Exorcist composer passes away

YOU may not be familiar with the name Krzystof Penderecki, but you’ve almost certainly heard his musical compositions which have featured on the big and small screen for decades. Mr Pendrecki died at the weekend aged 86 after a long illness. The Pole wrote music for up-market horror movies such as “The Shining” and “The Exorcist” as well as for TV series ranging from Twin Peaks to the recent dystopian UK production “Black Mirror”. His atmospheric compositions were perfectly suited to darker material, but he was also a hugely well regarded artist outside of these mediums. In 1960 he wrote a dedication to the Hiroshima atom bomb victims and back 2012 inspired an album by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, who posted online what a loss Penderecki would be. The composer had honorary doctorates from over 40 universities and received four Grammy awards from a total of eight nominations. He was one of only a handful of people to receive the prestigious Grammy Trustee Award, joining artists as varied as The Beetles and Duke Ellington. The Polish Cultural Institute posted “Krzysztof Penderecki was a legendary icon of post-war Polish music who left behind a profoundly influential legacy, including operas, symphonies and choral works, as well as chamber and instrumental music. With its unique dramatic structure and a deeply humanistic message, his music transcended the avant-garde and became popular with a wide audience” .