Dec 20, 2021
In the final episode of Jack's curated series, he charts the changing musical styles embraced by Penderecki across his career, using his symphonies as a starting point. Zooming in on the Seventh Symphony, Jack explains how Penderecki paints the epic picture of the founding of a city. Jack grapples with the challenges...
Dec 6, 2021
Jack celebrates Penderecki's score to a classic work of Polish cinema.
We hear how Penderecki embraced a varied musical language for the task at hand, from crashing organ chords to dancing guitars. Plus, we hear about his impact on the next generation of film composers, including a collaboration with Radiohead's Jonny...
Nov 22, 2021
We explore how Penderecki found a world stage as a commissioned composer for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. We hear about the struggles Penderecki encountered in finding the right musical language for the commission, chart the internationalism of his work, and explore his wider use of electronics in his music.
Nov 22, 2021
We use Penderecki's A Polish Requiem to explore the volatile history of the Polish nation, and how this in turn influenced Penderecki's outlook. From trade union protests to sustaining religious faith under communist rule, we discover how a composer can reflect wider issues of state, nationhood and identity.
Further...
Nov 22, 2021
We explore the traumatic events of Penderecki's upbringing, growing up as a boy in Nazi-German-occupied Poland from the ages of 6 to 12. How was his music a reaction to the events of the Second World War?
Further reading & listening: