Henryk Górecki - Op.31 Symphony No. 2, ‘Copernican’ (1972) (w/brief analysis and lyrics)

Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (1933-2010) was a Polish composer of contemporary music. He is most famous for his third symphony, but his oeuvres stretch from piano miniatures to gigantic choral works. His earlier compositions are in serialist style, while his later ones are in a minimalist style.

The second symphony was commissioned by the Kosciuszko Foundation for the 500th anniversary of Copernicus' birth and was dedicated to them. It premiered in Warsaw on 22 June 1973, with Andrzej Markowski conducting National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, with Stefania Woytowicz as the soprano, and Andrzej Hiolski as the baritone. It is very seldomly performed, due to the massive orchestral force required. However, it is an important work that points to the later minimalistic style, while still holding onto the dissonances of the early years. It is scored for 4 Flutes (3rd and 4th doubling Piccolo), 4 Oboes, 4 B♭ Clarinets (4th doubling Bass Clarinet), 4 Bassoons (3rd and 4th doubling Contrabassoon), 4 F Horns, 4 C Trumpets, 4 Trombones, Tuba, 3 Snare Drums, 3 Timpani, 3 Bass Drums, 2 Tam-Tam, Piano, Choir S-A-T-B, Baritone solo, Soprano solo, 1-3 Violins, Violas, Cellos, Basses, Harp.

The text is as follows:

Deus (God)
qui fecit caelum et terram. (Who created the heavens and the earth,)
(Psalm 146:6)
qui fecit luminaria magna (who created the great givers of lights:)
Solem
in potestatem diei. (The sun to rule by day)
Lunam et stellas
in potestatem noctis. (The moon and stars to rule by night)
(Pslam 136:7-9)

Quid autem caelo pulcrius, (Yet what is fairer than the heavens,)
nempe quod continet pulcra omnia? (that place which holds all things fair?)
(Nicolaus Copernicus “De Revolutionibus Orbium Caelestium” Liber Primus)

I have two analogies, one religious and the other not. Due to the character limit, I’ll include the non-religious one in the comment.

(0:00) The first movement starts with harsh dissonances and tone clusters, full of chaos. It can be divided into 6 sections based on the themes. My interpretation of this movement is the depiction of the six days of Genesis. In this analogy, the first section of this movement depicts the separation of light from darkness, in a chaotic and violent way.

(3:07) The second section is in sharp contrast with the previous section (and the rest of the movement also), since it is very serene and peaceful. Its chorale mood is reminiscent of the second movement, and since the second movement is a praise of heaven, this section could be seen as the depiction of newly-created heaven.

(6:15) The third section returns to the dissonance and chaos of the first section, as in our analogy, it is the creation of the land by the division of the water below heaven.

(9:23) The fourth section is a very odd one. According to our genesis analogy, this section would be the depiction of the creation of the moon and stars, yet it is very far from the depiction of heaven. One possible explanation would be the fanfare for the newly created light (underdeveloped and full of irregularity as it is still developing), but still, this is the weakest link in our analogy.

(13:00) The fifth section is faster and features more movements than the previous sections. In the fifth day of the Genesis, animals are created, and this section could be seen as depicting the movements of the newly-created animals.

(15:10) The final section involves the chorus that praises the god, which I interpreted as the creation of mankind who praises the god. The movement ends rather abruptly, and transitions into the second movement.

(16:36) Whenever I listen to the second movement, I can’t help thinking about the seventh day of Genesis, the Sabbath. Whenever I listen to it, I conjure an image of the god, in the form of a boy (or a girl - that part changes every time), lying on a small island in heaven, and gazing peacefully at the sky. Anyway, the first part of this movement features the praise of god, as well as his creations.

(21:20) The second section starts with the soprano solo. Now the focus turns from heaven and earth to the givers of light. It is still in a serene and static mood, yet…

(23:36) The third section, starts abruptly, with its praise of the celestial bodies. All voices play in full force, in a passionate tone.

(24:37) However, this cools down quickly, and we are back with the praise of the light. Previous verses are re-stated before we enter…

(28:27) The next section, features Copernicus’ writing. This section is my favorite part of this entire symphony (with the ending coming in a tight second). The chorus creates a divine, floating mood, fitting with the heaven amongst the stars.

(29:50) After the chorus’ final praise of heaven, the ending starts, which features a massive buildup from the entire orchestra (From around 31:17, climaxing at 32:20), and creating a “space-like” sound - all-encompassing, static, and floating. Then, the music slowly cools down, till the quiet ending.