Reviewed by John Irvine

Gorecki-mania rears its ugly head again! This time it's a piece for soprano and organ. Both of the featured artists are well known for their recordings of Arvo part's music; Leonard was also the main singer in the Greenaway/Nyman collaboration "Prospero's Books". They are both excellent musicians with established credentials in the world of contemporary classical music. Now for the music. "O Domina Nostra" was originally written in 1982 in celebration of the 600th anniversary of Poland's famous Black Madonna - a sacred symbol of Polish independence to whom, in times of crisis, Poland's prayers are addressed. Like many of Gorecki's recent works, it is explicitly religious if not even liturgical. By contrasting a plainchant source from the middle ages with modern approaches to music such as dissonance and unresolved harmonies, Gorecki achieves a state of 'serene insecurity'. Complacency has no place in Gorecki's music, even if he does not openly embrace direct conflict within music. Just below the serene surface there is tension and conflict. This is powerful and dramatic stuff. "O Domina Nostra" is accompanied by pieces by Erik Satie and Gavin Bryars. The Satie piece "Messe Des Pouvres" is for organ only, whereas Leonard rejoins the organ for Bryars' "The Black River", with a text based on Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues". The Satie piece is not up to his reputation as established by well known classics as "Trois Gymnopedies". The Bryars piece is very interesting, however, and your money won't be wasted if you end up only liking 2/3 of this disc - the Gorecki and Bryars.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.