Górecki - Miserere CD

A new album of choral music by the late Polish composer Henryk Gorecki creates a calm and welcoming space.  Twenty years have passed since Polish composer Henryk Górecki became one of the most talked about figures in classical music. In 1992, his painfully beautiful Third Symphony, the "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs," shot up the charts and was played on the radio everywhere. A recording conducted by David Zinman and featuring soprano Dawn Upshaw sold more than a million copies — huge for a classical album.  Górecki, who died in 2010, never produced another piece with the power to resonate like that symphony, but interest in his music remains. The Los Angeles Master Chorale and conductor Grant Gershon have just released Miserere, a gorgeous album including three of the composer's a cappella works. Gershon has been exploring Górecki's music with this chorus since he became its music director a decade ago. "We continue to find new wellsprings of compassion and humanity in these works," Gershon writes in the liner notes.  Those qualities are at the heart of the album, which is anchored by the 33-minute Miserere for eight-part chorus. Górecki wrote the piece in response to an incident of police brutality in the city of Bydgoszcz. It was in 1981, at the height of the conflict between the Solidarity movement and the communist government. A few months later, martial law was declared and Górecki's music lay silent. The piece finally premiered in 1987.    Like the "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs," Górecki's Miserere is simple in its construction but not simpleminded. The entire text consists of just five words — "Domine Deus noster, Miserere nobis" (Lord our God, have mercy on us). He builds the piece slowly, in layers, beginning with low tones in the basses and eventually rising to the sopranos. The repeated phrase "Domine Deus" washes over in peaceful waves — its meditative mood about as far as you can get from a ferocious police beating.  The Miserere is bookended by the short Lobgesang in German and a set of Five Marian Songs (Pieśni Maryjne) in Polish.  Górecki wrote his Lobgesang (Song of Praise) in 2000 to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the birth of Johann Gutenberg, inventor of movable-type printing. Punctuated by boisterous cries of "lobet" (praise), the chorale's mighty sound eventually gives way to some terrifically soft, low and sustained notes, over which Górecki magically introduces chromatic pings from a solitary glockenspiel.  In the Marian songs, it's Górecki's simple approach that touches the heart. Inspired by Polish folk and church music, he sets these sweetly melodic songs in uncomplicated harmonies with subtle splashes of dissonance. "Most Holy Mother," the second and longest of the songs, shows off the ensemble's lustrous blend, handsomely recorded in Walt Disney Concert Hall's warm but precise acoustic.  Miserere is a quiet, contemplative record, beautifully sung. It creates a calm and welcoming space — a perfect antidote to busy, disjointed lives too often led without repose. Read Less

1 cd Decca par Alban Deags mardi 28 août 2012  Directeur musical de la Los Angeles Master Chorale depuis 2002, Grant Gershon a immédiatement inscrit les oeuvres chorales a cappela du Polonais Gorecki au répertoire du choeur californien: sans effet ni accompagnement (sinon réduit à l'essentiel comme dans le Lobgesang opus 76 initial: un glockenspiel qui surgit en fin de partition, ajoutant une lueur soudaine dans un tunnel d'affliction mesurée), le style de Gorecki s'affirme avec autorité dans son superbe Miserere d'où émerge une foi inébranlable dans l'avenir spirituel de l'homme: on aimerait le croire, du moins l'oreille le suit dans ce labyrinthe à la fois sombre et tendre, où la compassion, comme un surgissement parfois très affirmé, transcende l'expérience de la peine et de la souffrance.   La force de compassion, des ténèbres à la lumière   En allemand (lobgesang est un hommage à Gutenberg pour ses 600 ans en 2000), en latin puis dans la langue de Gorecki, le choeur séduit immédiatement par la noblesse mâle de son chant: projection, équilibre des pupitres, direction fine et très nuancée. Il émane du choeur une force et une détermination active qui semble vaincre le deuil et la souffrance: c'est un point essentiel dans l'oeuvre du compositeur polonais décédé en 2010. Daté de 1981, le Miserere témoigne des violences policières perpétrées contre les populations de Bydoszcz au Nord de la Pologne.  L'oeuvre ne put être créée qu'en 1987, portant aussi un hommage au prêtre proche de Solidarité (Solidarnozc), Jerzy Popielusko, assassiné par l'Etat en 1984, du fait de son engagement auprès des persécutés... En réponse à la barbarie éternelle, Gorecki oppose un acte choral et musical fort, d'une intensité transcendante dont témoigne le superbe engagement des choristes américains. Jusqu'au 7è mouvement, le Miserere balance entre murmure et glas: alors s'élève une prière plus explicite où s'affirme graduellement la voix des sopranos: des ténèbres à la lumière. Excellent récital choral.   Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki: Lobgesang, Miserere... (Gershon, 2012). Los Angeles Master Chorale. Grant Gershon, direction. 1 cd Decca 478 3537. Enregistré à Los Angeles, juin 2012. Read Less

