The Polish composer Henryk Górecki, who became famous with a recording of Third Symphony in 1992, died on 12 November in Katowice, Poland.

Górecki was born as the child of musical parent, in the south of Poland. There he became acquainted with the music of Polish, German, and Czech culture. In the beginning of his career he composed in a modernistic style. Later his idiom became more influenced by folk music and Roman Catholic liturgical music.

His Beatus vir was written as a commission from the Polish cardinal Karol Woytila, who was to become pope John Paul II later.

Górecki was working on his Fourth Symphony, which was to be performed in this year's Holland Festival. His serious illness prevented him from finishing it.

[source: nrc.nl]