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Krzyzstof PENDERECKI (b.1933) St Luke Passion (1962-66) Izabella Kłosińka (soprano) Adam Kruszewski (baritone) Romuald Tesarowicz (bass) Krzyzstof Kolberger (Evangelist) Jaroslaw Malanowicz (organ) Warsaw Boys Choir Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra/Antoni Wit Recorded Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, August and September 2002 NAXOS 8.557149 [76.24]

The St Luke Passion was written to commemorate the seven hundredth anniversary of Munster Cathedral and its premiere in 1966 coincided with the thousandth anniversary of Christianity’s introduction into Poland. The model is Bach’s Passions and Penderecki also uses psalms and hymns to further increase the spiritual and emotive depth. Let us say at the outset that this is a work of the utmost virtuosity and effect. The familiar devices are all here: tone clusters, vocal wails, sudden accumulation of sonorities, unstoppable instrumental eruptions, microtones. The work is a key product of Penderecki’s early maturity and it remains one of his most powerful. This recording copes exceptionally well with the myriad dramas and concentrated events that form the Passion. The Chorus is set well in relation to the orchestra and is finely balanced; the spatial questions have been well resolved (particularly in Part I’s Deus meus). The dramatic cries and melismatic choral overlaps in Domine, quis habitabit are, for me, despite the more overt expression and theatricality later on, among the most satisfyingly convincing moments in the work – and act as apt preliminaries for the brass snarls and scurrying lower strings and tensile percussion of Adhuc eo loquente. He characterises the hornets torrent of the crowd vividly in Et viri as he does the intensely evocative harmonic complexities and coiled tension of the Miserere mei, Deus. Christ’s tessitura sometimes lies very high – the vocal ascent at points seeming to prefigure His own ascension – and the crucifixion is depicted with due complexity. The intoning, cloaked, occluded and withdrawn, of the Stabat Mater is moving and the work ends finally on the redemptive In te Domine speravi, which brings the Passion to an end in blazing light. Antoni Wit leads a strong and experienced team of soloists from the grave Evangelist of Krzyzstof Kolberger to Izabella Kłosińka (soprano) Adam Kruszewski (baritone) and Romuald Tesarowicz (bass). All sing with nobility and fervour. Jonathan Woolf see also review by Gwyn Parry-Jones (Bargain of the Month - December 03)   Advertising Rates Visitor stats MusicWeb International has over 40,000 Classical CD reviews on offer Discs received Having a problem Donating? Gerard Hoffnung Concerts & The Bricklayer Story   New Releases New Releases   MusicWeb sells the Polish catalogue CDAccord £10.50 post free W-W MusicWeb sells the Arcodiva catalogue £12.00 post free W-W £11.75 post-free world- wide MusicWeb can now offer you discs from the following catalogues: Prices include postage [Acte Préalable £13.50] [Arcodiva £12.00] [Avie from £6.25] [British Music Society £12.00] [CDACCORD from £13.50 ] [ClassicO £12.50] [Hallé from £11] [Heritage £10] [Hortus £14.99 ] [Lyrita ONLY £11.75 ] [Nimbus Special prices] [Northern Flowers £13.50] [REDCLIFFE £11 ] [Sheva £11] [Tactus £11.50 ] [Talent from £12.00 ] [Toccata Classics £10.50 ] Musicweb Special Offers Monthly Best Buys     Google Ads - for information about privacy matters, click here.  Amazon Musicweb International is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

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