Panufnik

[Ferretfancy]

After some recent exposure to the music of Lutoslawski, I've decided to have a better listen to the music of Andrzej Panufnik. I remember him conducting at the Proms in the late fifties when I think he was chief conductor of the Bournemouth SO, and a friend of mine had some pretty scathing views of him. I realise now that my friend's dislike was probably more to do with the contemporary choices that Panufnik made, than his talents as conductor and composer. I know the works of Lutoslwaski pretty well, but much less so in the case of Panufnik.

In my collection I have CDs of his Violin Concerto, the Katyn Epitaph, the Ozawa recording of Sinfonia Votiva ( No. 8 ) and the Sinfonia Sacra with the composer conducting the Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra, but that's about it.

How do others value this composer? At brief acquaintance he doesn't seem as original or stimulating as Lutoslawski, but perhaps I haven't found a good point of entry. Comments would be very welcome, and of course next year sees his centenary.

[Hornspieler]

After some recent exposure to the music of Lutoslawski, I've decided to have a better listen to the music of Andrzej Panufnik. I remember him conducting at the Proms in the late fifties when I think he was chief conductor of the Bournemouth SO, and a friend of mine had some pretty scathing views of him. I realise now that my friend's dislike was probably more to do with the contemporary choices that Panufnik made, than his talents as conductor and composer. I know the works of Lutoslwaski pretty well, but much less so in the case of Panufnik.

In my collection I have CDs of his Violin Concerto, the Katyn Epitaph, the Ozawa recording of Sinfonia Votiva ( No. 8 ) and the Sinfonia Sacra with the composer conducting the Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra, but that's about it.

How do others value this composer? At brief acquaintance he doesn't seem as original or stimulating as Lutoslawski, but perhaps I haven't found a good point of entry. Comments would be very welcome, and of course next year sees his centenary.

Andrzej Panufnik was appointed as Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for a brief period - to the shere disbelief of the musical world. He never conducted in Bournemouth.

An illustration of the fact that very few composers can conduct even their own compositions, let alone anyone else's.

In Brum, the players dubbed him " ... the non-magnetic Pole."

In contrast, that exuberant conductor Vilem Tausky was known affectionately as " ... the Bouncing Czech"!

HS

[jayne lee wilson]

The 5-Volume CPO series with Lukasz Borowicz/Polish Radio SO or the acoustically splendid Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra - is becoming the new reference for this composer's orchestral output.
MY own favourites are the 5th, 6th and 7th Symphonies, which combine an extraordinary structural ingenuity (and complexity) with an intensely emotional, often anguished expression. Listening to No.6 (based structurally on the number 6 - 6 movements, 6 triads, 6 melodies etc.), you may wonder where all the contemplative rotations might lead... but then the last section starts to grow and intensify, and ****!
..... I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

He can create a marvellously dark and delicate texture as in Nocturne, Landscape, or Autumn Music, often using reduced forces.

A great composer haunted by the tragedy of war, separation and exile, always seeking innovative, often geometrical structures to organise sometimes violent and angry emotions.

[HighlandDougie]

I have greatly enjoyed this

http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=ODE1101-5

among more recent Panufnik releases. Well, I thought it was recent until I saw that it only now appears to be available as a download. Excellent performances in great sound. The overture doesn't show him at his best, unlike the two symphonies on the disc.

I first got to know his music via this (it was a Unicorn LP), also much recommended (although the recording isn't up to the sstandard of the Storgards) -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panufnik-Conducts-Sinfonia-Rustica-Sacra/dp/B000E5L84S/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1362859536&sr=1-3

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

How do others value this composer? At brief acquaintance he doesn't seem as original or stimulating as Lutoslawski, but perhaps I haven't found a good point of entry. Comments would be very welcome, and of course next year sees his centenary.

I don't think there is a "better point of entry" to Panufnik's work than the Sinfonia Sacra - and the composer was a very good conductor of his own work: the LSO regularly invited him to work with them. There are some recordings (originally on CONIFER, I believe) from the composer's last years that includes a re-recording of the Sacra and other works, but these are not easily (or cheaply!) available, and the CPO discs that Jayne mentions are very good.

However, although I love to hear his work, I don't think he wrote anything that equals the best of Lutoslawski's work in terms of "originality and stimulation".

