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World Premiere of H. M. Górecki's Church Songs
2013-06-25
Sunday's premiere of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki's songs was an extraordinary event. The concert brought together a large audience of lovers of the master's music who came to listen to his twenty unknown songs a cappella. The concert was also attended by the composer's family and a large number of people from Krakow's musical community. These pieces are choral arrangements drawn from the nineteenth-century songbook of Father Jan Siedlecki. The composer worked on them in the mid-eighties, and although he decided not to publish them then, he told family and friends about their existence. Only recently, H.M. Górecki's family, in agreement with Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, decided to publish them. The composer's son - Mikołaj Górecki – reviewed the songs and passed them to PWM for publication.It was obvious that the songs had to be premiered by Włodzimierz Siedlik, H.M. Górecki's friend of many years, who often worked together with him on performance of choral works. At the concert, the performances of O matko miłościwa, Ludu mój ludu, Święty, święty, święty and Jezu Chryste Panie miły were extremely poignant, as Górecki worked them out in a manner that was his own, making some moments monumental and giving other places a very intimate personal sound. They combine the sublimity and sacredness of personal humble prayer.
The audience gathered at the concert rewarded the musicians with enthusiastic applause, provoking the artists to several encores. The concert was connected with the promotion of a newly released CD with all twenty songs recorded by Krakow singers under the direction of maestro Siedlik. The premiere was also accompanied by a presentation of the first edition of the sheet music for the songs. The sheet music publication is now available on our website - link.
24.06.2013, time 20.30 Kraków, Kościół ojców Franciszkanów
Performers: Włodzimierz Siedlik – conductor
Krakow Singers in Honour of H. M. Górecki
photo Tomasz Kućmierz
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