Gorecki: Symphony No. 3
David Zinman, Dawn Upshaw & London Sinfonietta
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| Name | Artist | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
Symphony No. 3: I. Lento - Sostenuto tranquillo ma cantabile | David Zinman, Dawn Upshaw & London Sinfonietta | 26:47 | Work Only | View In iTunes |
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2 |
Symphony No. 3: II. Lento e largo - Tranquillissimo | David Zinman, Dawn Upshaw & London Sinfonietta | 9:45 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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3 |
Symphony No. 3: III. Lento - Cantablile semplice | David Zinman, Dawn Upshaw & London Sinfonietta | 17:09 | Work Only | View In iTunes |
| Total: 3 Songs |
Customer Reviews
Epic.
This album was HUGE when it was released in 1991. Didn't it top the charts in England or something? In any case, I've been listening to this symphony for 15 years and I'm still coming to peace with it in many ways. (I'm just a casual listener of classical music, so I don't have the credentials to say everything that needs saying here, but I saw that nobody had written a review of it yet and figured I'd jump in.) I believe Gorecki's aim was to make emotional sense from the devastation of the Holocaust. He used a poem found etched in a bunkhouse wall at a Nazi death camp, addressed to the author's mother, as inspiration for this symphony. For years, the symphony remained obscure. But David Zinman fell in love with this work and in his hands, Gorecki's marvelous conveys a sense of loss, grief, redemption and hope. It's extemely powerful and everybody should listen to this at least once before they die. It's that good.
Heart-Wrenchingly Spectacular. . . .
The first movement of Gorecki's symphony is one that I play for students in my Holocaust class every semester. While it would seem to be a stretch for non-musical students to sit through close to a half-hour of very classical music, they do so with no difficulty. Gorecki slowly builds to a swirling crescendo the opening instrumental section, Dawn Upshaw achingly presents the vocals, and Gorecki then decrescendos his listeners through the emotional output that he thrust upon us. Movements 2 & 3 are lyrically striking and profound, very affecting--one cannot help but be moved by the tragic situations (words engraved on a prison camp wall and a grieving mother's lament for her lost son). The language could "get in the way," but I find it a nice buffer. I am forced to read the lyrics in English, which makes them, in an odd way, more concrete and real. Upshaw has never sounded better, nor has Gorecki.
Every fan of music will enjoy Gorecki's third symphony
To try and summarize Gorecki's genius in Symphony No. 3 in a short review is futile. However, any music lover (with an ear for art music or not) will appreciate the work immensely. For casual listeners, the piece will feel very theatrical, building in intensity, almost film-like, but don't be deceived. Gorecki has so much going on it's deceptively simple which is why the astute classical listener also gives props to Gorecki and Upshaw in this work. No matter how many times I've listened, Dawn Upshaw's vocal performance soaring atop the simple string melody gives me chills without fail. NOTE: I would recommend that users try and find the liner notes (if downloaded here), as it'll take your appreciation of the piece to a whole new level. The secondary title to the Third Symphony is particularly poignant and meaningful.
Biography
Born: July 9, 1936 in New York, NY
Genre: Classical
Years Active: '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s
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