Henryk Górecki’s Third Symphony (1976) was a belated hit in the early 90s. His Fourth was his last composition, the orchestration indicated but unfinished when Górecki died in 2010. It was realised for performance by his son, Mikołaj, also a composer, and given its world premiere by the LPO in 2014. The four movements, opening with an insistent, repetitive statement driven by three bass drums, run without a break. The hymn-like slow movement, using glockenspiel and tubular bells, calls to mind Górecki’s expressive choral music. Then comes a war-like brassy section followed by a tranquil piano and cello duo and a chirpy, brusque finale with splashes of American-style minimalism. An interesting curiosity from a surprisingly inscrutable composer.
