Penderecki: St. Luke Passion
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Free Music Notes for Penderecki: St. Luke Passion
Free Music Review: A Modernistic Passion
Hit: 5 Stars
Although he has returned to a neo-romantic compositional style, Kryzstof Penderecki (b. 1933) first became known as an avant-guarde modernist composer. His monumental "St. Luke Passion", first performed in 1966, has become, in its intensity and emotionality, one of the few overtly modernistic compositions to attract a wide audience. This work is heavily indebted to the passion music of Bach but in a style that is uniquely modern. Penderecki uses the letters of Bach's name, B-A-C-H, as the basis for many of the tone rows in the work.
The St Luke Passion is scored for a massive orchestra, including a large percussion section, chorus and boys chorus, soprano, baritone, and bass soloists, and an Evangelist. The work sets texts from the Gospel of St. Luke as well as from other biblical and liturgical sources.
The St. Luke Passion reflects the composer's own devout faith, but one does not need to be a believer to respond to this score. The music is almost entirely atonal. At only two points, at the end of the piece and it the conclusion of the climactic "stabat mater" does Penderecki resolve the music into a chord in the major key. Virtually the entire work is sad and somber. Within its frame, their is a great diversity of music. Penderecki uses the form of ancient chants, in the chorus singing a capella in hushed tones. In portions of the work, such as the scene before Pilate (track no 13) or the scene where Jesus is mocked on the cross (track no 22) the chorus hisses and shouts in a strong cacophony of sound. The soloists have moments of almost mystical intensity. And the spoken part of the Evangelist alternates effectively with the choral and solo passages. The music makes frequent use of a gong, which reminded me of the extensive use of that instrument in the more accessible music of the American composer, Alan Hovhaness.
This recording of the St Luke Passion dates from 2004 and received a deserved rating of 10/10 on Classics Today. Antoni Wit conducts the Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra and the Warsaw Boys Choir. The recording is part of a continuing series of Penderecki's major works on the budget-priced Naxos label. It makes a compelling case for this passionate music. The CD includes detailed liner notes and the complete Latin text and translation of the Passion. Izabella Klosinaska is especially impressive in her soprano solos.
The St Luke Passion opens with an expansive prayer, set for organ, orchestra and large chorus. It follows, in Part I with a series of recitifs, solos, and choruses of the events leading to the arrest of Jesus. The admonition "Jerusalem, Jerusalem turn again to thy God" is repeated twice, the first time for chorus the second time for soprano solo.
The second and longer portion of the work describes the Crucifiction in anguished music with frenetic writing for the chorus. The climactic moments of the work include the long chorus "Popule meus" (track 16), the "Stabat mater" (track 24) which incorporates Penderecki's setting of this text in 1962, and the final chorus (track 27) which ends in the major key with the words Into thy hands I commend my spirit/ for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth."
The St. Luke Passion is difficult music with an emotional force that cannot be denied. Listeners who are willing to see that modernistic music can have an almost visceral appeal will love this music of passion and religious devotion.
Total Time: 76:24
Robin Friedman
Free Music Review: impressive
Hit: 4 Stars
Panderecki's passion is a very expressive and intense piece of music, comparable tot Bach's Matthew Passion. The Stabat Mater in the centre is touching.Free Music Review: FANTASTIC RECORDING
Hit: 5 Stars
FOR $8.99 THIS IS A NO-BRAINER !!! JUST GET IT. I LOVE IT. YOU WILL TOO.
THIS IS A CHILLING PIECE BY PENDERECKI.
Free Music Review: Penderecki's Choral Masterpiece - The St. Luke Passion
Hit: 5 Stars
Krzystof Penderecki has become one of my favorite composers ever since I listened to some of his most radical works, including the "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima", the two "De Natura de Sonoris", and the "St. Luke Passion", his musical depiction of the last hours of Christ.
This is one of the most graphic, most intense pieces of music the world has to witness. The work is divided in two parts. In Part I, The ominous introduction, with the chorus singing "Hail the Cross", already invites doom. Christ's prayer on Mt. Olives begins somberly, but leads to a teffifying climax as the chorus sings "I am crying", before dying down to near silence. In the capture scene, once can vision the approaching Roman legion, with a series of nasty brass sounds and stampede of percussion. The mocking of Jesus is equally violent, as the entire orchestra and chorus seems to laugh at Him. Sinister monophonic notes rip the air as the chorus shouts "Crucify Him!"
Part II begins with Christ's carrying of the cross. The cruficixion scene features one of the most excrutiating tone clusters the chorus ever produced, as overwhelming as the pain Jesus witnessed with pins hammered to His hands and feet. In the "Stabat Mater", when the Virgin Mary watches her dying Son, the music becomes relatively calm, but the avant-garde sound is still prevalent. The music becomes violent again when Christ utter his last words, before the music dies away, along with Christ's spirit. The concluding call for redemption begins dark, but ends in a glorious major chord, unachieved within the previous 75 minutes.
Penderecki's rendition of Christ's last hours is as shocking, disturbing, and powerful as the controversial Mel Gibson movie. A music like this should have a "Parental Advisory" label (and I am being a little sarcastic).
Free Music Review: Wonderful! Highly recommended
Hit: 5 Stars
Penderecki is able to merge the traditional form of religious chant and choral work with modern orchestration techniques, and it works out wonderfully. The sound, choral work, orchestration, and production are all wonderful on this disk.
This is probably one of Naxos' finer offerings (really, the poor Naxos discs are much more the exception than the rule...my own feeling is that you can't really go wrong with Naxos.)
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