For the final concert of the Chorale's 2011-2012 season, Maestro Grant Gershon organized a concert of the music of Henryk Górecki, with a Johannes Brahms ode for stylistic contrast. A day or two later, the Chorale reassembled in Walt Disney Concert Hall to record the following mostly a cappella Górecki creations: Lobgesang (op. 76) for mixed choir and glockenspiel, Miserere (op. 44) for 8-part choir and Pieśni Maryjne (op. 54) for mixed voices.  Lobgesang is a celebration of the 600th anniversary in the year 2000 of the birth of Johannes Gutenberg, whose invention of the moveable type printing press changed the world forever. The sound produced by the Master Chorale is world-class, hands down. From the initial fortissimo to the final pianissimo, during which a glockenspiel plays the name of the celebrant three times, the sound is magnificent. Perfectionists might quibble about a brief moment here or there where the choral balances are not just right, or obsess over the single less than pristine phrase attack, but the rest of us are blessed with a banquet of sumptuous choral singing probably unsurpassed anywhere in the world.  Miserere is an unhurried multi-movement work of great introspection and reflection over the three word plea: Domine Deus noster (Lord our God), first heard in 2002 as performed by the Master Chorale. Górecki wrote Miserere as a spiritual response to a horrific beating inflicted on Polish Solidarity movement members by communist police, and later, the murder by the government of an activist priest. The long stretches of music softly sung will be a revelation to a younger generation of listeners for whom music only exists as ear-shattering din. Such spun gold is anything but boring! The Chorale maintains a focus and laser-like intensity throughout that arrests the listener's attention and simply will not let go.  Pieśni Maryjne are five Marian devotions set to Polish texts created by Górecki himself, and present a wide range of choral effects and content based largely on Polish folk songs.  The transparency of this recording reveals an aggregation of singers, but so much more than just singers. The Master Chorale, after a decade of leadership under Maestro Gershon, has been refined and molded by him into the perfect instrument to perform Górecki's music.   The Walt Disney Concert Hall is arguably the best venue in the world to hear a concert of a cappella choral music. In this recording, the warmth of the wooden interior and wrap-around stage area perfectly captures the Master Chorale as equally in the sensitive, delicate pianissimos as in their full-throated, wall of sound fortissimos. Decca's team of recording specialists, editors and mixers have perfectly captured the Master Chorale's singing and produced a winner, all made possible by a generous gift from Lillian and Jon Lovelace.  But most of all, this recording is an unmitigated triumph for Grant Gershon.  The CD's accompanying notes are both informative and interesting, and presented in four languages: English, French, German and Polish. The CD may be obtained at http://www.lamc.org/gorecki-miserere.php Read Less

