Harpsichord Concerto (Górecki)

Henryk Górecki's Harpsichord Concerto, Op. 40, sometimes also entitled Concerto for Harpsichord (or Piano) and String Orchestra, is a concerto written for the harpsichord by the Polish composer in 1980.

Background

The piece was commissioned in 1980 by

Structure

This concerto is divided into two movements and has a total duration of 9 minutes. The piece is scored for a

The first movement creates a spinning, organ-like sound with clashes between the harpsichord and strings, producing a powerful, demonic, and foreboding wall of sound. The movement ends with open chords. The second movement begins with a more open tonality, but harsh dissonances soon cover the ensemble. The energetic nature of this movement creates a buoyancy, and the concerto's reductionist style, with its consistent textures, ostinatos, harmonic movement, and persistent motor rhythms, is evident. The subtlety shifting rhythms add to the concerto's intensity, and within 9 minutes Górecki creates a powerful explosion in his musical output. The harpsichord's vigorous timbre is complemented by the chordal texture of the strings, and Górecki's use of dissonance adds color to the subtle changes in repetitive rhythmic structures. The highlander music of the southern Podhale region sets the mood for both movements.^[1] Although the Concerto incorporates certain aspects of Polish highlanders' music, it is also a part of Górecki's "reductionist" music sequence, which began with Refrain (1965) and is characterized by a desire for economy of scoring and structure.^[2]

The Harpsichord Concerto is unique among Górecki's works, as it stands out from his other compositions with its driving motor rhythms and vigorously dynamic playing from the soloist. It comes after the Symphony No. 3 (1976) and Beatus Vir (1979), both of which are lengthy compositions with a contemplative, sacred tone. Following the concerto is Blessed Raspberry Songs, a piece inspired by Norwid (1980), and Miserere (1981), a grand composition for a large mixed choir a cappella. These surrounding works have a sacred vein running through them and are contemplative in mood, while the Harpsichord Concerto is quite the opposite.^[1]

Reception

Critics at the time were not quite sure what to make of the concerto, and Górecki himself described it as a "prank" – a work that is not too serious and has fun while also displaying some of his personality onto the score. Musicologist Teresa Malecka described the piece as "short, neat, instrumentally impressive. One feels tempted to say that this is a piece of light music, pleasant to listen to and, to my mind, satisfying to play. Given Górecki’s music of recent years, this work makes one surprised and shy. After his Symphonies No. 2 and 3, after ‘Beatus Vir,’ those greatest and most significant works of Polish music, here comes this striking trinket."^[1] Along the same lines, Małgorzata Gąsiorowska stated that: "Totally enamoured as I am with Górecki's 'Symphony No. 3', I cannot help sharing a concern that has nagged me during all performances of his 'Concerto': what does this music bring?."^[2]

References