The whole composition breathes and sighs with an aching melancholy that lengthens the melodic phrases to a climactic point about three-quarters of the way through the piece. It gives the work an organic feel that complements and reinforces the piece as it grows upwards through the registers of the instruments. What to me always seems to be such a clever compositional achievement is that Barber builds this entire piece from a three-note motif or cell of notes. In 1986 with the release of the Oliver Stone movie titled ‘Platoon’ Samuel Barber’s second movement from his Op.11 String Quartet embedded itself into the hearts and minds of tens of thousands of people. Samuel Barber ‘Adagio for Strings’ (from String Quartet: 1936) Similar to the Gorecki Symphony there is a dominant sense of loss and melancholy in this score but also one of eternal hope.ģ. It is the life of the Virgin Mary that brings life to each section of this work, that begins and ends with ‘The Protecting Veil’. Tavener’s Orthodox faith runs like a glowing thread through this piece giving it strength and purpose. The cello takes the central role but not in a showy fashion but one of poise, elegance, and intense expression. Originally Isserlis had asked Tavener to write a more modest work for him but the eight-movement composition certainly is not a disappointment. The Protecting Veil dates from 1988 when Tavener received a commission from the remarkable cellist Steven Isserlis. This forty-five-minute composition succinctly demonstrates John Tavener’s style that unfailingly produces works of great stillness and beauty. Gorecki’s use of a solo soprano set against the huge power of the orchestra beautifully reflects the voice of the one against the backdrop of an often unfeeling, cold world. What is striking about her words etched into the walls of her cell, is that she thinks only about her Mother’s feelings when she learns of her daughter’s death.Įven though the Symphony mourns, there remains a grain of hope and recognition of the strength of the human spirit even in the face of terrible circumstances. Gorecki chose to set the words of a condemned eighteen-year-old girl (Helen Wanda Blazusiakówna), who had been captured and imprisoned by the Gestapo in 1944. The mood is deeply sad throughout the entire work, with the second movement particularly laden with unbearable tragedy. Each of the three movements draws its focus from different texts that express loss, grieving, and death. The Symphony is in three movements, each allocated an extremely slow tempo marking. It is thought that more than 15 million copies have been sold of the album, breaking nearly all records for 20 th Century music sales. In 1992 the record label Elektra-Nonsuch released this monumental work, performed by the London Sinfonietta, and within a short time, it had risen to the top of the classical music charts. Until this orchestral work burst into the conscious minds of listeners across the world the name of Gorecki was largely unknown.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |