21st Century Prodigy
5
By C-Haus
I love all of Gorecki's music because it is profoundly moving and rhythmical. This cd is particularly soft and relaxing, amazingly recorded as well.
a wonderful surprise
5
By pianomaninsaneinthusiast
Opus 39, maestoso espessivo gave me probably one of the biggest shocks i have gotten from this form of music ever. I would expect that level of purity and musical 'elevation' of a more notable composer such as Mozart. The album as a whole i found to be rather unexpectedly beautiful. I have found that most post-romantic music composed for a choral setting such as this to be far more plainly pretty, not purely gorgeous as this is. A must have for any enthusiast of choral music.
MISERERE
5
By GustafNeilson
Henryk Gorecki is able to achieve so much power and transcendence with so very little that his music for unaccompanied chorus stands as a metaphor for we as the global community cold achieve if we believed in the motivation that soars through this selection of music.
MISERERE is a stunning work, a response to the political upheaval in Poland that surrounded the United Peasant Party in 1981 when members of the Rural Solidarity were slaughtered by the militia. In response to this Gorecki immediately composed this work for large unaccompanied chorus which for the first thirty minutes intones the words 'Domine Deus Noster' (Lord our God), first by massive male voices intoning, plea-like, then joined by women's voices in agitation and ultimate reverence, adding only are the very end the words 'Miserere nobis' (have mercy on us). If any listener fails to be moved by this quiet, urgent, sonorous plea for peace, then we as a universal people have much work to do!
Appropriately, MISERERE is followed by a performance of Gorecki's AMEN. Again, this work does not change key, uses only the single word 'Amen' as text, but packs so much power and finally closes with the choral forces closing the 'n' in sustained echo. Following the simplicity of this six-minute work is Gorecki's first work composed for unaccompanied voices - the Psalms setting titled EUTES IBANT ET FLEBANT and is reminiscent of the mood of his now famous "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs". And dating back to the year of MISERERE is his setting of 'My Vistula, Grey Vistula', a brief but compelling setting of the folk music of Poland.
The final work on this very fine recording is a secular setting of Polish folksongs SZEROKA WODA, charming in its simplicity and unfettered by complicated messages or writing.
The Chigago Symphony Chorus and the Chicago Lyric Opera Chorus are impeccably conducted by John Nelson for the first four works and the Polish Folksongs are performed by the Lira Chamber Chorus conducted by Lucy Ding. The sound of the recording is resonant and rich and I must admit that the music speaks so strongly on this recording that I was not hampered by the extraneous sounds mentioned by other reviewers. And there may be a message there about priorities and responses... Highly Recommended.
Beautiful music. Terrible recording
3
By mKunert
You can hear people shuffling through doors somewhere in the building it was recorded in. That's just one of the audio problems.
Misere
5
By hurleygurley
Misere is among my favorite pieces of music all time.
Evocative
5
By Parson Jack Russell
This is an amazing work by an amazing composer. Every now and and, genius is mixed with the divine inspiration to create a work that is truly transcendent; this work by Henryk Górecki is one of those works.
Much like his better known Symphony no. 3, there is a lachrymose quality to Miserere, but never without brighter allusions to hope and mercy. The imagery is vivid, and the emotions are powerful, almost startling at times.
If you are a fan of the aforementioned Symphony no. 3, particularly the Electra Nonesuch recording featuring Dawn Upshaw, you are certain to enjoy this important work. Buy with confidence.
Amazing choral music
5
By ommelluap
This album contains some of the most emotionally heart wrenching music that I have ever heard. Every piece is unique. My favorite is Amen, Opus 35. When I hear the voices in this piece it sends chills down my spine. I'm not sure what Gorecki was feeling when he wrote it but to me it is the sound of Heaven and hell colliding in mid air. The 30 second sample of it is from the very begining of the piece and doesn't reveal the thrilling choral climax. I wonder what he would think of this review. Well worth the price. Don't even think about it. Just buy it.
Gorecki's best
5
By Jarrett House North
His Third Symphony with Dawn Upshaw may be a better known recording, but I would argue that this collection of compositions represents superior music. The Miserere, which repeats the words "Domine Deus" as the only lyric through most of the 30-minute composition, builds on the same slow crescendo as the Third Symphony. Euntes Ibant Et Flebant is an early religious vocal composition that hints at some of Gorecki's later strengths. The latter half of the recording consists of choral songs inspired by traditional Polish folk melodies. Of these, Wislo Moja, Wislo Szara is the most moving.
