Krzysztof Penderecki
Upcoming Performances
About Krzysztof Penderecki
I have spent decades searching for and discovering new sounds. At the same time, I have closely studied the forms, styles and harmonies of past eras. I have continued to adhere to both principles … my current creative output is a synthesis. (Krzysztof Penderecki)
Krzysztof Penderecki was born on 23 November 1933 in Dębica (Poland). He received violin and piano tuition at a very early age and entered the Conservatoire in Krakow when he was 18. From 1954, he studied composition with Artur Malewski and Stanislas Wiechowicz at the Krakow Academy of Music where he was subsequently appointed as professor in 1958. One year later, Penderecki won all three available prizes at the II Warsaw Competition for Young Composers. With the first performance of Anaklasis for 42 string instruments at the Donaueschingen Festival in 1960, he became part of the international avant-garde. Penderecki gained a reputation with a wider public with the premiere of the St Luke Passion in Münster Cathedral in 1966. The Polish composer taught at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen from 1966 to 1968. His first opera The Devils of Loudon based on a book by Aldous Huxley received its premiere at the Hamburg State Opera House in 1969. In 1972, Penderecki was appointed as rector of the State Academy of Music in Krakow and also taught at Yale University in the USA from 1973 to 1978. Penderecki gained an international reputation as the conductor of both his own compositions and other works.
Penderecki composed several of his works in remembrance of catastrophes in the 20th century. Threnos for 52 string instruments, composed in 1960, is dedicated to the victims of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and the piano concerto Resurrection was composed as a reaction to the terror attacks of 11 September 2001. For Penderecki, these associations in content are not merely an abstract concept, but also in their instrumental tonal colouring and dramatic sounds emotionally comprehensible for listeners. Extensive political-social associations can also be found in the Polish Requiem which he began in 1980 with the composition of the Lacrimosa which is dedicated to Lech Walesa. The composer dedicated other movements of this work to the Polish victims of Auschwitz and the Warsaw uprising in 1944. This was supplemented by the Ciaccona in memoriam Johannes Paul II in 2005 which commemorated the Polish Pope.
Numerous compositions from a variety of genres originated from direct cooperation with outstanding soloists including Anne-Sophie Mutter (2nd violin concerto Metamorphosen, among others), Mstislav Rostropovitch (Concerto per violoncello ed orchestra no. 2) and Boris Pergamenschikow (Concerto grosso). The composer’s interest was focused on large-scale musical forms, in particular the symphony. Penderecki’s 7th symphony Seven Gates of Jerusalem received its first performance in 1997 demands the forces of five vocal soloists, narrator, three choirs and large orchestra. This work with a duration of just over an hour was composed under the title within the context of the 3000-year anniversary of the city. The Old Testament texts of the vocal parts have a close association with Jerusalem’s turbulent history. Entitled Lieder der Vergänglichkeit, his 8th symphony for soloists, choir and large orchestra sets text of German romantic poems related to trees and the woods to music. The work had been commissioned on occasion of the grand opening of the Philharmonie Luxembourg in 2005. After his seventh and eighth contributions to the symphony genre, Penderecki finished his 6th Symphony with the subtitle "Chinese Songs" for the world premiere in Guangzhou in 2017.
Penderecki is one of the musicians among his own generation to have received the most awards: in 1966 he received the Grand Art Prize from the federal state of North-Rhine Westphalia, in 1967 the Prix Italia and the Sibelius Gold Medal and in 1970 the prize from the Polish Composers’ Association. He also received the Prix Arthur Honegger (1977), the Sibelius Prize of the Wihuri Foundation, the National Prize of Poland (both in 1983), the Premio Lorenzo il Magnifico (1985), the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition (1992), the Prize of the International Music Council/UNESCO (1993) and the Music Prize of the city of Duisburg (1999), the Cannes Award as "Living Composer of the Year" (2000), the Romano Guardini Prize of the Catholic Academy in Bavaria (2002) and the Praemium Imperiale (2004). Since 1990 he has been holder of the Grand Cross for Distinguished Services of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and Chevalier de Saint Georges. In 1995, he became a member of the Royal Academy of Music in Dublin and in 1998 a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In 2006, he was made Commander of the Three Star Order in Riga, Latvia and is a member of the Order of the White Eagle in Poland. Krzysztof Penderecki is honorary doctor and honorary professor of numerous international universities.
Worklist
Gallery
Chronology
Penderecki dies on March 29
Honorary Doctorates: Universities of Rochester, Bordeaux, Leuven, Belgrad, Madrid, Poznań, Luzern, Leipzig, St. Petersburg, Yale, Seoul, St. Olaf College Northfield/MN, Georgetown University Washington D.C., Duquesne University Pittsburgh, Academy of Music in Odessa, et al.
Honorary Memberships: Royal Academy of Music (London), Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome), Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien (Stockholm), Akademie der Künste (Berlin), Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes (Buenos Aires), Académie Internationale de Philosophie de l’Art (Bern), Académie Nationale des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts (Bordeaux), Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea (Salzburg), Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Irish Academy of Music (Dublin), American Academy of Arts and Letters, Kosciuszko Foundation (New York), Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Vienna), Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, et al. received the title of Honorary Professor of the Academy of Music in Odessa.
