Sorrowful Songs for Tuba and Electronics

Henryk Górecki’s Symphony No. 3, written in 1976, combines quasi-sacred minimalism with modal melodies drawn from centuries old Polish chants and folk songs scored for solo soprano and string orchestra. Symphony of Sorrowful Songs achieved international acclaim after Dawn Upshaw and the London Sinfonietta’s 1991 recording under the baton of David Zinman, with over 2 million copies of the record sold to date. Arranged for tuba and electronics and performed using MAX/MSP, this arrangement aims to represent the monumental work by Górecki by giving the performer the opportunity to recreate a massive 200+ bar cannon, have their acoustic sound digitally distorted and glitched, and play the role of a soprano soloist in front of a massive string orchestra…all in the same 20 minutes.