Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (6 December 1933 – 12 November 2010) was a Polish co… Read Full Bio ↴Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (6 December 1933 – 12 November 2010) was a Polish composer of contemporary classical music. According to critic Alex Ross, no recent classical composer has had as much commercial success as Górecki. Górecki became a leading figure of the Polish avant-garde during the post-Stalin cultural thaw. His Webernian-influenced serialist works of the 1950s and 1960s were characterized by adherence to dissonant modernism and drew influence from Luigi Nono, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Krzysztof Penderecki and Kazimierz Serocki. He continued in this direction throughout the 1960s, but by the mid-1970s had changed to a less complex sacred minimalist sound, exemplified by the transitional Symphony No. 2 and the hugely popular Symphony No. 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs). This later style developed through several other distinct phases, from such works as his 1979 Beatus Vir, to the 1981 choral hymn Miserere, the 1993 Kleines Requiem für eine Polka and his requiem Good Night.
He was largely unknown outside Poland until the mid-to late 1980s, and his fame arrived in the 1990s. In 1992, 15 years after it was composed, a recording of his Third Symphony, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs—recorded with soprano Dawn Upshaw, conductor David Zinman and released to commemorate the memory of those lost during the Holocaust—became a worldwide commercial and critical success, selling more than a million copies and vastly exceeding the typical lifetime sales of a recording of symphonic music by a 20th-century composer. As surprised as anyone at its popularity, Górecki said, "Perhaps people find something they need in this piece of music [...] somehow I hit the right note, something they were missing. Something somewhere had been lost to them. I feel that I instinctively knew what they needed." This popular acclaim did not generate wide interest in Górecki's other works, and he pointedly resisted the temptation to repeat earlier success, or compose for commercial reward.
Some of Górecki's music has been adapted for film soundtracks, most notably fragments of his Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. They are featured in Peter Weir's 1993 film Fearless, Julian Schnabel's 1996 biographical drama film Basquiat, Shona Auerbach's 1996 film Seven, Jaime Marqués's 2007 film Ladrones, Terrence Malick's 2012 experimental romantic drama To the Wonder, Paolo Sorrentino's 2013 art drama film The Great Beauty, Felix van Groeningen's 2018 biographical film Beautiful Boy, and Terrence Malick's 2019 historical drama A Hidden Life. It has also appeared on television in numerous TV shows including the American crime drama television series The Sopranos, American TV series Legion, crime thriller television series The Blacklist, as well as the historical drama The Crown.
Górecki's music covers a variety of styles, but tends towards relative harmonic and rhythmical simplicity. He is considered to be a founder of the so-called New Polish School. Described by Terry Teachout, he said Górecki has "more conventional array of compositional techniques includes both elaborate counterpoint and the ritualistic repetition of melodic fragments and harmonic patterns."
His first works, dating from the last half of the 1950s, were in the avant-garde style of Webern and other serialists of that time. Some of these twelve-tone and serial pieces include Epitaph (1958), First Symphony (1959), and Scontri (1960) (Mirka 2004, p. 305). At that time, Górecki's reputation was not lagging behind that of his near-exact contemporary and his status was confirmed in 1960s when "Monologhi" won a first prize. Even until 1962, he was firmly ensconced in the minds of the Warsaw Autumn public as a leader of the Polish Modern School, alongside Penderecki.
Danuta Mirka has shown that Górecki's compositional techniques in the 1960s were often based on geometry, including axes, figures, one- and two-dimensional patterns, and especially symmetry. Thus, she proposes the term "geometrical period" to refer to Górecki's works between 1962 and 1970. Building on Krzysztof Droba's classifications, she further divides this period into two phases: (1962–63) "the phase of sonoristic means"; and (1964–70) "the phase of reductive constructicism" (Mirka 2004, p. 329).
During the mid-1960s and early 1970s, Górecki progressively moved away from his early career as radical modernist, and began to compose with a more traditional, romantic mode of expression. His change of style was viewed as an affront to the then avant-garde establishment, and though he continued to receive commissions from various Polish agencies, by the mid-1970s Górecki was no longer regarded as a composer that mattered. In the words of one critic, his "new material was no longer cerebral and sparse; rather, it was intensely expressive, persistently rhythmic and often richly colored in the darkest of orchestral hues".
