It’s been a sad weekend for the musical community as Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki- renowned for his score of classic films like The Shining, The Exorcist, and Wild at Heart- tragically passed away at his Krakow abode according to Comicbook.com. Penderecki was 86 years old and hisdeath was officially confirmed by his wife Elzbieta, who heads the Ludwig van Beethoven Association.
Born and raised in Dębica, Poland in 1933, Penderecki studied music composition at the Academy of Music in Krakow and quickly ascended the ranks as one of Poland’s finest composers. Penderecki’s career in musical composition took off 1960s in which he began orchestrating soundtracks and scores. On top of this Penderecki also produced eight symphonies, a requiem, numerous concertos, four operas, and choral works. Among his greatest work was “Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima,” which appeared in many films and was particularly noticeable in Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men.
Penderecki’s influence impacted those beyond film, as his work touched many musicians. Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead considered Penderecki a major catalyst to his career as a performer and even collaborated together with him on Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. Greenwood would pen a tribute to Penderecki on Twitter Sunday.
“What sad news to wake to,” Greenwood mourned. “Penderecki was the greatest — a fiercely creative composer, and a gentle, warm-hearted man. My condolences to his family, and to Poland on this huge loss to the musical world.”
Leave a Comment