Menoizikul; Midweek Musicalisms

This midweek interlude is supposed to be about lesser-known or less-heard composers' works, and on the whole that has been achieved. I could not go past this one, however, despite his being quite well-known, at least for his hauntingly beautiful Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. Yes, I'm talking about Henryk Gorecki (6th December, 1933, Czernica, Poland). If, btw, you haven't heard that symphony, do yourselves a favour.

Anyhoo... When looking for something else of his to share with you this week, I happened upon this. I was mesmerised! This is heavy metal-level harpsichord and orchestra stuff. It's driving, throbbing, relentlessness is captivating. The virtuosity required is stratospheric. Stick with it. Hear the homage to Bach and Handel in the first movement, then, in the second, nods to Mozart and, later, to Beethoven. But this is all Gorecki, baby! It's less than ten minutes of sheer musical mayhem that forces its way into the psyche and leaves one wanting more, more, more!