Apart from two brief periods studying in Paris and a short time living in Berlin, Górecki spent most of his life in southern Poland.
Henryk Górecki was born on 6 December 1933, in the village of Czernica, in present-day Silesian Voivodeship, southwest Poland. The Górecki family lived modestly, though both parents had a love of music. His father Roman (1904–1991) worked at the goods office of a local railway station, but was an amateur musician, while his mother Otylia (1909–1935), played piano. Otylia died when her son was just two years old, and many of his early works were dedicated to her memory. Henryk developed an interest in music from an early age, though he was discouraged by both his father and new stepmother to the extent that he was not allowed to play his mother's old piano. He persisted, and in 1943 was allowed to take violin lessons with Paweł Hajduga; a local amateur musician, instrument maker, sculptor, painter, poet and chłopski filozof (peasant philosopher).
During the last decade of his life, Górecki suffered from frequent illnesses. His Symphony No. 4 was due to be premiered in London in 2010, by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, but the event was cancelled due to the composer's ill health. He died on 12 November 2010, in his home city of Katowice, from complications arising from a lung infection. Reacting to his death, the head of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, Professor Eugeniusz Knapik, said "Górecki's work is like a huge boulder that lies in our path and forces us to make a spiritual and emotional effort". Adrian Thomas, Professor of Music at Cardiff University, said "The strength and startling originality of Górecki's character shone through his music [...] Yet he was an intensely private man, sometimes impossible, with a strong belief in family, a great sense of humour, a physical courage in the face of unrelenting illness, and a capacity for firm friendship". He was married to Jadwiga, a piano teacher. His daughter, Anna Górecka-Stanczyk, is a pianist, and his son, Mikołaj Górecki, is also a composer. He was survived by five grandchildren.
Górecki was awarded the Order of the White Eagle by the President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław Komorowski, Poland's highest honour, just a month before his death. The Order was presented by the wife of President Komorowski in Górecki's hospital bed. Earlier, Górecki was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta II class and III class and the Order of St. Gregory the Great.
The world premiere of the Fourth Symphony took place on 12 April 2014. It was performed, as originally scheduled in 2010, by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, London, but with Andrey Boreyko conducting, instead of Marin Alsop.
He was largely unknown outside Poland until the mid-to late 1980s, and his fame arrived in the 1990s. In 1992, 15 years after it was composed, a recording of his Third Symphony, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs—recorded with soprano Dawn Upshaw, conductor David Zinman and released to commemorate the memory of those lost during the Holocaust—became a worldwide commercial and critical success, selling more than a million copies and vastly exceeding the typical lifetime sales of a recording of symphonic music by a 20th-century composer. As surprised as anyone at its popularity, Górecki said, "Perhaps people find something they need in this piece of music [...] somehow I hit the right note, something they were missing. Something somewhere had been lost to them. I feel that I instinctively knew what they needed." This popular acclaim did not generate wide interest in Górecki's other works, and he pointedly resisted the temptation to repeat earlier success, or compose for commercial reward.
Some of Górecki's music has been adapted for film soundtracks, most notably fragments of his Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. They are featured in Peter Weir's 1993 film Fearless, Julian Schnabel's 1996 biographical drama film Basquiat, Shona Auerbach's 1996 film Seven, Jaime Marqués's 2007 film Ladrones, Terrence Malick's 2012 experimental romantic drama To the Wonder, Paolo Sorrentino's 2013 art drama film The Great Beauty, Felix van Groeningen's 2018 biographical film Beautiful Boy, and Terrence Malick's 2019 historical drama A Hidden Life. It has also appeared on television in numerous TV shows including the American crime drama television series The Sopranos, American TV series Legion, crime thriller television series The Blacklist, as well as the historical drama The Crown.
Górecki's music covers a variety of styles, but tends towards relative harmonic and rhythmical simplicity. He is considered to be a founder of the so-called New Polish School. Described by Terry Teachout, he said Górecki has "more conventional array of compositional techniques includes both elaborate counterpoint and the ritualistic repetition of melodic fragments and harmonic patterns."
His first works, dating from the last half of the 1950s, were in the avant-garde style of Webern and other serialists of that time. Some of these twelve-tone and serial pieces include Epitaph (1958), First Symphony (1959), and Scontri (1960) (Mirka 2004, p. 305). At that time, Górecki's reputation was not lagging behind that of his near-exact contemporary and his status was confirmed in 1960s when "Monologhi" won a first prize. Even until 1962, he was firmly ensconced in the minds of the Warsaw Autumn public as a leader of the Polish Modern School, alongside Penderecki.
