Krzysztof Penderecki: Utrenja (Naxos Audio CD)

Iwona Hossa (soprano)
Agnieszka Rehlis (mezzo-soprano)
Piotr Kusiewicz (tenor)
Piotr Nowacki (bass)
Gennady Bezzubenkov (basso profondo)
Warsaw Boys’ Choir*
Warsaw Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra,
Antoni Wit


Penderecki’s Utrenja was inspired by the Orthodox liturgy for Holy Saturday with its focus on the lamentation of Christ’s death and the Easter Sunday morning service commemorating the Resurrection.

The composer remarks that ‘Utrenja is a combination of pure, a cappella vocal writing and orchestral effects (for strings and percussion) very much connected with electronic music’.

Enthusiastically received by audiences, it stands beside his Polish Requiem and St Luke Passion as one of the towering masterpieces of modern Polish music.