And Now For Something Completely Different... Sorta.

Kronos Quartet - Henryk Górecki: Already It Is Dusk (String Quartet No. 1, Op. 62) (1988) / Quasi una Fantasia (String Quartet No. 2, Op. 64) (1990-91) I received such a great response to the last post. Rock on to all of you who took the time to listen to that incredible work. Luckily, it's not the only thing Mr. Górecki has written. It's definitely the piece that has received the most attention and is my favorite, but I also love just about everything else of his I've had the opportunity to hear. On the wave of attention that the Symphony No. 3 recording brought (went to #13 on the British POP charts!!), Nonesuch records released a series of fantastic recordings of Górecki's stuff. The album in today's post is one of those.

I was so excited when I saw this album released way back in 1993. What could be better than the Kronos Quartet performing works by Górecki? I rushed out and bought it and listened to it as quickly as I could. Well, what a surprise. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this recording as I knew that Górecki was (is) a modern composer and that his 3rd Symphony was a surprise to some when he wrote it back in 1976 because it was unchararcteristically traditional. But, what direction had he taken since writing his 3rd? This recording is comprised of two pieces. The first, Already It Is Dusk, was written in 1988, and the second, Quasi una Fantasia, was written in 1990 and 1991. So we're 10 plus years beyond his 3rd and upon my first listen I really wasn't to sure I was happy about the progress.

These two pieces are not at all as initially digestible as his 3rd. These are much more thorny, much more dissonant, and much more schizophrenic. A difficult listen. I am generally not a fan of modern classical music, and that was my first impression of these pieces. But, because it was Górecki and because of the impeccable playing of the Kronos Quartet, I forced myself to give it a better listen. It was a struggle at first, but in the end it was this recording that truly clued me into Górecki's amazing talent. Don't get me wrong, I was well aware of his skills after hearing his third, but for me, this 2nd album was kinda like an awesome sophomore effort from a band... the one that proves to you that they aren't just a one-good-album band... one where they don't just try to copy their first album but continue their growth as artists. Granted, there were many albums of Górecki's stuff out before this, but it was the 2nd one I heard so it had that same effect for me.

I don't think there is a more passionate composer alive today and hardly a one throughout history. He has an amazing ability to grab hold of your emotions and do with them as he will. These pieces are full of anger, frustration, fear, resignation, disillusionment. Again, as with the 3rd Symphony, it deserves and requires a serious listen. I don't expect it will have you in tears, but your heart will race at times and by the end of the pieces, you will probably feel the same kind of exhaustion as the music exudes. I love, love, love it.

Fingers crossed that the other Nonesuch Górecki albums are added to Rhapsody soon too. Some awesome choral works. Enjoy!