Kronos Quartet/ Henryk Gorecki - Henryk Gorecki: String Quartet No. 3...songs are sung
|
List Price: Our Price: $14.99 You Save: $1.99 (12%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $5.90 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Henryk Gorecki: String Quartet No. 3...songs are sung
Free Music Review: A classic for the ages
Hit: 5 Stars
Once discovered/popularized this work (commissioned for Kronos) will stand beside other great works of the genre such as the Beethoven late quartet with the original finale(Grosse Fugue) and the Schubert string quintet in C major.
The technical recording/reproduction are excellent.
A good indication of your lasting appreciation might be that your first listening might leave you confused/disappointed. After the third listening I was hooked.
Free Music Review: 'When people die, they sing songs'
Hit: 5 Stars
Like so many of Henryk Mikolaj G?recki's compositions, his String Quartet No. 3, Opus 67 is inspired or at least references poetry: in the case of this quartet (1994-1995) the poem at its base is a simple four line poem by Russian writer Khlebnikov - "When horses die, they breathe,/ When grasses die, they wither,/ When suns die, they go out,/ When people die, they sing songs." G?recki is a master of sharing the most intimate interstices of the human soul in his haunting music and his third string quartet is for this listener on of his most intimate utterings. It is performed with consummate skill and grace and understated passion by the Kronos Quartet for whom the work was written. It is long (around 50 minutes) but every moment contains substance and beauty.
Some listeners may find the degree of invention subdued and at first hearing that response is understandable. Yet listening to the work multiple times the soulful dignity as well as the inherent optimism of a musical poet sharing a life painted in terror and grounded by the folk music of his native Poland becomes increasingly apparent. There are moments that mark G?recki's sound, slow massive movement of a single repetitive chord altered only by the pulsations of viola or violin. But there are new sounds here: in the second movement marked 'Largo, Cantabile' the string quartet assumes the intonation usually associated with an old fashioned accordion, while in movements single string motifs blossom into romantic songs that are at times suggestive of love songs/folk songs and at other times of sacred hymns.
This Third Quartet, so exceptionally well played by the Kronos Quartet, is far more meditative than extroverted. G?recki speaks to the quiet places within our memories and our minds and somehow makes those private places audible with music so gentle that it defies description. Grady Harp, September 07
Free Music Review: Boring
Hit: 2 Stars
Gorecki, as usual, is striving for profound angst, but for the most part this Quartet just comes across as boring. The second and fifth movements are terrible. The first movement develops some tense themes that Gorecki could have explored further, but he drops them midway to revert back to his usual droning. The third and fourth movements are the only ones with character, with the latter developing a decent amount of bittersweet sadness.Free Music Review: Slow paced and repetitive, minimalist
Hit: 2 Stars
Gorecki's Quartet No. 3 performed by Kronos is not to everyone's taste even if they love classical music. It has a very special atmosphere --slow paced and repetitive, minimalist--only broken by the third movement: Allegro, sempre ben marcato. One could use it for meditation, as it is quite peaceful and monotonous with tiny changes happening in the harmony. Perhaps it would be useful for putting one to sleep. Yes, I think it could well be advertised for insomniacs and somnambulists.Free Music Review: Henryk Gorecki: String Quartet No. 3...songs are sun
Hit: 1 Stars
I didn`t like it and returned it for a refund
More Free Music Notes:
1 2
1 2