KRrzyszTOF PENDERECKI Symphony no. 7 ‘SEVEN GATES OF JERUSALEM’ Warsaw Narionat PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA & CHOIR Antoni Wir KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI Debica, Southern Poland, November 23, 1933 Symphony no. 7 ‘SEVEN GATES OF JERUSALEM” for narrator, soli, choir and large orchestra (1996) 1. Magnus Dominus et laudabilis nimis [11:20] IL. Si oblitus fucro tui, Jerusalem [2:43] Site recente ae) IV. Si oblitus fuero tui, Jerusalem [5:23] RAR reN reo ttae)| ST etn eect re EEL] RaIe seen es blot Tar B EST] lee a Neri anor e se PNPM Ono ete & EWA MARCINIEC, alto Belen tog SCO ieM Pent ten era ee OORT near A ANC by ese Ce nase aie Cena Warsaw National Philarmonic Orchestra Anton! Wir Peon aN emo ee ECU OCU RS MEN eee) Recording engincering and production: Andrzcj Sasin and Aleksandra Nagérko © 2006 Naxos Rights International Ltd. 8.557766 Krzyzstof Penderecki has contributed a body of works to the modern repertoire, and his Symphony no. 7, which he composed in 1996 and premiéred 1997 in Jerusalem, is an impressive composition. This oratorio-like work was commissioned to celebrate the third millennium of Jerusalem, and in approaching the Se ate eR a eee con eee ee es are reflected in the seven-movement structure of the work and, as indicated in the notes that accompany the recording, Penderecki used the figure seven in various ways throughout the work; by using texts from the Old ‘Testament that call to mind various aspects of the city, not just asa place, but a site laden that anchors spiritual Pere ee eee os ee eee te erence rnc Vas ae Text 1. ACTS Ce Pane Great is the Lord, Psalm 47 (48):1 SCN C RRM hate les ECR eee tno ERC EE Psalm 47 (48):1 RCE THE) Psalm 47 (48):1 ve Si oblitus fuero tui, Ierusalem Te eo roa am ont) Psalm 136 (137):5 ce Syees te Cen ee ec ee ea Psalm 129 (130): 1-5 SRenre Rees Se penn] Psalm 136 (137):5 4. Si oblitus fuero tui, Ierusalem —_IF I forget you, Jerusalem evn eae) . Cees Psalm 136 (137):5 EB Lauda, Ierusalem,Dominum —_Praise the Lord, Jerusalem Psalm 147:12-14 6 PO Srn a eects Src og ee ht ee Eee) exc Pae) Daniel 7:13 ney iD Hace dicit Dominus Sore ae ern Noa Psalm 47 (48):1 ere NOE Psalm 95 (96):1; 2-3 Ree eeC oy Rec a Ey Psalm 47(48):1 Peter yee) A close reading of the text shows that Penderecki shaped the verbal content carefully. By selecting verses tobe sung, he gave the text focus and clarity so that the piece could contain the specific phrases that he wanted to use, rather than carry along verses for the sake of completeness. Taken together, the verses for the first mo- vernent are, for example, essentially a new text, albeit one redolent of the psalter. With other movements, though, the choices are more complicated, and suggest an internal dialogue that places prophetic statements alongside the adulatory — or sometimes admonishing — ones from the psalms. With the last movement, to cite another example, it is possible to see a development of textual ideas, as Penderecki combines verses from three prophetic books, and then returns to the psalrns, eventually bringing back the verse with which the Symphony opened. This suggests a level of composition that bears further consideration for the structural or- PON ORU ere Lc ROR CRTC VRS eat oa nea UR Coa ..As to the style of the work, Penderecki’s Symphony no. 7s relatively conservative, with the nuances of texture and timbre having given way to some of the innovations associated with his carlier pieces. This work also belongs to the choral symphony of the nineteenth century, reminiscent in a sense of Mabler’s Eighth Sym- phony for its use of voices throughout the work. Excerpts from the Operaropay.coM review by James L. Zychowicz erate gaielacesd POA ta Antoni Wit's ongoing cycle of Penderecki orchestral works is yet another of those truly outstanding Naxos projects that’s unlikely to get the attention it deserves. The music isn’t easy, or popular, but Wit is a marvellous Re CS aye Ce RC a os Ca aL Ck dard by which all others will be judged. This new release just may be the best so far. The Seven Gates, though largely unthreatening in its use of consonant harmony, is a very difficult work to perform. The choral and solo writing is tiring - if often incredibly moving and impressive - and the presence of a lengthy narration may bother some listeners. In my opinion Penderecki is one of the very few composers who can pull it off, and here he does so magnificently. Perhaps the most wonderful thing about this recording is its ability to be serious (isn’t Penderecki always?) Reet ser Meer en ot Pee eh eT eT exceptional choral singing and a uniformly high-quality bunch of soloists. The rest, though, is Wit’s idcal pacing and that fecling for timbre and texture that made his Messiaen Tarangalla-Symphonie so memorable. In short, even if you don’t normal. Uasaaha inert ae ponars Station linen pained Sata aes ior Naxos’ website, but it’s just as much fun to simply wallow in the evocative sonorities that Penderecki gets from his very large vocal and instrumental forces. Excellent engineering makes the music both rage and shim- mer as it must. A splendid release in every way! David Hurwitz, CtassicTopay.com, 1/24/2007 Fenn Day OAD San 2 Penderecki’s Seventh Symphony (1996) vas the result of a prestigious commission to mark the third mil- lennium of the city offerusalem, Frivolity was clearly not required, though I wonder whether the state of Israel really welcomed something as overwhelmingly penitential as the Gates of Jerusalem, Exuberance and er eRe ae) RUS eRe ROC MTCC a cy coe a gest EO OC MTS oe CSE CORR PaU Tom ARO) Oya CMR CCR NCE e Ut final cadence sounds like nothing more than a half-hearted attempt fo snatch joy from the jaws of sorrow. SU eee TOG aero ces Re ete Cece Cea Se eee MSc Coca Pate ares oat rete actor han ate to eit 20th-century modes of expression. In places the music sounds rather like Verdi’s Dies irae at half speed, with cease ent eee tatd ane and although the symphony isn’t entirely devoid of imaginative textural touches - the use of the bass trumpet to suggest the voice of God, and the presence of a narrator a good deal more charismatic than the solo singers are allowed to be by the nature of the vocal writing - there BE a marae ea eon eee See RRS SL at least an hour has been called for. After all this, [ must emphasise that this Tainan PE Lie a bm rete on the task in hand, with the hard-working soprano soloists particularly impressive, The spacious recording has good presence and definition. ER a een TECHNE KRzysZTOF PENDERECKI : Symphony no. 7 ‘SEVEN GATES OF JERUSALEM” Dee Were ete Cine Oem MOD ar Dee Coren as eM Ree WITH CHECKSUM-SIGNED LOGFILE Drive: PLextor CD-R PREMIUM, READ OFFSET CORRECTION +30 Twp Veet RON OPM et na Terenas ENCODER: FLAC 1.2.1, SEPTEMBER 2007 RELEASE FILES TAGGED THROUGH PROPER EAC ADDITIONAL COMMANDLINE: [-8 -V -T "agrist=%a" eras ME need od ere -T "TOTALTRACKs=%0x" -T "GENRE=%M" -T "ALBUMARTIST=%v" -T "COMMENT=EAC TOP nw MS ert On Mista Oe oa Nest nurs PaO es Tatra Z| (eer cence a ott bs) nn CT EE ToS poet ee eo ge rr eset ree ered ier forenoon meno © 2006 Naxos INTERNATIONAL LTD.