[Pianoman]

Like others I have always been a fan of Sinfonia Sacra, ever since seeing it live at Free Trade Hall sometime in the early 80s and there is a cracking Concertgebouw live recording conducted by him that knocks spots off the Monte Carlo one. BUT, I've tried with other stuff since and it just doesn't do it for me any more - not in the same league as Lutoslawski IMO for sheer invention, sonority, ideas, colour, originality...

[LeMartinPecheur]

Another vote for Sinfonia sacra here - I have an EMI British Composers (sic) CD with the Monte Carlo perf already known to Ferret plus the Sinfonia rustica and the Sinfonia concertante for flute, harp and strings (EMI 3 52289 2). Also an NMC 'single' of the Cello Concerto (Rostropovich/LSO/Wolff), which seemed a good piece on one hearing but still awaits its second I'd recommend that well ahead of a Naxos disc called 'Panufnik - Homage to Polish Music', which is worthy, pleasant but very light fare IMHO.

And that seems to be my Panufnik shelf. In essence, I'm still waiting to find anything else of his that's as good as Symph sacra

[jayne lee wilson]

The Cello Concerto has also been done by Andrzej Bauer, with Kord/Warsaw Phil on the Accord label - part of a splendid disc with excellent performances of the Sacra and the 10th Symphony (just as individual as all the others). Cd seems scarce and expensive, but it's available as a lossless download form TCS.

The Sacra is very spectacular, yes, but I do think the dark heart of this composer's inspirations lies elsewhere, in those works (and others) I mentioned above. The rarely-heard (or recorded) 7th is an intensely poetic piece cast in a single continuous movement, for timpani, strings and organ. Go on, go and download it separately.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And that seems to be my Panufnik shelf. In essence, I'm still waiting to find anything else of his that's as good as Symph sacra

You might find this worth a try, LMP (not expensive, either):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panufnik-Sinfonia-Mistica-Sfere/dp/B000EQHVB6/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1362869786&sr=1-9

EDIT: Ah! "Symphonies 5 & 6" as recommended by Jayne.

[Serial_Apologist]

In some respects he was ahead of his Polish contemporaries, composing works using sliding, slithering densities of string sound as early as the 1940s; but we should remember he had the freedom to expriment, living here in Britain, whereas at the time Lutoslawsky & his contemporaries were working under Socialist Realist edicts. I tend to think of him as a Polish Copland - same bloc-like starkness in the more meditative pieces, bold colours, love of bare fifths.

One of my favourite Paunfiks is the Autumn Music - composed in 1967 and the first piece of his I heard. It sounds like it says on the tin, but in fact was written in memory of someone who had died several years earlier. Even so, I know of few other pieces that express a mood of autumn as well - excepting Bridge's "There is a Tree lies Aslant a Brook", if I've remembered the title correctly.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Bridge's "There is a Bridge lies Aslant a Brook", if I've remembered the title correctly.

There is a Willow grows aslant a Brook, S_A. Yer acheral Shakespeare, innit. (Gertrude reporting Ophelia's death to Laertes)

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks ferney - of course. I had altered that title - wrongly!

[Ferretfancy]

Thanks very much for all the perceptive comments, which I'll study in more detail, these threads are so valuable! I did listen today to Panufnik's Nocturne, which is impressive, I and intend to hear the other CDs on my shelves before moving on to other recommendations given here.

I have quite a lot of music by various composers in my collection which was bought with good intentions but allowed to languish unregarded, so I thought I would try to do better, like the horse in Animal Farm! Panufnik is a good start.

Hornspieler, I did mean the Birmingham band rather than the Bournemouth, and I loved the description of the non magnetic pole! I remember his gloomy demeanour on the rostrum at the Proms, but can't for the life of me remember what he was conducting, which follows I suppose.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The Autumn Music S_A rightly speaks highly of is on youTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hO92XOSfO8

Regardless of my preference for Lutos, Panufnik does have an undeniable, instantly recognizable "voice" all of his own.

[BBMmk2]

I saw the Premier or UK Premier at a Prom copncert with AP conducting, of his Sinfonia Sacra(I think). Not one of my fasvourites but wiling to return to this composer.