Fascinating and Moving
David C. Green | Suwanee, GA USA | 05/17/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is honestly my first exposure to the work of Henryk Gorecki, but it is certainly quite the welcome. The piece, a new direction in Gorecki's style, is considered one of the finest in 20th-century composition, and this recording explains it all. From the eerie contrabass introduction to the dying out of the full strings and piano and harp, Runnicles, Brewer, and the Atlantans are all in. Brewer conveys the dark and stirring texts beautifully. The music moves so subtly that it almost seems as though one is frozen in time, yet the music is very gripping in its quiet stirrings. Needless to say, even after the mega-hit by Zinman and Upshaw, this recording is a wonderful and powerful experience I will not soon forget."
Haunting
Dr. David Sleet | La Jolla and Atlanta (United States) | 05/02/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Amazing recording with a pure and vibrant female voice and masterful orchesteral performance. Learn the history of the composer and you'll see why this is such an important CD."