“Krzysztof Penderecki, a Polish composer and conductor whose modernist works jumped from the concert hall to popular culture, turning up in soundtracks for films like ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The Shining’ and influencing a generation of edgy rock musicians, died on Sunday at his home in Krakow. He was 86,” writes Daniel Lewis in Sunday’s (3/29) New York Times. “His death was confirmed by Andrzej Giza, the director of the Ludwig van Beethoven Association, which was founded by Mr. Penderecki’s wife, Elzbieta. Mr. Penderecki was regarded as Poland’s pre-eminent composer for more than half a century. [His] dozens of compositions [include] eight symphonies, four operas, a requiem and other choral works, and several concertos…. Compositions from the wild first decade of his career, including ‘Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima’ (1960), ‘Polymorphia’ (1961) and the ‘St. Luke Passion’ (1966) … brought him lasting international recognition while he was still a young man…. His influence is most directly evident in the music of Jonny Greenwood, the classically trained guitarist of Radiohead [and composer of film scores]…. On the podium, Mr. Penderecki was a powerful, bearded figure… He [was also] conductor of the Krakow Symphony and frequent guest conductor abroad.”
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