Gorecki: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 67 “…Songs Are Sung”
Henryk Mikolaj Górecki: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 67 “…Songs Are Sung”
DAFO Quartet: Justyna Duda / I violin; Danuta Augustyn / II violin; Aneta Dumanowska / viola; Anna Armatys / cello
DUX 1302 (Int’l release date: July 2018, via Naxos)
The Quartet No. 3 “…Songs are Sung,” Op. 67 by Henryk Mikolaj Górecki belongs to the late works of the composer, and for a long time it was considered to be his last opused work. It was composed in the ‘90s on commission of the Kronos Quartet. The artist would redo it several times before he eventually decided to “release it to the world.” The reference to a song in the title is not accidental—the cantabile category, in combination with sometimes dramatic, sometimes doleful and melancholic narration additionally contributes to the Quartet becoming a sui generis chamber echo of the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs No. 3. The perception of the piece is dominated with Górecki’s style, recognizable by almost every music lover—deeply emotional, introverted, frugal, and at the same time extremely moving.
Established in 1993, the DAFO Quartet was the first all-female string quartet in Poland and they have been fascinating audiences with contemporary music performance from the beginning of their career. They are considered among the most outstanding performers of Polish chamber music today.