The best of Penderecki

Explore our selection of the composer’s finest works

St Luke Passion (1962-66) Penderecki’s epic work for three solo voices, narrator, three choirs, boys’ choir and orchestra is undeniably dramatic. Its power comes partly from a bold mix of styles, from the avant garde to its nods to the traditions of Bach and Palestrina. Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (1960) This nine-minute scream doesn’t make for easy listening, but its clusters, almost nausea-including pitch changes, and thudding pizzicato and knocking effects are frightening evocations of nuclear annihilation. Original and brave. Symphony No. 7

Seven Gates of Jerusalem (1996) The composer’s most ambitious symphony calls for tubaphones – percussion instruments made from gigantic horizontal pipes. Its Carmina Burana-esque opening gives way to music of great beauty, including the breathtaking choral De profundis. String Quartets Nos 1 & 2 (1962/68) Penderecki’s uncompromising chamber works explore the sonic capabilities of the quartet – bizarre but totally arresting, and important milestones in Polish music. Violin Concerto No. 1 (1976) Premiered by Isaac Stern, the First Violin Concerto marked a turn towards a more post-romantic, almost modernist style. Frequently recalling Bartók, Penderecki inserts enthralling musical effects alongside a plaintive, soaring solo violin part.