Gorecki: Kleines Requi / Concerto for Harpsichord & String Orchestra / Good Night

Henryk Gorecki (Composer), David Zinman (Conductor), Markus Stenz (Conductor), London Sinfonietta (Orchestra), Dawn Upshaw (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Dawn Upshaw
• Orchestra: London Sinfonietta
• Conductor: David Zinman, Markus Stenz
• Composer: Henryk Gorecki
• Audio CD (June 13, 1995)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B000005J3D
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,626 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #21 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Upshaw, Dawn
  • #22 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Keyboard > Harpsichord
  • #42 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > U to Z

Track Listings

1. Kleines Requiem for a Polka (for piano and 13 instruments), Op. 66: 1. Tranquillo

2. Kleines Requiem for a Polka (for piano and 13 instruments), Op. 66: 2. Allegro impetuoso - marcatissimo

3. Kleines Requiem for a Polka (for piano and 13 instruments), Op. 66: 3. Allegro - deciso assai

4. Kleines Requiem for a Polka (for piano and 13 instruments), Op. 66: 4. Adagio cantabile

5. Concerto for harpsichord (or piano) & orchestra, Op. 40: 1. Allegro molto

6. Concerto for harpsichord (or piano) & orchestra, Op. 40: 2. Vivace

7. Good Night (Requiem for Soprano, Alto Flute, 3 Tam-Tams and Piano), Op 63: 1. Lento (adagio) - tranquillo

8. Good Night (Requiem for Soprano, Alto Flute, 3 Tam-Tams and Piano), Op 63: 2. Lento tranquillissimo

9. Good Night (Requiem for Soprano, Alto Flute, 3 Tam-Tams and Piano), Op 63: 3. Lento - largo: dolcissimo - cantabilissimo

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorecki at his finest, December 7, 1999

By 

Paris Guffey (New Orleans, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gorecki: Kleines Requi / Concerto for Harpsichord & String Orchestra / Good Night (Audio CD)

This CD offers a broad range of styles that showcase Gorcki's talent as a composer. The three pieces on this CD have something for everyone.

The Requiem starts out slow and sublime and as soft as his 3rd Symphony, then gradually builds up, abruptly changes tempo, and reels into a fast polka in two. The polka is just marvelous, sounding demented and joyous at the same time. Repeated notes in dissonance underlying a melody played on violin and clarinet a half step apart makes for a suprisingly delightful and fun time. Then, after the polka, the sublime takes over once more and we are calmed again.

Most of Gorecki's music has a shape like a bell curve - start out soft and slow, build up, and end up soft. The harpsichord concerto is all build up, and it is excitement through and through. One can easily imagine little goblins running around the notes of the keyboard. This piece is upbeat and really fun, and you could easily imagine it being the score for some scary movie.

If the concerto is all build up, then Good Night is all sublime. This piece is slow and somber and there is no big climax. Set for solo piano, solo flute, and solo voice, Good Night is soothing enough for a baby. This piece is about half and half dissonance and traditional harmony, and it blends together very nicely.

This is a superb recording for any Gorecki fan, or anyone looking for something different.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime music by Gorecki!, July 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Gorecki: Kleines Requi / Concerto for Harpsichord & String Orchestra / Good Night (Audio CD)

This CD contains some of the best compositions by Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki. Its definatelly one of my favourite CDs. And anybody who says this music is not great must be a totall ignorant as far as contemporary classical music is concerned. "Kleines Requiem.." is a grave and very intense composition. "Concerto for Harpsichord..." is probably the most widely played modern harpsichord concerto since Manuel de Falla's. Writen for and dedicated to Chojnacka , the concerto is addressed to her specific personality and musicality. Gorecki's music is brilliant and unique! - if you love contemporary classical music - you WILL love this CD. Highly recommended!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Gorecki, August 18, 2010

By 

Ad Arma "Ad Arma" (Holland, (Les Pays Bas)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gorecki: Kleines Requi / Concerto for Harpsichord & String Orchestra / Good Night (Audio CD)

Kleines Requiem fur eine Polka is my favorit work of Gorecki.

We were at the Dutch premiere of this piece in Amsterdam at the Berlage-Building.. (also a premiere of Gubaidulina that night, both were there!!) Quite some time ago now, but a strong memory.. And it went straight into the heart!! (Conductor Reinbert De Leeuw..That man is so GOOD!!)

I like the sadness, the building-up and the nice waves of Polka-music coming trough, memory-fragments..lifting the music trough time,,,oooow!!

There is something basic, allmost primitive in Gorecki's way of writing, he is going straight to the point of the feelings that he wants to express and uses everything that is needed to get there.. Still,there is subtlety, but not in the way of Gubaidulina, where every sound is measningfull and woven. Gorecki gets closer to direct connecting to his heartfeelings, less observing, more ploughing, there clearly is Hurt to be expressed, and the hurt is connected to the hurt we all feel coming with life..

Have also once seen a very impressive dance-piece of shadow-dancing with fading and growing shadows based on Symphony No.3, The Symphony of Sorrowfull Songs, that will probably stay his best-known work.. But, to compensate the deep sorrow of No.3, just please also listen to this polka-thing.. Such a precious beauty!

There was one person giving only 1 star to this music..so sorry for him..,

but understand he owns it.. May I suggest to listen again, just the 'Kleines Requiem'( although the 'Good Night' sung by Dawn Upshaw is a nightsong to want to hear every good night..),close your eyes, sit and relax, stop thinking or wanting to understand or compare, let yourself go into the sound.., be touched..and have a warm glowing light of cheer in the chest..!