After pushing one end of the envelope with three slow movements in his Symphony No. 3 (1976), Henryk Górecki swung back the other way in 1980 with his delightful Concerto for Harpsichord and String Orchestra (1981). This sparkling piece lasts about nine minutes and consists of two fast movements, both centering around D. The harpsichord is accompanied by a small string orchestra; if the solo part is played on piano, the strings are expanded to compensate. This concerto is strongly related to Górecki's Three Pieces in Olden Style (1963), which was shocking at the time for its unabashed simple, diatonic style. (thanks to Rod Corkin/Classical Muic Mayhem for these insights). Watch a performance of Górecki's Concerto for Harpsichord and String Orchestra with Elżbieta Chojnacka, harpsichord, and the Narodowa Orkiestra Symfoniczna Polskiego Radia, Antoni Wit conducting . . . one of this week's FEATURED NEW MUSIC VIDEOS.

Robert Moon (at Audiophile Audition) writes about CPO Records first volume of the Symphonic Works of Andrzej Panufnik: "Andrzej Panufnik is the least known of the three great Polish composers of the twentieth century – the others being Witold Lutoslawski and Krzysztof Penderecki. His music combines the architectural quality of consecutive soundblocks – extended music with distinctive tone and texture – with the emotional feel of the spiritual and visionary. By manipulating three note cells in a mathematical manner, Panufnik's music has a forceful, sometimes overwhelmingly powerful presence which is often contrasted by a more meditative, atmospheric section. The music on this disc can be best understood by tracing their personal, political and sociological times in which they were created. The Tragic Overture (1941) recreates the cataclysmic terrors of World War II. The composer uses a four note motto theme throughout this short work that plays beneath a cantabile violin melody. The Heroic Overture, ostensibly written for the pre-Olympic competition in Warsaw in 1952, was really a testament to the valiant resistance of Poland to the Nazi invasion of 1939. Here the conflict is punctuated by a valorous march and a triumphant ending. In Nocturne (1948) "I completely detached myself from the tragic memories of the past years," Panufnik writes, "I was escaping reality, weaving for myself a kind of night vision, as in a dream." This 17 minute work starts quietly, moves towards a devastating climax, and then recedes into the mist. Its structure reminds me of Barber’s Adagio for Strings, but there is a portent of fear and danger under the patina of calmness. There also is a warmth, especially in the string writing, that perhaps reflects the composer’s love for humanity. Nocturne may have been cathartic for Panufnik, but, as moving emotionally as it is, there still remains the imprint of the horror the composer experienced in World War II. It is the major discovery of this disc. Katyn Epitaph is a searing remembrance of the Katyn Forest Massacre of thousands of Polish patriots by Russian soldiers in World War II. The quiet and lovely A Procession for Peace is a symphonic prelude dedicated "to peace loving people of every race and religion, of every political and philosophical creed," Panufnik wrote. Harmony – a Poem for Chamber Orchestra - was composed in 1989 and dedicated to the composer’s wife of 25 years. Its spiritual and graceful tone is an excellent example of the meditative and visionary Panufnik. This impressive disc is a sampling of the diversity of symphonic music which this under-appreciated composer has given to the world. Performances and sound are excellent, as are the extensive program notes. This is an important beginning to recordings of Panufnik's orchestral works (this is Volume 1), and I look forward to future issues, especially recordings of his ten symphonies." Check this and other contemporary music recordings out out at the Pytheas Recordings Archive . . . it's this week's FEATURED RECORDING.

Karen Amrhein is an award-winning member of ASCAP, a recipient of a 2005 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award, and has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her music has been described as "very sensitive to melody, and quite insightful as to the harmonic structure that will best support it. What results is both engaging and intriguing, as well as emotionally satisfying, not infrequently witty, and quite often uplifting - all characteristics and affects that seem regrettably rare in the work of more recent times." Listen to a peformance of the second movement of Amrhein's Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (1996) . . . one of our PYTHEAS EARFULS this week.

In another collaboration between Judith Lang Zaimont and her husband Gary Zaimont (with video production by Mike Bregman), The Joy of Dance, features Zaimont's art song Clair de Lune from the song cycle Chansons Nobles et Sentimentales sung by tenor Charles Bressler . . . this week's FROM THE PYTHEAS ARCHIVES.

Explore, Listen and Enjoy!
Vinny Fuerst
Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music