Kent Nagano / Goteborgs Symfoniker - Penderecki: St Luke Passion - Import SACD Hybrid

Credits:

Kent Nagano / Goteborgs Symfoniker

Description:

Kent Nagano performs Penderecki’s monumental masterpiece— the composer was in attendance—following his sudden passing on March 29, 2020. The sound was simply incredible, and the performance was deeply moving! SACD hybrid disc. Krzysztof Penderecki passed away on March 29, 2020, at the age of 86. He was a composer with deep ties to Japan through his masterpiece, “Elegy for the Victims of Hiroshima.” His music is what is often referred to as “contemporary music”; he pioneered the “tone cluster” technique—in which all notes within a given interval are played simultaneously—and had a profound influence on 20th-century composers. This sound is heard not only in the classical music world but also today as sound effects in horror films and suspense thrillers. Penderecki’s “St. Luke Passion” was composed over a period of three years, beginning in 1963—three years after “Elegy for the Victims of Hiroshima.” Due to the exceptionally large scale of both the orchestra and the chorus, opportunities to hear this work performed live are rare. This is a live recording from a concert held one week after Kent Nagano—who had conducted the Canadian premiere with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra on July 14, 2018—at the Felsenlichtschule in Salzburg. It is also noteworthy that a choir was invited from Poland and that film actor Sławomir Holland served as the Evangelist. The performance is deeply moving, allowing listeners to share in the experience of composer Penderecki—who was present at the concert—responding to the audience’s ovation after the performance. When one thinks of “Passions,” Bach’s two great masterpieces immediately come to mind, but Penderecki’s work was commissioned by Southwest German Broadcasting in Cologne to mark the 700th anniversary of the founding of Münster Cathedral. While it is fundamentally based on the twelve-tone technique, Penderecki’s deep respect for Bach is clearly evident—for example, the inclusion of the four notes B-A-C-H (B-flat, A, C, B (natural)) are included within the series, and the piece begins with the descending two-note “sigh motif” that Bach frequently used—all of which clearly convey Penderecki’s deep respect for Bach. Although Penderecki changed his style in later years, producing works that could even be described as Romantic, it is undoubtedly this period’s edgy music that represents the pinnacle of his artistry. King International

Tracklisting:

1.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. O Crux ave, spes unica
2.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Et egressus ibat
3.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Deus meus
4.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Domine, quis habitabit
5.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Adhuc eo loquente
6.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Ierusalem, Ierusalem
7.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Ut quid, Domine
8.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Comprehendentes autem
9.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Iudica me, Deus
10.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Et viri, qui tenebant illum
11.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Ierusalem, Ierusalem
12.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Miserere mei, Deus
13.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part I. Et surgens omnis
14.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part II. Et in pulverem mortis
15.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part II. Et baiulans...
16.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part II. Popule meus
17.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part II. Ibi crucifixerunt eum
18.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part II. Crux fidelis
19.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part II. Jesus autem dicebat
20.Passio et mors Domini nostri Iesu Christi Secondum Lucam~Part II. In pulverem mortis