Górecki's Symphony No. 3

Composed in the year 1976, Henryk Górecki's Symphony No. 3, commonly referred to as "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs," is frequently regarded as the composer's magnum opus, propelling Górecki into recognition as conceivably one of the most commercially successful composers of the 20th Century.

Emerging from a foundation of predominantly creating dissonant compositions, the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs denoted a shift from the discordant nature of his earlier creations towards the mellower tonal harmonies characterizing his later artistic phase. Characterized as "melancholic, akin to Mahler, yet devoid of the grandiosity conveyed by percussion, horns, and choir; instead, resonating solely with the lament of strings and the solitary soprano," Górecki's Symphony No. 3 endures as the composer's most renowned masterpiece.

The "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" is performed in Polish, and for good reason – its texts are directly sourced. This poignant artistic creation provides perspectives from both a grieving mother who has lost her child and a child who has been separated from their parents. It stands as a profoundly moving contemplation on motherhood, love, and bereavement themes.

The first and third movements convey the viewpoint of a mother deeply concerned for her child. The text of the opening movement is extracted from a 15th-century Polish lament known as the "Lament of the Holy Cross." Written from Mary's perspective, it portrays her gaze upon Jesus on the cross, driven by her desire to alleviate his suffering. The third movement originates from a Silesian folk song hailing from the Opole region of Poland. It depicts a mother's quest for her missing son. She expresses her yearning to locate his resting place, enabling her to properly mourn, and she entreats that songbirds sing for him. This compelling text serves as a poignant conclusion to this emotive symphonic composition.

One of the most heartrending texts is derived from the wall of a cell within a Gestapo prison in Zakopane. Incarcerated there was Helena Wanda Błażusiakówna, an 18-year-old who found herself imprisoned by the Gestapo in 1944 during the Nazi occupation of Poland. While in confinement, she etched a prayer into her cell's wall using a fragment of her own broken tooth:

‘Mother, do not cry, no, do not weep, Most pure Queen of Heaven, Protect me always.’

Despite the heartbreak in this narrative, it carries a note of hope – after 12 weeks, Helena was among the individuals being transported from Zakopane by train when she was rescued by guerrilla fighters. She journeyed on foot across the Tatra mountains and reached her grandparents' home in Szczawnica, where she survived the war.

In 1973, Górecki approached the Polish folklorist Adolf Dygacz to find traditional melodies for a new composition. Dygacz presented four songs recorded in the Silesia region. Among them, Górecki was struck by the melody "Where has he gone, my dear young son?" (Kajże się podzioł mój synocek miły?), which likely originates from the Silesian Uprisings of 1919–21. He found the words and melody of Dygacz's version impressive, stating, "for me, it is a wonderfully poetic text..." Later that year, Górecki came across an inscription in a German Gestapo prison in Zakopane. The words were from Helena Wanda Błażusiakówna, a 18-year-old prisoner, and they read "Oh Mamma do not cry, no. Immaculate Queen of Heaven, always support me."

Reflecting on this, Górecki shared, "I have to admit that I have always been irritated by grand words, by calls for revenge... The sentence I found is different... seeking comfort and support in simple, short but meaningful words." He continued, "In prison, the whole wall was covered with inscriptions screaming out loud... And she is so different... She only thinks about her mother: because her mother will experience true despair. This inscription was something extraordinary. And it really fascinated me."

With these two texts, Górecki had mother-to-son and daughter-to-mother communication. While searching for a third piece to complement the theme, he chose a mid-15th-century folk song from Opole. In this text, the Virgin Mary speaks to her dying Son on the cross: "O my son, beloved and chosen, Share your wounds with your mother ..." Górecki viewed this text as folk-like and anonymous, giving him three distinct elements.

Originally considering an introduction and conclusion, using verses 5 and 6 from Psalm 93/94, Górecki abandoned this structure as he didn't want the work to be solely about war. Instead, he organized the piece into three separate laments, aiming to transcend specific themes.

The symphony was dedicated to Górecki's wife, Jadwiga Rurańska. When questioned about the choice, Górecki replied, "Who was I supposed to dedicate it to?" He deliberately refrained from explicating the symphony as a reaction to any political or historical event. Instead, he asserted that the piece embodies the profound connection between mother and child. In the 1960s, Górecki had been commissioned to compose music in response to the Holocaust, yet he struggled to complete any of the compositions he initiated for that purpose.

Though Górecki acknowledged that he had long contemplated creating a work directly addressing Auschwitz, he resisted construing the symphony in such a manner. He favoured a broader interpretation of the symphony's significance. Some critics endeavoured to construe the symphony in spiritual contexts, an approach that Górecki dismissed as well. Additionally, others proposed that the symphony could be comprehended as a synthesis of Polish history.

The symphony subtly references the principal historical and political shifts in Poland's narrative spanning from the 14th century to 1976, the year of its inception. Moreover, each of the three movements seems to represent a distinct era... and they unfold in chronological sequence. The composer seems to have shaped three distinct and discrete "chapters" encapsulating Poland's history.

Górecki commented about the composition, "Many of my family died in concentration camps. I had a grandfather who was in Dachau and an aunt in Auschwitz. You know how it is between Poles and Germans. But Bach was a German too—and Schubert and Strauss. Everyone has his place on this little earth. That's all behind me. So, the Third Symphony is not about war; it's not a Dies Irae; it's a normal Symphony of Sorrowful Songs."