Henryk Górecki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henryk Górecki
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Górecki photographed in 1993
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Henryk Mikołaj Górecki
6 December 1933 Czernica, Silesia, Poland |
| Died | 12 November 2010 (aged 76) Katowice, Silesia, Poland |
| Era | Contemporary |
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Notable work
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List of works |
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (pronounced gə-RET-skee; born 6 December 1933 – died 12 November 2010) was a famous composer from Poland. He wrote contemporary classical music, which is a style of music from our time. Many people, including music critics, say that no other recent classical composer has been as successful as Górecki.
Górecki became a very important musician in Poland after a period of strict government control ended. In the 1950s and 1960s, his music was quite complex and used many clashing sounds. He was inspired by other composers like Luigi Nono and Karlheinz Stockhausen. However, by the mid-1970s, his style changed. He started writing simpler, more peaceful music, often with a spiritual feeling. A great example of this is his very popular Symphony No. 3, also known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs.
For a long time, not many people outside Poland knew about Górecki. But in the 1990s, he became famous worldwide. In 1992, a recording of his Third Symphony became a huge hit. It sold over a million copies! This was very unusual for classical music. Górecki was surprised by its popularity. He said, "Perhaps people find something they need in this piece of music... somehow I hit the right note." Even with this success, Górecki did not try to repeat his popular style just to sell more music.
He lived most of his life in southern Poland. He only spent short times studying in Paris and living in Berlin.
Contents
Henryk Górecki's Life Story
Early Years and Musical Beginnings
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I was born in Silesia....It is old Polish land. But there were always three cultures present: Polish, Czech, and German. The folk art, all the art, had no boundaries. Polish culture is a wonderful mixture. When you look at the history of Poland, it is precisely the multiculturalism, the presence of the so-called minorities that made Poland what it was. The cultural wealth, the diversity mixed and created a new entity. |
| — Henryk Górecki |
Henryk Górecki was born on 6 December 1933, in a village called Czernica in southwest Poland. His family was not rich, but both his parents loved music. His father, Roman, worked at a railway station and was an amateur musician. His mother, Otylia, played the piano. Sadly, Otylia died when Henryk was only two years old. Many of his early musical pieces were written to remember her.
Henryk loved music from a young age. However, his father and new stepmother did not want him to play his mother's old piano. But Henryk kept trying. In 1943, he was allowed to take violin lessons. His teacher was Paweł Hajduga, a local musician and artist.
In 1937, Górecki had a bad fall and hurt his hip. A local doctor did not treat it correctly, which led to a serious infection in the bone. He spent almost two years in a hospital in Germany and had four operations. Górecki had health problems throughout his life. He once said he had "talked with death often."
In the early 1950s, he studied music in Rybnik. Later, from 1955 to 1960, Górecki studied at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice. He later taught there, becoming a lecturer in 1968 and then a senior leader. He left his teaching job in 1979.
Teaching and Early Compositions
From 1951 to 1953, Górecki taught music to young students in Rydułtowy, a town in southern Poland. In 1952, he started a teacher training course in Rybnik. He studied many instruments and music theory. He finished the four-year course in less than three years because he studied so hard. During this time, he started writing his own music, mostly short songs and piano pieces.
Life was often hard for Górecki back then. Teaching jobs did not pay much. Also, it was difficult and expensive to buy music paper. He kept up with new music by reading magazines and buying at least one new musical score each week.
Górecki continued his music studies at the Academy of Music in Katowice. He studied with the composer Bolesław Szabelski. Szabelski was a student of the famous composer Karol Szymanowski. Szabelski got much of his ideas from Polish folk music. He let Górecki explore his own musical ideas. Górecki learned different styles, including a modern technique called "twelve-tone serialism." He finished his studies with high honors in 1960.
Becoming a Professor
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If you can live without music for two or three days, then don't write – it might be better to spend the time with a girl or with a beer. |
| — Henryk Górecki |
In 1975, Górecki became a Professor of Composition at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice. He taught students like Eugeniusz Knapik and his own son, Mikołaj.
Around this time, Górecki felt that the Polish government was interfering too much with the music academy. He called them "little dogs always yapping." He was often in conflict with the authorities. He tried to protect his school, teachers, and students from political influence. In 1979, he resigned from his job. He did this to protest the government not allowing Pope John Paul II to visit Katowice. He then helped start a local group called the "Catholic Intellectuals Club." This group worked against the government's control.
