Andrzej Panufnik and his ‘Sinfonia Sacra’

Abstract

Panufnik's third symphony, entitled ‘Sinfonia Sacra’, represents in many ways the coalescence of his technical, stylistic and spiritual development. Its choice as winner, out of 133 entries from 38 countries, in the Prince Rainier III Composition Prize in Monaco in 1963, was an important step in the recognition of an artist whose notably individual style eludes easy classification. One usually looks to teachers, to other contemporary composers, and to predecessors, for traceable influences upon a new talent. In Panufnik's case, they help us very little.