Credits:

Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

Description:

This symphony, which premiered in Jerusalem in 1997 (and was originally composed as an oratorio), is a masterpiece that has enhanced Pendereckis reputation in recent years; it also garnered attention in Japan through video recordings of the composer conducting (Alt Haus: 100009). On the Naxos recording, Witone of the labels leading conductorsdelivers a masterful performance, bringing the work to life with steely structural precision.For Penderecki, who first visited the city in 1974the year following the Fourth Arab-Israeli WarJerusalem held special significance. At that time, Penderecki received a commission to compose a work commemorating the 3,000th anniversary of the founding of Jerusalem. In 1996, he composed the oratorio *The Seven Gates of Jerusalem*. In Jewish tradition, the eighth gate is said to be reserved for the Messiah. This wor