The new album featuring works by Krzysztof Penderecki—"Poland's godfather of the musical avant-garde" (Independent)—paired with those they inspired by Jonny Greenwood is out now on Nonesuch Records. On the album are Penderecki's Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima and Polymorphia (for 48 strings) and Greenwood's Popcorn Superhet Receiver and 48 Responses to Polymorphia, all performed by the AUKSO Chamber Orchestra, with Penderecki conducting his pieces and Marek Moś conducting Greenwood's. "The results are ear-tingling," says NPR. "What we hear on this album is a meeting of two artistic visionaries connected in a real dialogue."

MusicOMH's Ben Hogwood had a similar response to the orchestra's performance of Penderecki’s Threnody, saying it “sends a chill down the spine with its first, crisply struck cluster of notes. Concentrated throughout, this is music of raw emotion and power, performed with impressive ensemble and virtuosity." Hogwood goes on to say: "The four pieces here make an album that carries a powerful impact, as well as recognising the obvious talents of both composers in writing for the string orchestra."

In an extensive article in this past Sunday's New York Times Magazine on Jonny Greenwood and his development as a composer, Steve Reich says that, in Popcorn Superhet Receiver, Greenwood offers “the first new approach to pizzicato since Bartok.” Read the article at nytimes.com.

To pick up a copy of the album, head to the Nonesuch Store, where CD orders include high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the album at checkout. It is also available to purchase there as MP3s and FLAC lossless files.

AUKSO Chamber Orchestra, led by Penderecki and Marek Moś, will perform the complete album live in concert at Barbican Hall in London next week, Thursday, March 22, as part of the tenth Kinoteka Poilsh Film Festival. For more information, go to barbican.org.uk.