Whispers of Titans by Goeyvaerts String Trio

Henryk Górecki

Goeyvaerts String Trio

Whispers of Titans

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917271324
Catnr: CC 72713
Release date: 12 February 2016
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Label
Challenge Classics

UPC
0608917271324

Catalogue number
CC 72713

Release date
12 February 2016

"This first part from the Genesis cycle is meant for a string trio and bastaat from 22 short sections."

Music Emotion, 01-1-2017

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Artist(s)

Composer(s)

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About the album

Górecki’s Elementi is music of extremes. The music is defined by a bold, physical aspect, with the sheer energy of the performance an integral part of the listening experience. Elementi dates from 1962, early in Górecki’s career, and demonstrates the increasing sophistication with which he was then handling Modernist techniques. Elementi dates from 1962, early in Górecki’s career, and demonstrates the increasing sophistication with which he was then handling Modernist techniques.By combining serial structuring with a sonoristic approach to sound colour, Górecki creates a musical language that balances the concerns of texture and progression. Unlike the contemporaneous sonorist scores of Krzysztof Penderecki and Tadeusz Baird, Górecki’s work here always has a sense of movement, of musical argument; his concern with texture never risks stasis. Although written for string trio, Elementi does not seem like chamber music. The scale of the music’s gestures belies its chamber forces. That scale is also apparent in the performance directions, which specify that the players should sit in a triangular formation, at least six metres apart. The present recording has been made with the musicians in this arrangement, and the aural perspectives it creates can be clearly heard, especially when listening in surround sound.

Medieval, Romantic, Minimalist, Avant-garde – all find a place in the music of Nikolai Korndorf. Yet his work rarely sounds eclectic, the ideas and techniques combining to form a focussed, and often uncompromising, musical language. Korndorf’s compositional career falls into two periods. His early work follows the Modernist trends of the time. But from the early 1980s, Korndorf adopted a new approach, more diverse, if no less austere. Tonality became an important element of his music, although more as a point of reference than an integral part of his harmonic language. The String Trio was completed in 1986, so dates from the early years of this second style. It was written in homage to Alfred Schnittke, a mentor figure for Korndorf and many other composers of his generation. “He was a teacher. His ideas, his oeuvre, his moral position, his attitude towards art were teachers as well….Influence, the effect of Schnittke on younger composers was much wider than the influence of style, it was an influence of world outlook.” The result is a work that draws on many aspects of Schnittke’s compositional technique, while only occasionally sounding like him. Korndorf’s own compositional outlook is just as significant to the work, especially his interest in Medieval Russian hymnody and American Minimalism.

Zelden uitgevoerde strijktrio’s
Het Goeyvaerts strijktrio is in 1997 opgericht en richt zich uitsluitend op 20e en 21e-eeuws repertoire. Het trio speelt echter niet alleen bestaand werk, maar is ook actief met opdrachten voor nieuwe strijktrio’s. Op dit album vertolkt het trio twee fascinerende strijktrio's: Henryk Górecki's Elementi en Nikolai Korndorfs String Trio. Beide werken worden maar zelden uitgevoerd.

Elementi van Henryk Górecki is een werk van extremen. Fysiek vergt het het uiterste van musici. Elementi is gecomponeerd in 1962, aan het begin van Górecki’s carrière, en toont de toenemende complexiteit in de modernistische technieken van die tijd.
De Russisch-Canadese componist Nikolai Korndorf heeft een zeer breed oeuvre: of het nou middeleeuws, minimalistisch of avant-garde is—alles komt erin voor. Zijn ideeën en compositietechnieken combineren tot een duidelijke muzikale taal. Zijn strijktrio voltooide hij in 1986 en droeg hij op als eerbetoon aan Alfred Schnittke.

Das Goeyvaerts String Trio hat mit seiner Aufnahme des 'Stabat Mater' von Arvo Pärt für Aufsehen gesorgt und weltweit Preise und Anerkennung gewonnen, u.a. Gramophone Editor's Choice sowie den niederländischen Edison. Nun legen sie mit einer Einspielung von Korndorfs Trio zu Ehren Alfred Schnittkes (1986) und Góreckis 'Elementi' (1962) nach.