If you've never heard the Los Angeles Master Chorale perform live at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, you're clearly missing out on a surreal and unparalleled musical experience.  Lucky for those of us who fall into this category, a new CD released on September 4th can turn our misfortune around and keep the 110 exquisite voices of this professional choir at our beck and call.   The CD, Miserere, is a compilation of works by Henryk Górecki, a renowned Polish composer who passed away in 2010.  Conducted by Music Director Grant Gershon, the timeless pieces on the CD are a tribute to Górecki's "passionate belief in the ability of music to transcend borders and unite peoples."  And unite they do, as little by little, the voices of the Master Chorale chime in and sing the praises of the Lord.   The album begins with the first of Górecki's pieces, "Lobgesang, op.76."  This "Hymn of Praise" gives you a taste of the level of talent within the exceptional vocal group.  The concord and quality of the voices is so mesmerizing, it's easy to forget that each comes from a unique individual.     Though slow-moving, the song features dramatic rises and falls that awaken the senses, evoking scenes of such epic fantasies as The Lord of the Rings.  About half-way through the track, the altos and basses add a calming depth that is full of sorrow until they peter out and the glockenspiel takes its haunting solo, giving this song a wintery vibe that fades into a bleak darkness, almost as if to say goodbye.   Fortunately, "Lobgesang" is just the beginning of this remarkable CD, which is followed by the 11-movement "Miserere, op. 44" for which the album is named.     According to the album notes by Adrian Thomas, "Miserere" was written in response to police brutality against members of the Solidarity movement in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in March of 1981.  Górecki felt compelled to compose the piece as a "spiritual response that rises above the cruelty."  A desperate plea, the piece only contains five words: "Domine Deus noster, miserere nobis," which translate to "Lord our God, have mercy on us!"     Written for 8-part choir, "Miserere" begins so softly you may have to strain to hear the basses.  Though each movement has a similar—and at times—monotonous melody, there are unforgettable moments that will take anyone unfamiliar with the piece by surprise.  Slowly but surely, more voices join in and grow, adding depth and crescendoing into the fourth movement, which really packs a punch of emotion as the tenors and basses sing out.  Later on, the ninth movement is a different story altogether—it is so loud and jubilant you can almost picture the baton dancing in Grant Gershon's hand as he conducts the full choir.   "Pieśni Maryjne, op. 54" concludes the album with a more lighthearted and positive melody, higher notes sung by sopranos and tenors in praise of Mary.  Though the CD is filled with religious music, it can still be enjoyed by those of different faiths and by those who are not spiritual.  Each piece highlights the uncanny acoustics of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which resonates and swells the voices for maximum effect.   Perhaps the most striking element of Miserere is that each piece selected is performed a cappella with no musical accompaniment whatsoever, save for the lonely glockenspiel at the conclusion of "Lobgesang."  It really speaks to the magnificence of the choir that they can carry these tunes using only the purity of their voices.   Inspirational and thought-provoking, this CD offers the perfect score for a screenwriter's imagination.  Miserere, released on September 4th, may be purchased as a CD or downloaded in MP3 format on Amazon.com. Read Less

The Los Angeles Master Chorale and their Music Director, Grant Gershon, get ready to officially kick-off their 2012/2013 this coming Sunday. Among the music to be featured that night are works by Nico Muhly that they have previously recorded: Bright Mass with Canons and the West Coast premiere of A Good Understanding.  All that said, their season is already off to an auspicious start with the release on CD and MP3 download of their latest recording for Decca:  "Górecki – Miserere," featuring three works by Polish composer Henryk Górecki:  Lobgesong ("Hymn of Praise"), the title track, Miserere, and the major-label premiere of Pieśni Maryjne ("Marian Songs").  Their live performance of these works at the end of last season was stunning, and this recording faithfully captures it. Mr. Górecki is often labeled as a "minimalist" composer, but his chant-like melodies and tonal harmonies have less to do with Herbert Glass, John Adams, Louis Andriessen, and other composers usually given that label, and much more in common with former LAMC Composer-in-Residence, Morten Lauridsen, and 17th century composers like Tomás Luis de Victoria. It is unapologetically direct and accessible, while still having a depth which stands up to repeat listenings.  Lobgesong is the earnest opening track, resoundingly setting up the rest of the album.  Of the three works on the recording, Miserere is the best-known:  a grand work for eight-part a capella chorus, with the plea, "Domine Deus Noster," beginning as a low rumble in the basses and continuing with those same three words as each successive section is layered on top of the previous ones over the course of thirty-plus minutes before the full chorus finally extolls "Miserere Nobis."  The Master Chorale is at their powerful and transparent best, and the range of color and emotion that Mr. Gershon elicits from his singers is remarkable:  lower voices sound sonorous and rich, upper voices sound bright, clean, and pure.  Blend is impeccable. The revelation of the album is Pieśni Maryjne ("Marian Songs").  One has to assume that its relative obscurity is due to the difficulties of learning to properly pronounce the Polish lyrics (which, I have on good authority, the LAMC does persuasively despite their American accent).  The five songs are pure comfort food, full of chunky, layered harmonies topped with buttery melodies reminiscent of your Polish grandma's best łazanki.  Decca's recording quality is solid, faithfully recreating the reverberant live sound of Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Master Chorale's individual vocal sections, especially in Miserere, arrayed clearly across the sound stage.  Bottom line:  highly recommended  – wait, no scratch that . . . vVehemently recommended Read Less