In 1981, he wrote his piece Miserere for a large choir. He wrote it to remember the police violence against the Solidarity workers' movement. In 1987, he composed Totus Tuus for Pope John Paul II's visit to Poland.
Górecki's Musical Style
Górecki's music uses many different styles. But it often has simple harmonies and rhythms. He is seen as a founder of the "New Polish School" of music. One music critic said that Górecki's music uses "both complex counterpoint and the repeated use of small musical ideas."
His first works, from the late 1950s, were in a modern style. They were influenced by composers like Webern. Some of these early pieces include Epitaph (1958) and his First Symphony (1959). By 1960, Górecki was seen as a leader of the new Polish modern music.
A music expert, Danuta Mirka, said that Górecki's music in the 1960s often used shapes and patterns, like geometry. She called this his "geometrical period."
In the mid-1960s and early 1970s, Górecki started to change his style. He moved away from his very modern sound. He began to write music that was more traditional and emotional. This change upset some people in the modern music world. Even though he still got requests to write music, some thought he was no longer an important composer. One critic said his new music was "intensely expressive, persistently rhythmic and often richly colored."
Early Modern Works
In February 1958, Górecki's music was first played in public in Katowice. These pieces showed the influence of composers like Szymanowski and Bartók. The Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice held a concert just for Górecki's music. This led to him being asked to write music for the Warsaw Autumn Festival. His piece Epitafium ("Epitaph") showed a new direction in his music. It was called "the most colourful and vibrant expression of the new Polish wave." This festival helped him become known around the world.
Górecki wrote his First Symphony in 1959. He graduated from the Academy with honors the next year. At the 1960 Warsaw Autumn Festival, his piece Scontri for orchestra caused a stir. It used sharp contrasts and strong sounds. By 1961, Górecki was a leader in the Polish modern music scene. He was influenced by composers like Anton Webern and Pierre Boulez. His Symphony No. 1 became famous internationally. Górecki moved to Paris to study more. There, he was influenced by composers such as Olivier Messiaen.
He started teaching at the Academy of Music in Katowice in 1968. He taught students how to read music, arrange it for orchestras, and compose. In 1972, he became an assistant professor. He was known for being very direct with his students. One student said, "He could be ruthless in his opinions." Górecki himself said, "If you can live without music for 2 or 3 days, then don't write." Because of his teaching and health problems, he did not compose as much during this time.
Changing His Musical Path
By the early 1970s, Górecki began to move away from his very modern style. He started writing music that was more traditional and focused on the human voice. This change was not popular with everyone in the modern music world. Even though he still got requests to write music, some people stopped seeing him as an important composer. One critic wrote that Górecki's new music was "intensely expressive, persistently rhythmic and often richly colored." Górecki slowly stopped using the clashing sounds and complex patterns that made him famous. He made his music simpler. He started using long, slow parts and repeating small musical ideas.
His "Symphony No. 2, 'Copernican', Op. 31" was written in 1972. It celebrated the 500th birthday of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. This symphony is very grand. It is for a solo female singer, a solo male singer, a choir, and an orchestra. It uses words from the Psalms and from Copernicus's book. The symphony has two parts and usually lasts about 35 minutes. This piece helped Górecki reach audiences outside Poland.
By the mid-1980s, more people around the world started to discover his music. In 1989, the London Sinfonietta held concerts featuring his work. In 1990, the American Kronos Quartet asked him to write his First String Quartet, Already It Is Dusk. This started a long friendship between the quartet and Górecki.
Górecki's most famous piece is his "Third Symphony". It is also called the "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs." This music is slow and thoughtful. Each of its three parts is for an orchestra and a solo female singer. The words for the first part come from a 15th-century sad song. The second part uses words written by a teenage girl, Helena Błażusiakówna, on a prison cell wall. She wrote them to ask for protection from the Virgin Mary.
The third part uses words from a folk song from Silesia. It tells the story of a mother looking for her son who was killed in the Silesian uprisings. The main ideas in the symphony are motherhood and being separated by war. The first and third parts are from the view of a parent who has lost a child. The second part is from the view of a child separated from a parent.