Ob die Musik des Mittelalters, der Romantik, der Avantgarde oder des Minimalismus: alle sind im Oeuvre von Nikolai Korndorf untergebracht. Seine Musik klingt jedoch nur selten eklektisch – seine Ideen und Kompositionstechniken verbinden sich zu einer klaren, zielstrebigen und oft kompromisslosen musikalischen Sprache. Korndorf wurde 1947 in Moskau geboren und studierte am Moskauer Konservatorium, wo er 1973 promovierte. In den darauffolgenden Jahrzehnten verfolgte er eine dreifache Karriere als Pädagoge, Dirigent und Komponist. Wie viele seiner Zeitgenossen wanderte Korndorf nach dem Untergang der Sowjetunion in den Westen aus und ließ sich 1991 in Kanada nieder. Er starb 2001, im Alter von gerade einmal 54 Jahren. Korndorfs Karriere als Komponist teilt sich in zwei Abschnitte. In seinem Frühwerk orientierte er sich an den modernistischen Trends der Zeit; so knüpfte er etwa an den Serialismus und den Sonorismus an, während er jegliche Bezüge auf die Tonalität sorgsam vermied. Ab den frühen 1980er Jahren jedoch machte er sich einen neuen Ansatz zu eigen, der noch vielgestaltiger, allerdings nicht weniger genügsam war. Hierbei spielte die Tonalität nun eine wichtige Rolle, jedoch eher als Bezugspunkt denn als integraler Bestandteil seines harmonischen Ausdrucks. Das Streichtrio wurde 1986 fertiggestellt und stammt damit aus den frühen Jahren dieses zweiten Stils. Es entstand als Hommage an Alfred Schnittke, eine Mentorfigur für Korndorf und viele andere Komponisten seiner Generation. Korndorf bezieht sich in dem Werk auf Schnittkes Musik, doch stellt sich nie der Eindruck eines direkten Pastiche ein. Korndorf erklärte, dass sein Ziel, den Einfluss Schnittkes anzuerkennen, über die Frage des Stils hinausging. 'Er war ein Lehrer. Seine Ideen, sein Oeuvre, seine moralische Position, seine Einstellung gegenüber Kunst waren ebenfalls Lehrer. Der Einfluss, der Effekt, den Schnittke auf jüngere Komponisten ausübte, war sehr viel weitreichender als der Einfluss des Stils; es war der Einfluss einer Weltanschauung.'

'Elementi' von Górecki ist ein Werk der Extreme. Die Musik wird von einem kühnen, physischen Aspekt bestimmt und die schiere Energie der Aufführung stellt einen integralen Bestandteil des Hörerlebnisses dar. Elementi entstand 1962, zu Beginn von Góreckis Karriere, und demonstriert die zunehmende Differenziertheit, mit der er zu jener Zeit die modernistischen Techniken einsetzte.

Artist(s)

Goeyvaerts String Trio

The Goeyvaerts String Trio was founded in 1997 with the aim of performing exclusively 20th and 21st century repertoire. The trio takes its name from the Belgian composer Karel Goeyvaerts, who played an important role in developments within European new music. The ensemble not only plays existing works but is also active in commissioning new string trios. The Goeyvaerts String Trio consists of Fedra Coppens (violin), Vincent Hepp (viola), and Pieter Stas (cello). Their CD featuring string trios by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alfred Schnittke was released by the renowned international label Challenge Records. This CD received the highest ratings in various magazines and, among other things, a Gold Label from Klassiek Centraal, a nomination for best CD production for...

Their CD featuring string trios by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alfred Schnittke was released by the renowned international label Challenge Records. This CD received the highest ratings in various magazines and, among other things, a Gold Label from Klassiek Centraal, a nomination for best CD production for the Klara’s, and a recommendation in Gramophone. In 2012, a new CD entitled String Trios from the East was released, featuring trios by Sofia Gubaidulina, Alexander Knaifel, Oleg Paiberdin, and Giya Kancheli. Luister wrote: ‘What the three musicians achieve here in terms of concentration and precision borders on the impossible. The trio then launched Stabat Mater in 2014,

consisting of Arvo Pärt’s Stabat Mater in just intonation and Simeron by Ivan Moody. With the help of more than 500 international investors, the Goeyvaerts String Trio raised £15,000. Muziekcentrum Vlaanderen wrote about the trio: ‘It is well known that they are excellent; that they also achieved this is a testament to their enthusiastic entrepreneurship.’ This CD was showered with superlatives in the press, Editor’s Choice in Gramophone, Luister 10, etc. More recently, this recording was awarded an Edison and the trio was named musician/ensemble of the year by Klara (classical radio station), and the City of Sint-Niklaas also honored the trio with the 2014 Culture Prize.