Danuta Mirka has shown that Górecki's compositional techniques in the 1960s were often based on geometry, including axes, figures, one- and two-dimensional patterns, and especially symmetry. Thus, she proposes the term "geometrical period" to refer to Górecki's works between 1962 and 1970. Building on Krzysztof Droba's classifications, she further divides this period into two phases: (1962–63) "the phase of sonoristic means"; and (1964–70) "the phase of reductive constructicism" (Mirka 2004, p. 329).
During the mid-1960s and early 1970s, Górecki progressively moved away from his early career as radical modernist, and began to compose with a more traditional, romantic mode of expression. His change of style was viewed as an affront to the then avant-garde establishment, and though he continued to receive commissions from various Polish agencies, by the mid-1970s Górecki was no longer regarded as a composer that mattered. In the words of one critic, his "new material was no longer cerebral and sparse; rather, it was intensely expressive, persistently rhythmic and often richly colored in the darkest of orchestral hues".
Apart from two brief periods studying in Paris and a short time living in Berlin, Górecki spent most of his life in southern Poland.
Henryk Górecki was born on 6 December 1933, in the village of Czernica, in present-day Silesian Voivodeship, southwest Poland. The Górecki family lived modestly, though both parents had a love of music. His father Roman (1904–1991) worked at the goods office of a local railway station, but was an amateur musician, while his mother Otylia (1909–1935), played piano. Otylia died when her son was just two years old, and many of his early works were dedicated to her memory. Henryk developed an interest in music from an early age, though he was discouraged by both his father and new stepmother to the extent that he was not allowed to play his mother's old piano. He persisted, and in 1943 was allowed to take violin lessons with Paweł Hajduga; a local amateur musician, instrument maker, sculptor, painter, poet and chłopski filozof (peasant philosopher).
During the last decade of his life, Górecki suffered from frequent illnesses. His Symphony No. 4 was due to be premiered in London in 2010, by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, but the event was cancelled due to the composer's ill health. He died on 12 November 2010, in his home city of Katowice, from complications arising from a lung infection. Reacting to his death, the head of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, Professor Eugeniusz Knapik, said "Górecki's work is like a huge boulder that lies in our path and forces us to make a spiritual and emotional effort". Adrian Thomas, Professor of Music at Cardiff University, said "The strength and startling originality of Górecki's character shone through his music [...] Yet he was an intensely private man, sometimes impossible, with a strong belief in family, a great sense of humour, a physical courage in the face of unrelenting illness, and a capacity for firm friendship". He was married to Jadwiga, a piano teacher. His daughter, Anna Górecka-Stanczyk, is a pianist, and his son, Mikołaj Górecki, is also a composer. He was survived by five grandchildren.
Górecki was awarded the Order of the White Eagle by the President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław Komorowski, Poland's highest honour, just a month before his death. The Order was presented by the wife of President Komorowski in Górecki's hospital bed. Earlier, Górecki was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta II class and III class and the Order of St. Gregory the Great.
The world premiere of the Fourth Symphony took place on 12 April 2014. It was performed, as originally scheduled in 2010, by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, London, but with Andrey Boreyko conducting, instead of Marin Alsop.
