katyń".
Work
Operas
Symphonies
Symphony No. 1 (1973)
Symphony No. 2 Christmas (1980)
Symphony No. 3 (1988-1995)
Symphony No. 4 Adagio (1989), winner of the 1992 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition
Symphony No. 5 Korean (1991-2)
Symphony No. 6 (in progress)
Symphony No. 7 Seven Gates of Jerusalem (1996), for voices and orchestra
Symphony No. 8 Pieśni Przemijania/Songs of Transitoriness/Lieder der Vergänglichkeit (2004-05), for voices and orchestra
Orchestral
Emanations (Emanacje, 1959) for two string orchestras
Anaklasis (1959) for strings and percussion
Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (Tren Ofiarom Hiroszimy, 1960) for 52 string instruments, probably Penderecki's best known piece
Polymorphia (1961) for 48 string instruments
Fluorescences (Fluorescencje, 1961-62) for orchestra
Canon (1962) for string orchestra
Three Pieces in the Old Style (1963, music for The Manuscript Found in Saragossa film)
De Natura Sonoris No. 1 (1966)
Pittsburgh Overture (1967) for wind band
Kosmogonia (1970)
De Natura Sonoris No. 2 (1971)
Prélude (1971) for winds, percussion and double basses
Actions (1971) for jazz orchestra
Intermezzo (1973) for 24 strings
The Dream of Jacob (1974)
Adagietto from Paradise Lost (1979)
Sinfonietta No. 1, for string orchestra (1992, arranged from String Trio)
Sinfonietta No. 2, for clarinet and strings (1994, arranged from Clarinet Quartet)
Music from Ubu Rex (1994)
Entrata (1994), for small wind band
Burlesque Suite from Ubu Rex (1995) for large wind band
Serenade, for string orchestra (1996-97)
Luzerner Fanfare (1998), for eight trumpets and percussion
Fanfarria Real (2003)
Concertante
Piano:
- Piano Concerto, Resurrection (2001-02, revised 2007)
Violin:
- Capriccio for violin and orchestra (1967)
- Violin Concerto No. 1 (1976-77, revised 1987)
- Violin Concerto No. 2 Metamorphosen (1992–5)
Viola:
- Viola Concerto (1983, also version with clarinet, version with cello, version with chamber orchestra)
Cello:
- Sonata for cello and orchestra (1964)
- Cello Concerto No. 1 (1972)
- Cello Concerto No. 2 (1982)
- Concerto Grosso No. 1, for three cellos and orchestra (2000-01)
- Largo for cello and orchestra (2003)
Flute:
- Fonogrammi for flute and chamber orchestra (1961)
- Flute Concerto, for flute and chamber orchestra (1992)
Oboe:
- Capriccio, for oboe and eleven strings (1964)
Clarinet:
- Concerto Grosso No. 2, for five clarinets and orchestra (2004)
- Clarinet Concerto (1997, transcription from Viola Concerto, 1983)
- Clarinet Concerto, for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra (1995, transcription from Flute Concerto, 1992)
Horn
- Concerto for horn and orchestra (2008)
Others:
- Partita for harpsichord, electric guitar, bass guitar, harp, double bass and orchestra (1971, revised 1991)
- Music for alto flute, marimba and strings (2000)
Vocal/Choral
Psalms of David (1958)
Strophen (1959) for soprano, speaker and ten instruments
Dimensions of Time and Silence (1959-61)
Stabat Mater (1962)
Cantata (1964)
St. Luke Passion (1965)
Dies Irae (1967)
Kosmogonia (1970)
Utrenja (Morning Prayer) (1969-71)
Ecloga VIII (1972)
Canticum Canticorum Salomonis (1970-73)
Magnificat (1973-74)
Te Deum (1979)
Agnus Dei (1981)
Polish Requiem (1980-84, revised 1993 and 2006 after John Paul II death)
Song of Cherubim (1986)
Veni creator (1987)
Benedicamus Domino (1992)
Benedictus (1993)
Agnus Dei (1995, from the Requiem of Reconciliation)
De Profundis (1996)
Hymne an den heiligen Daniel (1997)
Hymne an den heiligen Adalbert (1997)
Credo (1997-98)
Benedictus (2002)
Chamber
String Quartet No. 1 (1960)
String Quartet No. 2 (1968)
Der unterbrochene Gedanke, for string quartet (1988)
String Trio (1991)
Clarinet Quartet (1993)
Sextet (2000)
Instrumental
Violin
- Violin Sonata No. 1 (1953)
- Violin Sonata No. 2 (1999)
- Three Miniatures for violin and piano (1959)
Viola
- Cadenza, for solo viola (1984)
- Sarabande, for solo viola (2000-01)
Cello
- Capriccio per Siegfried Palm, for solo cello (1968)
- Per Slava, for solo cello (1986)
- Divertimento, for solo cello (1994)
Clarinet
- Three Miniatures, for clarinet and piano (1956)
- Prelude, for solo clarinet (1987)
Capriccio, for solo tuba (1980)Further Information
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