Search - Wojciech Kilar, Kazimierz Kord, Antoni Wit :: Requiem Father Kolbe

Great Composer

Marko Garcia | Lemon Grove, California | 01/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wojciech Kilar is one of my favorite composers, his music is beautiful. My favorite song on this cd is "Orawa", it starts off really well, with the violins and so forth, a well composed song. The rest of the songs on the cd are beautiful, Wojciech Kilar is a great composer!"

Review: Requiem Father Kolbe by Kilar

BOOKHEN2 | Minnesota just west of the Mississippi River | 04/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Father Maximilian Maria Kolbe was born Rajmund Kolbe on 8 January, 1894, Those who know his story cannot help but understand how the way he lived his life continues to have a significant effect on Christians of all denominations and non-denominations.



Father Kolbe lived a life of service. He operated a radio station, and hid refugees and Jews from the Nazi regime. His ultimate gift, perhaps his true purpose in life, came during this time--not only for the saving of a life but also for the witness of his life given for the whole world.

Father Maximilian Kolbe, named the "Saint of Auschwitz" voluntarily substituted himself for another man, part of a group of ten, chosen to die by starvation as an example following the escape of a fellow prisoner. Locked in a cell with the other men, he continued to uplift his fellow prisoners, and after many weeks with no food or water he was murdered by lethal injection.



You may find it interesting to know that as I listened to the work I thought it sounded like a film score. It turns out that this is exactly what it is. Written for the film " A Life for a Life," the Requiem is beautiful for its stark and dark character as well as for the creative use of Polish folksongs and orchestrated effects. Kilar's imaginative orchestration of scales left me wondering a few times, "How did he do that?" At one point there is a shout, just as you might hear while dancing a polka.



Kilar is a classically oriented Polish composer who has also written film scores.



I did not find fault at all with the sections that were dark, severe and stark because it is within the nature of the theme. One motive sounded like an off-toned "Beautiful Savior" to me. The close of the requiem was joyous and triumphant, cacophonous in nature and very exciting. I feel that Kilar has created an excellent composition musically and thematically for the subject presented.

I recommend this CD.

"