Penderecki: Magnificat & Kadisz

This recording by Antoni Wit and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Warsaw Boys’ Choir, Warsaw Philharmonic Choir, and various soloists consists of two definitely contemporary works. The Magnificat was written in 1973-74, and the Kadisz in 2009. Mr. Penderecki was born in 1933, the two works are very different indeed. The Magnificat was commissioned by Austrian Radio to commemorate the 1200th anniversary of the founding of Salzburg Cathedral, as indicated in the informative liner notes. This is definitely not a Magnificat for the lover of traditional harmonies – the choirs interject, and sonorities exchange and intertwine in ways that are not necessarily sonically pleasing. The most approachable movement was the fifth of the six, with captivating decaying rhythms from the strings that recall patterns from the timpani. But the rest was difficult for me to want to continue to listen through. The Kadisz, however, was much more appealing, particularly the third movement, featuring lovely choral blending amidst the sadness of the underlying text. And while the subject matter is sombre and speaks of resiliency, the music wonderfully conveys a sense of eventual solace. The orchestra and choirs all do an amazing job here, and the liner notes are informative and contain the libretti of both works. If you are not a lover of contemporary music, then the first piece will definitely leave you cold. For me, the Kadisz was worth adding this recording to my collection, but I would definitely recommend listening to sound samples and making your purchasing decision from there.