Henryk Gorecki: String Quartet No. 3...songs are sung

Consisting of five movements, it is far longer than either of the previous quartets, commencing with a folkloric theme that seems to pace hesitantly, escalating into slashing anxiety before resolving back into its original loping gait. The somberly serene second movement, with its hymn-like secondary motif, gives way to the borderline frenzy of the third, which periodically veers off into a sweepingly romantic melody. The expository phrase of movement four evokes ectoplasmic recollections of Tchaikovsky's Serenade For Strings, progressing to a throbbing, dance-like tune overlooked by a reedy violin, ultimately fading into prayerful murmuring. The work closes with a peaceful meditation whose emotionally remote wandering is warmed by moments of smiling, reminiscent tenderness. --Christina Roden