Henryk Górecki - String Quartet No. 3 "...songs are sung" (Score Video)

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This video is provided for educational use only; please contact me at pranav.sivakumar@berkeley.edu regarding any copyright issues.

00:02 I. Adagio - molto andante - cantabile
10:02 II. Largo, cantabile
21:44 III. Allegro, sempre ben marcato
26:46 IV. Deciso - espressivo ma ben tenuto
37:53 V. Largo - tranquillo

Performed by the DAFO Quartet (Justyna Duda, violin I; Danuta Augustyn, violin II; Aneta Dumanowska, viola; Anna Armatys, cello)

Henryk Górecki (1933-2010) was a Polish composer. Initially rising to prominence as a member of the Polish avant-garde in the mid-20th century, Górecki later turned to a more minimalist style; he is best known for his third symphony, the "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs", which sets three Polish texts on the subjects of sadness and suffering.

Although it has achieved nowhere near the commercial success of the "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs", I find Górecki's 50-minute third string quartet - initially completed in 1995, then revised until 2005 - to be even more of a poignant and compelling work. Despite the extremely austere and frugal musical material (typical of the composer's music), Górecki creates a beautiful world of sound. Each of the five movements is centered around just one idea, presented in imaginatively and precisely structured repetitions.