Products
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aus dem Schlaf, sah er, daß Gott dagewesen war. Er hat es aber nicht gemerkt."Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
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für gemischten Chor, Blechbläser, Schlagzeug und StreichorchesterComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: mixed choir, brass instruments, percussion and string orchestraLanguage: German
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(“A sea of dreams did breathe on me...”)Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soloists, choir and orchestraLanguage: Polish
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für OrchesterComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
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Christmas SymphonyComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
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für OrchesterComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
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für OrchesterComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: Orchestra
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Chinesische LiederComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: baritone and orchestraLanguage: German
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Lieder der Vergänglichkeit for three soloists (SMezBar), mixed choir and orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: Soloists, Choir and OrchestraLanguage: German
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für JazzensembleComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: Jazzensemble
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aus "Paradise Lost"Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: cor anglais and string orchestra
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aus "Paradise Lost"Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
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from "Paradise Lost"Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Study scoreSeries: Music Of Our Time
Adagietto
Instrumentation: OrchestraProduct number: ED 6902In stock€15.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
aus der 3. SinfonieComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: string orchestra
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aus der 3. SinfonieComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
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4. SymphonyComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Study scoreSeries: Music Of Our Time
1. Sinfonie
Instrumentation: large orchestraProduct number: ED 8064In stock€36.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
für großes OrchesterComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: large orchestra
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from "Polish Requiem"Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiArranger: Oskar Gottlieb BlarrEdition: Performing scoreSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: organProduct number: ED 22909Product TypeIn stockAs low as €12.99Incl. Tax -
aus "Requiem der Versöhnung"Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: 4 soloists, mixed choir and orchestraLanguage: Latin
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für Streicher und SchlagzeuggruppenComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: strings and percussiongroups
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from "Three Pieces in Old Style"Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiArranger: Tim AllhoffEdition: Separate editionSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 23426Product TypeIn stockAs low as €6.99Incl. Tax -
für gemischten Chor (SATB) und InstrumenteComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: mixed choir (SATB) and instrumentsLanguage: Latin
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Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance material, CDInstrumentation: tapeLanguage: German, Polish
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zum Brandenburgischen Konzert Nr. 3 G-Dur von Johann Sebastian BachComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiEdition: Performing scoreSeries: Cadenza, Vol. 5
Instrumentation: viola, cello and harpsichordProduct number: ED 20230Product TypeIn stockAs low as €7.99Incl. Tax -
to the Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra Eb major by Joseph HaydnComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiEdition: Solo part, incl. 2 accompanying horn partsSeries: Cadenza, Vol. 1
Instrumentation: trumpetProduct number: ED 9550Product TypeIn stockAs low as €9.99Incl. Tax -
für zwei gemischte Chöre und OrchesterComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: 2 mixed choirs and orchestraLanguage: Latin
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für 16-stimmigen gemischten Chor, Kammerorchester und ein Tänzerpaar (ad lib.)Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: 16-stimmiger gemischter Chor, Kammerorchester und ein Tänzerpaar (ad libitum)Language: Latin
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per oboe ed 11 archiComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: oboe and strings
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per violino ed orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: violin and orchestra
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for violoncello and orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Piano reduction with solo partSeries: Concerto
Instrumentation: cello and orchestraProduct number: ED 7187In stock€38.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
in memoriam Giovanni Paolo IIComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: string orchestra
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aus „Polnisches Requiem“Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiEdition: Separate editionSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 22292Product TypeIn stockAs low as €5.99Incl. Tax -
for trumpet and orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: trumpet and orchestra
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for horn and orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: horn and orchestra
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per violoncello ed orchestra no. 1Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: cello and orchestra
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per pianoforte ed orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: Piano and Orchestra
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per flauto (clarinetto) ed orchestra da cameraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: flute (clarinet) and chamber orchestra
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per violino ed orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: violin and orchestra
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per viola (violoncello/clarinetto) ed archi, percussione e celestaComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: viola (cello/clarinet), strings, percussion and celesta
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per viola (violoncello/clarinetto/sassofono) ed orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: viola (cello/clarinet/saxophone) and orchestra
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per violoncello ed orchestra no. 2Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: cello and orchestra
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per flauto (clarinetto) ed orchestra da cameraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Study scoreSeries: Concerto
Instrumentation: flute (clarinet) and chamber orchestraProduct number: ED 8297In stock€38.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
for violin and orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Piano reduction with solo partSeries: Concerto
Instrumentation: violin and orchestraProduct number: ED 7716In stock€41.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
versione per flauto, clarinetto ed orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: flute, clarinet and orchestra
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per violino, viola (violoncello) ed orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: violin, viola and orchestra
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per tre violoncelli ed orchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: 3 cellos and orchestra
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for 5 Clarinets and OrchestraComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: 5 Clarinets and Orchestra
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Cello Concerto No. 2Composer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Study scoreSeries: Music Of Our Time
Concerto
Instrumentation: cello and orchestraProduct number: ED 7566In stock€50.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
für Soli (Sopran, Mezzosopran, Alt, Tenor, Bass), Kinderchor, gemischten Chor und OrchesterComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soloists (soprano, Mezzosoprano, alto, tenor, bass), children's choir, gemischten choir and orchestraLanguage: Latin
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for brass instruments, timpani and percussionComposer: Krzysztof PendereckiEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Schott Harmony Series
Instrumentation: brass instruments, timpani and percussionProduct number: SHS 3007Product TypeIn stockAs low as €19.99Incl. Tax