Henryk Mikolaj Górecki: The Three String Quartets (Hyperion Audio CD) 2-CD set

Henryk Górecki’s intriguing string quartets, all commissions from the Kronos Quartet of San Fransisco, signified a new creative phase in his music. The stark contrasts that had been at the heart of Górecki’s compositional thinking in the 1950s and 1960s re-emerged in his chamber music of the mid 1980s and are prevalent in these works. Fans of Górecki will be familiar with the compositional devices employed such as open fifths, sustained rocking motifs, and the juxtaposition of dissonance and consonance.

In these distinctive quartets both Beethoven and Szymanowski’s well documented influences on the composer are apparent as well as his fascination with the folk cultures of Southern Poland, with the frequent incorporation of folk derived themes.

Following their acclaimed release of the Szymanowski/Rózycki String Quartets (CDA67684) the Royal String Quartet return for their second Hyperion recording. The young Polish Quartet, renowned for the championing of music from their homeland, display an astonishing range of colour, finesse and attack in these intelligent interpretations.