Górecki's Fourth Symphony, called 'Tansman Episodes', took many years to finish. He was also a bit uncomfortable with his new fame. When he died in 2010, it was not even fully written for orchestra. His son, Mikołaj Górecki, finished it using his father's notes. This symphony also uses repeated musical ideas, like his Second and Third Symphonies.
Later Compositions
Even though his Third Symphony was very successful, Górecki did not try to write more music in that exact style. He kept composing based on his own creative ideas, not just to become more famous or rich.
In February 1994, the Kronos Quartet performed four concerts. They honored new music, including Górecki's string quartets.
His later works include "Songs are Sung" (1992) for the Kronos Quartet. He also wrote "Concerto-Cantata" (1992) for flute and orchestra, and "Kleines Requiem für eine Polka" (1993) for piano and 13 instruments. "Songs are Sung" is his third string quartet. It was inspired by a poem. When asked why it took him almost thirteen years to finish, he said, "I continued to hold back from releasing it to the world. I don’t know why." His music has also been used by dance companies.
Final Years and Legacy
During the last ten years of his life, Górecki was often sick. His Symphony No. 4 was supposed to be played for the first time in London in 2010. But the event was cancelled because he was too ill. He passed away on 12 November 2010, in his home city of Katowice. He died from problems caused by a lung infection.
After his death, Professor Eugeniusz Knapik, head of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, said, "Górecki's work is like a huge boulder that lies in our path and forces us to make a spiritual and emotional effort." Adrian Thomas, a music professor, said, "The strength and amazing originality of Górecki's character shone through his music." He also said Górecki was a very private person, sometimes difficult, but he believed strongly in family. He had a great sense of humor and was brave when facing his illness.
Górecki was married to Jadwiga, who was a piano teacher. His daughter, Anna Górecka-Stanczyk, is a pianist. His son, Mikołaj Górecki, is also a composer. He had five grandchildren.
Just a month before he died, Górecki received Poland's highest honor, the Order of the White Eagle. The wife of the President of Poland gave him the award in his hospital bed. He also received other important awards earlier in his life.
The Fourth Symphony was finally played for the first time on 12 April 2014. The London Philharmonic Orchestra performed it in London, as planned, but with a different conductor.
Górecki's Music in Movies and TV
Some of Górecki's music has been used in movies and TV shows. Parts of his Symphony of Sorrowful Songs are especially popular. You can hear it in films like Fearless (1993), Basquiat (1996), and To the Wonder (2012). It has also appeared in TV shows such as The Sopranos, Legion, The Blacklist, and The Crown.
What People Thought of Górecki's Music
When people talk about Górecki's music, they often compare it to composers like Olivier Messiaen and Charles Ives. Górecki himself felt a connection to composers like Bach, Mozart, and Haydn. But he felt the most similar to Franz Schubert.
In a Dutch TV show about composers, Górecki said that playing Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart every day was like eating healthy bread. He also said he found many new things and answers in Mozart and Schubert's music.
Since Górecki changed his style in the 1970s, he is often compared to composers like Arvo Pärt and John Tavener. These composers are sometimes grouped under the term holy minimalism. This is because they all use simpler music with clear sounds and melodies. Their works often show strong religious beliefs. Górecki's modern techniques are also compared to those of Igor Stravinsky and Dmitri Shostakovich.
In 1994, Boguslaw M. Maciejewski wrote the first book about Górecki. It was called Górecki – His Music And Our Times. The book shared many details about his life and music. It also mentioned that his Third Symphony helped him become very popular.
In a 1994 interview, Górecki talked about his audience. He said, "I do not choose my listeners. What I mean is, I never write for my listeners. I think about my audience, but I am not writing for them." He believed that listeners should make an effort to understand his music. He also said, "If I were thinking of my audience and one likes this, one likes that... I would never know what to write."
Górecki received an honorary doctorate degree from Concordia University in Canada. A professor there called him one of the "most renowned and respected composers of our time." He said Górecki's music "represents the most positive aspects of the closing years of our century." In 2007, Górecki was listed among the "Top 100 Living Geniuses" by The Daily Telegraph. In 2008, he received another honorary doctorate from the Academy of Music in Kraków.
See also
In Spanish: Henryk Górecki para niños
