Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima

Description

Written for 24 violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos and 8 doubles basses, THRENODY TO THE VICTIMS OF HIROSHIMA was originally titled 8'37″ when Krzysztof Penderecki composed it in 1961. A work written in a sonoristic technique with a focus on timbre, texture, articulation, dynamics, motion, and effects unique to the instruments, Penderecki said of the work, “it existed only in my imagination, in a somewhat abstract way.” Upon hearing an actual performance, he noted, “I was struck by the emotional charge of the work… I searched for associations and, in the end, I decided to dedicated it to the Hiroshima victims.” Excerpts from the work have been used in such films as THE EXORCIST (1973), THE SHINING (1980), CHILDREN OF MEN (2006), and in the 2017 TV series TWIN PEAKS.