Henryk Gorecki (1933- 2010)
Henryk Gorecki, who looks set to endure alongside Chopin and Szymanowski as one of Poland's finest composers, passed away on Friday 12th November. He was 76.
Gorecki, who achieved global success in the early 90s, following a re-release of his mournful 3rd Symphony, also known as the Symphony of Sorrow, was widely regarded as one of leading composers of his day.
He served for many years as a professor at the Music Academy of Katowice (also the adopted home city of composer Wojciech Kilar), although he resigned when the communist authorities refused to welcome the Polish pontiff, John Paul II. He was later active in anti-communist circles.
Gorecki remains especially famed for the aforementioned 3rd Symphony, which made an unexpected appearance into the US charts in 1992. Fragments from the symphony featured in numerous films, including Peter Weir's Fearless and Julian Schnabel's Basquiat. The symphony even got a trendy makeover courtesy of Brit trip hop outfit Lamb.
Students recall that Gorecki was a brilliant yet demanding teacher. His standard response when asked for advice was somewhat curt: "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."