Symphony no. 3, op. 36, "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"
The Symphony No. 3, Op. 36, also known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (Polish: Symfonia pieśni żałosnych), is a symphony in three movements composed by Henryk Górecki in Katowice, Poland, between October and December 1976. The work is indicative of the transition between Górecki's earlier dissonant style and his later more tonal style and "represented a stylistic breakthrough: austerely plaintive, emotionally direct and steeped in medieval modes". It was premièred on 4 April 1977, at the Royan International Festival, with Stefania Woytowicz as soprano and Ernest Bour as conductor.
Movements
- Lento: Sostenuto tranquillo ma cantabile
- Lento e largo: Tranquillissimo - Cantabilissimo - Dolcissimo - Legatissimo
- Lento: Cantabile semplice
Recommended recordings
- Dawn Upshaw · London Sinfonietta · David Zinman YouTubeSpotify (subscription)
- YouTubeSpotify (subscription)

