This new recording of Górecki’s Symphony No. 3 has the distinction of being the first on SACD. Otherwise, it’s pretty much yet another fine performance of this oft-recorded and -performed contemporary work. Alain Altinoglu adopts the standard dirge pace, though his focus on inner details–making clear the low strings’ individual lines–injects a bit of urgency in the music’s otherwise brooding introduction. Indeed, the Sinfonia Varsovia strings dig deeply into the subterranean depths, making them sound like some slowly awakening behemoth. Altinoglu builds tension in a measured, unforced manner that culminates in an arresting climax, at which point Ingrid Perruche’s pure-toned yet full-voiced singing appears like an angel of light amid the gloom (an effect she maintains throughout the remainder of the symphony). It’s all very well done–as excellent a rendition as Zinman’s and Yuasa’s.
Naïve’s spacious, solid recording boasts a wide dynamic range (especially on SACD), making it the best sounding of the three versions under consideration. Altinoglu’s disc also includes Górecki’s 1969 Canticum Graduum, a rather gnarly work that generates orchestral sonorities so abrasive they sound like amplifier distortion (even though the composer employs strictly acoustic instruments). It’s interesting–and somewhat unpleasant, definitely not a deciding factor. [1/4/2006]