Majestic, haunting and somber, Los Angeles Master Chorale's new CD release, "Miserere," features the sublime choral compositions of acclaimed Polish composer, the late Henryk Górecki. Captured during a live performance and recorded in the acoustically perfect Walt Disney Concert Hall, this fine recording is conducted by the ensemble's Music Director Grant Gershon. The clarity of this recording is superb, with clear delineation between the voices. The album begins with Lobgesang, op.76, (Song of Praise), an almost eight-minute piece that immediately showcases the power and control of this fine ensemble of unaccompanied voices. (The track is mostly a cappella until the final sustained sung chords, where the subtle chime of a glockenspiel is heard accompanying the low intonations.) The ten movements of Miserere, op.44 (Domine Deus noster – "Lord our God") follow, as written for an 8-part choir to sing a capella. This composition is thoughtful and contemplative, rich with the deep harmonies of the group. The CD concludes with Pieśni Maryjne, op.54. Four of his five Pieśni Maryjne, written in the mid-1980s, are based on melodies and texts from the Church Songbook. Sung in Polish, they represent Górecki's love for the folk and liturgical music of his homeland. Read Less

The Los Angeles Master Chorale, Grant Gershon (Conductor) Recorded live at Walt Disney Hall, Los Angeles (2012) – 68'06 DECCA #: 02894783537 – Liner notes in English, French, and German  Award winning Los Angeles Master Chorale celebrates here the life and work of acclaimed Polish composer Górecki (1933-2010). His Miserere was written in 1981 as a protest against violent attack by police on the Rural Solidarity union in the northern city of Bydgoszcz. Underground press reports of police brutality incensed ordinary citizens and hardened attitudes against the communist regime. The imposition of marshal law in 1981 meant that the work could not be performed. It finally received its world premiere in 1987.  The Los Angeles Master Chorale, under the baton of Grant Gershon delivers an impassioned, overwhelmingly emotional performance.   This CD also includes the Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise) celebrating the 600th anniversary of the birth of Johann Gutenberg, inventor of the movable-type printing. The Marian Songs, more intimate and uplifting, are sung in the original Polish and illustrate Górecki's love for Polish folk music.  The lush acoustics of the Walt Disney Hall, the Chorale's home venue, perfectly suits the three pieces. However, it appears in the recording that higher voices are sort of quivering. This is no doubt a technical issue that should have been corrected by DECCA's sound engineers.   The Los Angeles Master Chorale has also released in 2010 an interesting CD under the same label: A Good Understanding, music by 30-year old American composer Nico Muhly.  The CD features six works conducted by Director Grant Gershon: Expecting the Main Things from You, a three-movement work for organ and string quartet, Bright Mass with Canons, which pairs ancient music techniques with a minimalist bent, First Service, A Good Understanding, and Senex Puerum Portabat. Like as a Heart is featured as an iTune bonus track.  For more on the above, please read ConcertoNet's review of Los Angeles Master Chorale's performance of October 21, 2012.   DECCA 2894782506 7   Christian Dalzon Read Less

Górecki's music is often fashioned as a plea from the heart, heard as a ‘sorrowful song'. It appears in the subtitle to his most well-known work, the Symphony No 3 (1976) but its most direct and distilled expression is in the composer's Miserere, for eight-part a cappella choir.   Composed some five years after the Third Symphony, the Miserere was written as a response to the escalating political tensions in Poland, where the communist government imposed martial law and members of the Solidarity union were subjected to violent beatings and imprisonment. However, the power of the work is in its ability to rise above a dark and turbulent genesis and communicated on a number of different levels: Górecki's Miserere is at once universal and particular, restrained yet impassioned, transcendental yet human.   The work's gradual build-up of vocal layers from the bass upwards echoes the opening of the Third Symphony but in this case the structural frame is guided as much by text as by texture. A short five-word phrase is gradually revealed over its 25-minute span. This is simplicity laid bare across a vast temporal canvas, and the challenge is to communicate and project its large-scale architectural span. Previous recordings have managed to do this, notably John Nelson and the Chicago Symphony Chorus, but rarely have they exuded such physical warmth and beauty as in this performance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale directed by Grant Gershon.   The Five Marians Songs (1985) are almost jolly in comparison; but perhaps the most arresting moment on this disc belongs to the end of the Lobgesang (2000). The glockenspiel plays a simple melody fashioned out of the letters of the inventor of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg, and rather magically illustrates the ‘mystery of reality' that lies at the heart of Górecki's unique work. Read Less