Symphony No. 2 (Górecki)
Encyclopedia
Symphony No. 2, the "Copernican," Op. 31 (II Symfonia "Kopernikowska") is a choral symphony
composed by Henryk Górecki
in 1972 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus
. Composed in a monumental style for solo soprano
, baritone
, choir
and orchestra
, it features text from Psalms
no. 145, 6 and 135, along with an excerpt from Copernicus' book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium
.
The symphony was commissioned by the Kosciuszko Foundation
in New York and presented to Górecki as an opportunity to reach an audience outside his native Poland. Typically, he undertook extensive research on the subject, and was particularly taken by the philosophical implications of Copernicus' discovery, not all of which he viewed as positive. Norman Davies commented: "His discovery, of the earth's motion round the sun, caused the most fundamental revolutions possible in the prevailing concepts of the human predicament."
Adrian Thomas writes in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Second Edition
, "The second movement marks an important stage in Górecki's conversion to a more consonant language since the late 1960s, a process which was clarified in several choral pieces and the Third Symphony
." The symphony is written in two movements, following a binary design Górecki had followed in several previous works, "where the fortissimo dynamic, long silent pauses and rapid, chromatic
motifs of the first movement are counterbalanced by a comparatively calm second movement.... The thunderous cosmic vision of the mostly orchestal first movement is answered by a second movement whose proportions are considerably expanded in order to release the earlier tensions."
The second symphony has been performed and recorded less than some of his other work (certainly less than his Symphony No. 3
), in part because it demands a particularly large orchestra, soprano and baritone soloists, and a large choir. However, more than one interpretation of Symphony No. 2 is available on compact disk. The most readily available is the Naxos Records
CD of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Katowice, the Polish Radio Choir and the Silesian Philharmonic Choir with soloists Zofia Kilanowicz and Andrzej Dobber, conducted by Antoni Wit
, which includes Beatus Vir.
Choral symphony
A choral symphony is a musical composition for orchestra, choir, sometimes with solo vocalists, which in its internal workings and overall musical architecture adheres broadly to symphonic musical form. The term "choral symphony" in this context was coined by Hector Berlioz when describing his...
composed by Henryk Górecki
Henryk Górecki
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki was a composer of contemporary classical music. He studied at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice between 1955 and 1960. In 1968, he joined the faculty and rose to provost before resigning in 1979. Górecki became a leading figure of the Polish avant-garde during...
in 1972 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....
. Composed in a monumental style for solo soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
and orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, it features text from Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
no. 145, 6 and 135, along with an excerpt from Copernicus' book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium
De revolutionibus orbium coelestium
De revolutionibus orbium coelestium is the seminal work on the heliocentric theory of the Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus...
.
The symphony was commissioned by the Kosciuszko Foundation
Kosciuszko Foundation
Kosciuszko Foundation is a charitable foundation based in New York City. It was created by Stephen Mizwa to fund programs that promote Polish-American intellectual and artistic exchange.-History:...
in New York and presented to Górecki as an opportunity to reach an audience outside his native Poland. Typically, he undertook extensive research on the subject, and was particularly taken by the philosophical implications of Copernicus' discovery, not all of which he viewed as positive. Norman Davies commented: "His discovery, of the earth's motion round the sun, caused the most fundamental revolutions possible in the prevailing concepts of the human predicament."
Adrian Thomas writes in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Second Edition
Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, it is the largest single reference work on Western music. The dictionary has gone through several editions since the 19th century...
, "The second movement marks an important stage in Górecki's conversion to a more consonant language since the late 1960s, a process which was clarified in several choral pieces and the Third Symphony
Symphony No. 3 (Górecki)
The Symphony No. 3, Op. 36, also known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs , is a symphony in three movements composed by Henryk Górecki in Katowice, Poland, between October and December 1976. The work is indicative of the transition between Górecki's dissonant earlier manner and his more tonal...
." The symphony is written in two movements, following a binary design Górecki had followed in several previous works, "where the fortissimo dynamic, long silent pauses and rapid, chromatic
Chromaticism
Chromaticism is a compositional technique interspersing the primary diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the chromatic scale. Chromaticism is in contrast or addition to tonality or diatonicism...
motifs of the first movement are counterbalanced by a comparatively calm second movement.... The thunderous cosmic vision of the mostly orchestal first movement is answered by a second movement whose proportions are considerably expanded in order to release the earlier tensions."
The second symphony has been performed and recorded less than some of his other work (certainly less than his Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 3 (Górecki)
The Symphony No. 3, Op. 36, also known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs , is a symphony in three movements composed by Henryk Górecki in Katowice, Poland, between October and December 1976. The work is indicative of the transition between Górecki's dissonant earlier manner and his more tonal...
), in part because it demands a particularly large orchestra, soprano and baritone soloists, and a large choir. However, more than one interpretation of Symphony No. 2 is available on compact disk. The most readily available is the Naxos Records
Naxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
CD of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Katowice, the Polish Radio Choir and the Silesian Philharmonic Choir with soloists Zofia Kilanowicz and Andrzej Dobber, conducted by Antoni Wit
Antoni Wit
Antoni Wit is a Polish conductor. He is the present musical director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.Wit graduated from Kraków's State Higher School of Music, studying conducting under Henryk Czyz and composition under Krzysztof Penderecki, going on to study under Nadia Boulanger in...
, which includes Beatus Vir.