Gorecki’s Third surprises all on

Henryk Gorecki: Symphony
No. 3. Electra Nonesuch CD

#9 79282-2, London Sinfonietta,
Dawn Upshaw soprano, David
Zinman conductor.

¥ arning! If you’re
contemplating
suicide, have con-
templated suicide, or think
you might consider suicide
in the near future, stay away
from this recording.

Carrying the subtitle Sorrowful
Songs, Gorecki'’s Third Symphony
is definitely not for the faint of
spirit.

To further this boast, it has also
been awarded a Record of the
Year award by Stereo Review
magazine while standing at No. 1
in the British classical music chart.
But here's the surprise, it is also
No, 27 on the British pop charts —
making an amazing climb up 44
places in only one week. This is
definitely a recording for everyone
but the most manic depressive’s
collection.

Gorecki’s Third was composed
during the final months of 1976
and, like its predecessors, is meant
to reflect the sensibilities of its
time. .

His First Symphony, composed
in'1959, echoed Gorecki's sense
of a new start, both for his native
Poland and for himself because

~ that was the year he got married.
1 don’t know how his marriage

’

Rass
CLASSICAL MUSIC

fared but, unfortunately for us all,
the 1960s were rife with disillu-
sionment, particularly for the
former Eastern Bloc countries. And
so it was that Gorecki’s Second
Symphony, of 1972, came down
several notches on the optimism
scale.

This Third effort sinks even
lower.

The music envelopes three texts
— one for each movement —
sung by a solo soprano. Each
alludes to the death of children.
First comes the Lamentation of the
Holy Cross Monastery taken from
the Lysagora Songs of the 15th
century.

The second text is based on a
short, plaintive prayer found etch-
ed on the wall of Cell 3 at the
Place of Zakapone, a Gestapo
headquarters during the Second
World War.

Berieath this prayer is the
signature of Helena Wanda
Blazusiakowna and the words:
“18 years old, imprisoned since
26 Sept., 1944,"

Rykodisc re-releases Leary raps

‘From page 29

- information from infinite refracted
shards of myself...”

. Live and Let Live. You Can Be
Anyone This Time Around. What
Do You Turn On When You Turn
On. The three tracks were re-

’ corded in.1969. The cut and paste
nature of the compositions can be
viewed as a precursor to contem-
porary rap and techno music.

Like some cosmically plugged-in
rapping beat poet, LSD daddy
Leary drops mind bombs about
pot, acid, reincarnation, galactic
interconnectedness and altered-
state hedonism.

Leary’s philosaphy is stitched
together musically by an all-star
jam machine — Stephen Stills and
John Sebastian on guitars, fimi
Hendrix on bass and Buddy Miles

on drums.

David Cassidy — ‘‘Didn’t You
Used To Be...’’, Scotti Bros.
1992

He used to be Keith Partridge, a
TV producer's marketing idea. The
teen idol surprised everyone and
made his TV mom Shirley Jones
really proud by selling four million
copies of | Think | Love You in1970
in the real world as the cute yet
self-effacing leader of The Par-
tridge Family.

Cassidy peaked when he was 20
years old; therein one finds the
tragedy of ‘'Didn’t You Used To

0.0"

At age 42 he’s a shameless
pedilar of bad pop, with fake elec-
tronic strings, saccharine ballads
and neutered funk.

UK pop charts

Finally, we get the lyrics from an
old Polish folk song telling of a
mother who wonders why her son
has been killed.

Though it's virtually impossible
to imagine the music, even with
hints as broad as these texts in-
dicate, rest assured that it is not
incongruous with the spirit of the
texts’ subject matter.

How many other symphonies
come to mind in which all three
movements are designated Lento?

However, this is a CD that can
recommend almost without reser-
vation. :

It is an excellent addition to any
collection in terms of the music,
the performances, the production
and even the presentation,

Granted, Gorecki isn’t par-
ticularly familiar to mary classical
music buffs, but, to those who've
never heard his stuff before, this
recording will make an excellent
introduction.

Nikki Bartsch, Advertising Consultant, with Club'Z Travel District

M

IS 1993 YOUR YEAR FOR}
PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT?

Begin your year by visiting your
neighbourhood store for the latest
in informative reading on Health - -
& Fitness issues. Learn more
about DIET, FITNESS,
HEALTHY CHOICES, .
NUTRITION and CHILDCARE.
The BANTAM & DELL
MEDICAL CENTRE now located
in your LOCAL PHARMACY
DEPARTMENT provides an
excellent SELECTION OF
PAPERBACKS to answer your
concerns on a better lifestyle,
Drop into your neighbourhood
Pharmacy Department now!

WEST VANCOUVER

SHOPPERS DRUG MART
PHARMASAVE #214
SAFEWAY #45

PUUS, enter:in the
consumer draw for 2: #1.
FABULOUS |
MIDWEEK

PACKAGES to
HARRISON HOT
SPRING HOTEL:

—® DINNER
CERTIFICATES TO
THE HORIZONS |
RESTAURANT ON
BURNABY
MOUNTAIN

NORTH VANCOUVER’

‘SHOPPERS DRUG MART
SAFEWAY #118, #140, #162

PHARMASAVE #107

PEOPLES DRUG MART #109

Peeay

oe

NEWS ADVERTISER SAYS:

Listen to our

any, a

iat we

Manager Michael Coates |. |

advertisers.

They'll tell you that advertising
in the North Shore News
_brings in new customers
and increases their business.

Find out now the
North Shore News
can help make your
business grow.
Give us a call!

SPRAVEL

We Vancouver

Kv m,
Mr. Kyarstro _
ca Travel an 2 anivertiserne
Cut in January within the Te

Airfares in) ;
Shore News: .

. W
sums up ¢ Pet ove ;
Jacarion recelv ed ove! a continuous basis
«eke Notth Shore News on he to out relatively
Advertising 19 Oe ad awareness and we Valley.
itely incre? in Zellers‘Lynn
has defir seated in 4 ‘i adver’
new eravel agency te ‘ vice from _
sived professt
Jive receives Fe
tising, CEpeeS Tea
and demoge phic Fe
ing campa

{look forward io

BC.
our Europe

announcing
{ Section of the North

Serving World Famous Fish & Chips
in HORSESHCE BAY since 1946

® expires March 4/93

@ Mon.-Thurs. only
4pm to closing

* Horseshoe Bay
location only

Eat-in only

a 2 response
One ol
Lynn Valley

DISPLAY ADVERTISING
980-0511

THE VOICE OF MCITTH AND WEST VANCOUVER:

ch tO
ionship with your paper.

AS. _
continued working relat
a

Buy the first entree, and receive a
second entree of equal or lesser value,

5 FREE!
921-7755

Sincerely.

Michael CeSTAN AGER

6408 Bay Street
West Vancouver