"More important than anything else is inspiration, which is really a term from the nineteenth century that seems outdated to us now. But the situation remains the same: one has to have something to say and one has to be able to express it. That is to say, one has to have good technique and a clear idea of the work, a framework for the musical events, then the intervening spaces simply need to be filled in."

Krzysztof Penderecki (born 1933) has traveled a long path in terms of compositional technique. Following the avant-garde years, which left their mark in works like Anaklasis, in which he emphasized the aspect of noise, and his composition with clusters as found in Threnos, he ultimately began to reflect on his Christian roots and in recent decades has turned increasingly to tradition.

Further information: www.penderecki.de