In 1984, the reclusive HenrykGórecki was invited to attend a festival in Denmark, and to contribute a new piece. He had completed no scores between 1981 and 1984. As it turns out, Lerchenmusik wasn’t quite to his satisfaction, and he withdrew it, presenting a revised version at the 1985 Warsaw Autumn Festival, then revising it once again for a definitive premiere in April 1986. He hadn’t touched the chamber music genre since 1970 and this was the most ambitious instrumental work he had ever written.

 

Lerchenmusik falls into three movements, each being built from clear contrasting sections, underscoring the “recitative” and “ariosos” of the full title. As a whole, the piece lasts some 45 minutes, an impressive musical architecture.

 

The young Dutch artist Lisa Verdoorn produced a video on the piece. This impressive piece of art creates an extra layer of interaction with the piece.

 

We can perform with or without this video.

Lerchnmusik

 

CREDITS

 

Program

Lerchenmusic

 

Musicians

Raf De Keninck, clarinet

Thomas Frühauf , cello

Martien Maas, Piano

 

Lisa Verdoorn, video