Miserere
Henryk Górecki Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Miserere' by these artists:
Andrea Bocelli Miserere Miserere Miserere, misero me Però brindo alla vita…
Andrea Bocelli John Miles Miserere, miserere Miserere, misero me Però brindo alla vita…
Anúna Miserere miseris fons misericordie Si misera fueris parit a…
Anuna Miserere miseris fons misericordie Si misera fueris parit a…
Bono & Luciano Pavarotti Miserere, miserere Miserere, misero me Però brindo alla vita…
Bruno Pelletier Miserere miserere Miserere misero me Pero brindo alla vita…
Bruno Pelletier & Isabelle Boulay Miserere miserere Miserere misero me Pero brindo alla vita …
Choir Of St John's College Cambridge & George Guest Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam : Et …
Choirboys 50.1 Miserére mei, Deus: secúndum magnam misericórdiam tuam.…
Dark Sanctuary Dies irae, dies illa Solvet saeclum in favilla: Teste David …
Elecktra Seven hundred seasons walking, with a splinter under my ski…
Emma Shapplin Tutta notte Par che tutta notte La dolcezza tua m'accompagne…
Eva Ugalde Miserere mihi Domine, quoniam ad te clamavi tota die :…
Gregorio Allegri Miserere mei, Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. Et …
Ha Hyun Woo 당신은 그 언제부터 고개를 돌린 걸까요? 허공에 불러 보지만 한 올의 대답은 어디에 있나요? 이젠…
John Miles Miserere, miserere, miserere, miserable me, but I toast li…
Jorge Durian Miserere, miserere, Miserere, misero me, Però brindo alla …
Lorenzo Licitra Miserere, miserere Miserere, misero me Però brindo alla vi…
Luciano Pavarotti Miserere, miserere Miserere, misero me Pero' brindo alla v…
Myriads Like the falling star on the firmament I view the vast…
Paul Schwartz Miserere, miserere, Miserere, misero me Pero' brindo alla …
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [Orchestra] Miserere, miserere, Miserere, misero me, Pero brindo alla vi…
Tenebrae "Miserere mei, Deus Secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. Et s…
The Cat Empire Do you ever look around, Turn your ear to the ground, Show…
The Cat Empires Do you ever look around Turn your ear to the ground Show…
The Choir Boys 50.1 Miserére mei, Deus: secúndum magnam misericórdiam tuam.…
The Dark Tenor Oh God have mercy on me In your goodness In your grace Wash…
The Elysian Singers Miserere mei, Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. Et …
The Gloria Record A disconcerting way to wake: to find everything in place The…
The Sixteen Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et …
Tony Henry & John Miles Miserere, miserere Miserere, misero me Però brindo alla vita…
Zucchero (with Luciano Pavarotti & Andrea Bocelli) Miserere miserere Miserere, misero me Però brindo alla vita…
Zucchero Fornaciari A. Bocelli Miserere, miserere Miserere, misero me Però brindo alla vi…
Zucchero with Luciano Pavarotti & Andrea Bocelli Miserere Miserere Miserere, misero me Però brindo alla vita…
Zucchero [feat. Luciano Pavarotti] Miserere, miserere Miserere, misero me Però brindo alla vita…
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Marek Zwierzycki
Taką muzykę można napisać tylko w boskim natchnieniu .Ona pochodzi z głębokiej wiary . To coś niesamowitego Dzięki mistrzu .Niech Bóg wynagrodzi za twoje dzieła.
Mathilde Fulford
The build up in this is absolutely mesmerising - as the voices layer, you get this beautiful, rich sound that fills you up completely. Music like this is just wonderful - whether or not you are religious (I, for example, am not).
Yourkin
The irony of the idea of a completely meaningful meaninglessness. Some logic goes missing. Some chasm wistfully bridged by nothing at all. Such faith in faithlessness. No! Please - No!
Jack Lumbar
Gorecki uses themes of misery and despair often but he also used motherhood as a motif, even his darkest music has a tenderness in its heart. I love these pieces and Chicago Symphony did it beautifully.
Sylvie BRUN -MAKARENKO
Ceci est une des plus belles choses que j'aie jamais entendues, même si je connaissais la 3e symphonie ...
Quel génie ! Tellement méconnu ici en France...Il est comme un ange qui a passé sur notre terre, y laissant au passage parmi les plus divines des musiques.
Sylvie
Levermike
I first heard this in Glasgow in the early 90's and have not stopped listening to it since. We lost a wonderful composer and servant of God when Henryk died. He has been slated by a lot of people for only composing one hit. Those critics haven't a clue!
Paul Vaclavik
Unbelievably beautiful piece and incredible performance. Gorecki is a genius.
Tim Richerson
Magnificent. Whether intentional or not, a deeply theological statement, depending on one's understanding -- that the first addressing and acknowledging phrase"Domine Deus noster" (our Lord God) builds through nearly 90% of the piece before the asking request of "Miserere nobis" (have mercy on us) comes in. The layering of voices and the delicate handling of this, by both composer and performers, left me speechless and feeling in a holy "thin place."
Melinda Lemmon
Whether intentional? Haha.
William Baker
Thanks for identifying the words and their meaning.