[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Krzysztof Penderecki (87), a Polish-born conductor and composer who composed a symphony subtitled "Korea" commissioned by the South Korean government in 1992, passed away on the 29th in Krak?w, a city in southern Poland.
Born in 1933 in D?bica, Poland, Penderecki was called a master of contemporary music who dealt with themes such as life and death, good and evil, suffering, and guilt throughout his life through music.
He had a deep connection with Korea. In 1991, then Minister of Culture Lee O-young personally commissioned Penderecki to compose a piece embodying the meaning of liberation. Penderecki completed the symphony "Korea" the following year and premiered it with the KBS Symphony Orchestra in August 1992. In 2003, Seoul National University awarded him an honorary doctorate to commemorate his 70th birthday.
Ryu Jae-jun, the artistic director of the Seoul International Music Festival, was a cherished disciple of Penderecki. After graduating from Seoul National University's composition department, Ryu studied under Penderecki at the Krak?w Academy of Music. Due to his connection with his student Ryu, Penderecki was appointed honorary artistic director of the Seoul International Music Festival in 2009. Last year, he was scheduled to perform the "St. Luke Passion" at the festival but could not participate due to deteriorating health.
Penderecki released a series of works reflecting painful modern history. His representative piece is "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima," composed in 1960 for the victims of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, Japan.
"St. Luke Passion," released in 1966, reflects the era's pain experienced through World War II and the Cold War. In 1996, he premiered "The Seven Gates of Jerusalem," commissioned by Jerusalem. "The Seven Gates of Jerusalem" was praised by The New York Times as "the last masterpiece of the 20th century." During the September 11 attacks in 2001, he composed the piano concerto "Resurrection," embodying an anti-violence spirit.
Penderecki's music was widely known to the public through its use in films. His music was featured in William Friedkin's "The Exorcist" (1973), Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" (1980), David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" (1990), and "Inland Empire" (2006), among others.
Penderecki was nominated for the Grammy Awards eight times, winning four, and left behind four operas and eight symphonies.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
