# New Gorecki String Quartet



## cato

Have you guys heard the new Gorecki sting quartet?

I just bought it, and this is a masterpiece! 

It is the *String Quartet No. 3, Op. 67*, proformed by *The Kronos Quartet*, on the Nonesuch label.

Gorecki wrote this quartet for the Kronos Quartet, back in 1995, but it has taken him this long to release it and have it recorded. 

If you are a fan of Gorecki, or if you like Shostakovich's late quartets, then you will love this work. I have to admit, that I do not like all of Gorecki's work, but I really love this one, along with his famous Symphony No. 3. (The number 3 seems to be Gorecki's lucky number, as far as producing really good pieces of music. )

It has 5 movements, and I would decribe it as deep, sad, introspective, beautiful, moving, and forceful. It has to be heard to be believed! 

I think this work is so good, it may, may, just replace his 3rd symphony as being his best work. Of course, only time will tell, but I think if enough people hear this quartet, they will agree that it comes close, or surpasses his 3rd symphony in beauty and poetry.

Please, give this work a listen, and see if you agree with me, or not, and post your views of it right here. I would love to know what others think of this work.


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## Mark Harwood

Thanks, Cato. My wife Carol likes Gorecky, so I'll tell her about this.


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## cato

Mark, did your wife ever buy this CD? 

Has anyone else bought, or heard this new work by Gorecki?

Are there any Gorecki fans on this site?

I think he's one of the greatest composers to ever put pen to paper.  

When I hear some people say that all the "good" composers are dead, I always point to Gorecki, who is very much alive, and still composing great works.


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## Maestro Appassionato

I too have heard of this work. I believe it was in the magazine Stereophile or The Absolute Sound a couple of months ago, and it was actually their "recording of the month". 

I have seen the CD at Barnes and Noble in Cincinnati, but haven't taken the plunge on it yet. Like most of the classical CD's, it will be there when I am ready for it.


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## Mark Harwood

Cato, it's Carol's birthday soon, so maybe that's the time to buy it. I think she's forgotten about it, as had I. Thanks for the reminder.


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## Head_case

No one else get this in the intervening years? 

First surprise on getting the CD, is that it is a very short CD, running barely over 40 minutes. 

The greatest surprise is the lyrically elegiac vein in which Gorecki's music exhausts notes until their decay, and resurfacing in a kind of lyrical hope. It is far less intense than his previous Qts 1 & 2, which were battle-like screaming brittle sirens. Very shocking, exhausting and profound music.


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## Dennolyhisony

In classical music, the one piece that epitomizes the French flair for "style"/enjoyment of life for me, is the ballet which is based on the music of Jacques Offenbach, "Gaite Parisiene".


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## Head_case

Ehh? 


Get a grip lad


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## jurianbai

ok, Henryk Gorecki String Quartet No.3 ...songs are sung.

I pick this because it is a high review in every website I visited. Very nice concept, have some memorable 'song' althought it may be ehh.. too slow, too sorrowful. But what else for a music written with a premise 'When people die, they sing songs' ??

My comments is, it is a good idea, but again why it need 40 minutes to waste with so less notes being written. This is again a work that I feel rely on composer's big names. It is a piece that except listener to rely on non musical background to understand the music.

I think I will need more time to appreciated this again


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## Head_case

jurianbai said:


> ok, Henryk Gorecki String Quartet No.3 ...songs are sung.
> 
> I pick this because it is a high review in every website I visited. Very nice concept, have some memorable 'song' althought it may be ehh.. too slow, too sorrowful. But what else for a music written with a premise 'When people die, they sing songs' ??
> 
> My comments is, it is a good idea, but again why it need 40 minutes to waste with so less notes being written. This is again a work that I feel rely on composer's big names. It is a piece that except listener to rely on non musical background to understand the music.
> 
> I think I will need more time to appreciated this again


Listen carefully with a nice big mug of coffee...!

It is indeed slow, however each note is precise and suspended within the lyric of the quartet - exactly in that mourning and sorrowful way, which death requires. Each note doesn't just die away with no trace; the traces and the nuances are wistfully woven in a tapestry which returns the thread of an earlier death, and reasserts the 'life' that is tangible, in the face of death.

It is a profound synthesis of concept with thematic exposition, of the very music which Gorecki delivers to us. Although his name is 'big', he makes music for introverts - not just showy surface stuff with happy melodies and extroverted narcissism which rapidly decays ... into nothingness. This one takes time to dig into. However once you dig into his quartet no.III, the life that is ressurected from the dead notes are immensely satisfying.

Again, it isn't exactly jolly music with the gay melodies that Haydn offers us, so it is a totally different ball-game. 20th century music is starting to tax you lol


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## jurianbai

That was a fast replied ...

the CD just 24 hours with me, got listen to it before i take a nap, quite a good effect for that purpose actually. 

Composition wise I heard the string quartet is doing like one simuls note per a time, I was expecting a bit surprise throughout the piece, but again the composer might be too mature and this will jeopardized the consistency (maybe something like in movement 3). As I said again, a nice concept, maybe that is more precious than a couple of extra melody. Dont worry I used to change my opinion on music later 

and that is a nice remarks on Haydn also....


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## Head_case

> the CD just 24 hours with me, got listen to it before i take a nap, quite a good effect for that purpose actually.


Lol. Poor Gorecki' never quite intended his string quartet music to be a sedative 

Have you heard 'Quasi una fantasia' or 'Already it is dusk'? The character and emotional repertoire of these quartets are very different from 'Songs are sung'. Again, most modern listeners familiar with Symphony No.3' will see some parallels between the slow atonal developments of the rising chords, with a rather novel technique in his string quartet no.3. It is very gentle music however; completely unlike Wolfgang Rihm or other modern interpreters of the string quartet medium. I find Gorecki's string quartet no.III perfect for driving 

Haydn's quartets *can* be interesting - particularly with the suddenly proliferation of recordings available in the last 10 years with unceasing insights into the spiritual quality of his work (as opposed to the gaiety and melodious structures). The exuberant jolly and happy melodious lines in his music isn't everyone's piece of cake, but there are some epic recordings which make Haydn enjoyable for even modern listeners: the Végh Quartet's Quartet No. II is one of the ones which stand out from that high era of string quartet playing. These days, the Mosaiques and other modern groups tend to repeat the same formula but with more virtuosity. Of the virtuoso groups, the Carmina Quartet (Swiss) released an epic Haydn disc with superlative recording skills courtesy of Denon.

Anyway, Haydn isn't French either - back on topic


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