St. Pauls Cathedral, Münster / St. Luke’s Passion by Krzysztof Penderecki

23. November 1933: Krzysztof Penderecki born in Dębica (Poland).

1960 Anaklasis and 1961 Threnos (Lamentation for the Victims of Hiroshima) give him a reputation in Western Europe amongst specialists in new music. The St Luke’s Passion was composed between 1963 and 1966. Hitherto Krzysztof Penderecki has composed 73 instrumental works, 35 vocal works and 4 stage works. He has received a total of 28 prestigious awards worldwide.

Krzysztof Penderecki 2012. Alwernia. Krzysztof Penderecki podczas próby „Pasji według Świętego Łukasza” w reżyserii Grzegorza Jarzyny

Krzysztof Penderecki 2012. The town of Alwernia. Krzysztof Penderecki during rehearsals of his “St. Luke Passion”, director Grzegorz Jarzyna

AFP / EASTNEWS: photo, Artur Barbarowski

Krzysztof Penderecki was just 32 when his composition, the Passion of Saint Luke (Passio et mors Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundum Lucam / “The suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke”), commissioned by the West German broadcasting company WDR, was premiered in St Paul's Cathedral in Münster on the 30th March 1966.

On this Wednesday hundreds of people streamed into the cathedral with only a vague idea that they would be witnessing an époque-making work in modern musical history. The premiere of St Luke’s Passion marked the moment when he would become famous outside “expert circles” in new music as a result of the coverage and praise for both the work and its composer.

At the time Heinz Josef Herbort wrote in the weekly “Die Zeit”: “Penderecki’s ‘Passion’ is one of the most significant compositions in new music.” He was right.

In June 1966 Krzysztof Penderecki was awarded North Rhine Westphalia’s Major Art Prize (music) for this work. Even then the first performance in Münster Cathedral was regarded as an important step in relaxing relationships between Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany.

It is therefore no surprise that 45 years later, in his Laudatio at the award-winning ceremony for the Viadrina Prize, the well-known German conductor Rolf Beck did not restrict himself to talking about Krzysztof Penderecki’s musical career but also emphasised “to what extent Krzysztof Penderecki’s music had contributed to bringing Poles and Germans closer together after the Second World War”.

Adam Gusowski, December 2013

Official website:

http://www.krzysztofpenderecki.eu/pl/3/0/2/Biography