In February 2016, Whispers of Titans was released, featuring string trios by Nikolaj Korndorf and Henryk Górecki. Their CD with Klang by Wolfgang von Schweinitz was recorded for the Louth Contemporary Music Society in 2020. Charles Wuorinen’s second string trio (2018) is dedicated to the Goeyvaerts String Trio, and its world premiere took place at the Guggenheim in New York. During Stations of the Sun 2019 in Dundalk (Ireland), they performed two world premieres by Linda Catlin Smith and Pascale Criton. In October 2019, they premiered Robin Verheyen’s Blues, Reds and other Songs at AMUZ. Blues, Reds and other Songs was recorded on vinyl together with Marc Copland and Robin Verheyen and released in 2025.

In 2025, a second album was released with music by Robin Verheyen in collaboration with Robyn Schulkowsky based on the works of painter Jakob Smits.

As ensemble-in-residence at the KMSKA, they developed programs around the museum’s renovation and collection, including a project with saxophonist Andrew Claes (STUFF) in which real-time data was used for scores for strings and robots. With the support of their home city of Sint-Niklaas, they curate the annual Passages festival, which brings together local and international talent from different genres.

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Composer(s)

Henryk Górecki

Press

This first part from the Genesis cycle is meant for a string trio and bastaat from 22 short sections.
Music Emotion, 01-1-2017

"The second work, 'Chorale-Toccata-Aria', from the Russian Nikolai Korndorf is way more accessible, persumably for a lover off the harmony as me, but where the textbook - wonderful! - has an enormous input."
Music Emotion, 01-11-2016

Fonoforum / 01-09-2016
Fonoforum, 01-9-2016

"What, then, to make of 'Genesis I: elementi per tre archi,' Op 19 No 1, the opener on the Goeyvaerts String Trio’s new disc of 20th-century Polish works? Dating from 1962, this scrabbling and violent one-movement work is early Górecki, but it’s also typical Górecki – more so, at any rate, than that Third Symphony. He wrote it just after his return from Paris, where he had made contact with Boulez and other enfants terribles of musical modernism, and in it attempted to lay out a new type of composition. What emerged was music moulded not from notes but from noise and an artillery of extended playing techniques: no picnic, then, for either players or listeners, but original for its time. In this brave and uncompromising performance, the Goeyvaerts certainly make it snarl. Then, by way of a peace offering, they play In Honour of Alfred Schnittke written, in 1986, by the little-known composer Nikolai Korndorf. For lovers of the Tavener-Pärt aesthetic, it’s like stepping into a warm bath."
Gramophone, 16-6-2016

Short playing time — 47 minutes — but intense music-making.
Irish Times, 15-6-2016

"[...] The excellent Goeyvaerts Trio takes a brave choice with this intens performed repertoire. [...]"
NRC Handelsblad, 14-6-2016

"[...] So bravo to Kristien Roels, Kris Matthynssens and Pieter Stas for bringing to new ears this vital but rarely performed work from a 28-year-old Górecki. [...]"
Polish Music, 08-6-2016

"[...] An interesting quality of this new recording is the way that the fast central movement feels like it is unfolding at the same slow pace as the outer ones. [...]"
Stringtrio, 07-6-2016

"it knows to translate Gorecki's partiture extremely responsive."
klassiekezaken, 01-6-2016

" [...] Also the mucisians have no trouble crossing the line of euphony [...] "
Luister, 06-5-2016

"[...] On the armoured harmony's, the players have put a fascinading stain. that makes the music move to noise. [...]"
de standaard, 27-4-2016