<<  -- 4 --  Tess Crebbin    EUROPAMUSICALE POLAND

Of his Concerto for Viola, of which the cello version was performed, Penderecki said: 'I chose this piece because it is unusual in that it has three different versions. The original one for viola, the cello version that we heard at the concert, and there is also a piano version. There are not many pieces you can do this with.'

Penderecki gets inspiration for his own compositions from the ever-changing face of nature. 'At home in Poland, I have a big park full of trees. Trees are my big hobby and in that park, I planted every tree imaginable that will survive in our climate. I often go there, just to be still among the trees and to watch them. What especially fascinates me is how they change with the seasons, colour-wise and also in terms of the sound that the wind makes when it blows through their branches. There is a different sound to the wind blowing through a tree in autumn than in summer, when the leaves are lush and abundant.'

The concert was a real delight, also because Penderecki seems to be such a kind man despite sometimes looking rather grim on photographs. When he was presented with a flower bouquet at the end, he handed it with a hand kiss to the female first viola. His orchestra said about him: 'He is wonderful to practice with, more like a kind uncle. He brings out the best in us and it is always nice to play with him.'

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