A leading figure of the Polish avant-garde in the slowly cooling, post-Stalin atmosphere, Henryk Górecki’s uncompromising early, serialist, musical language gave way to the mystic and timeless scores from the 1970s onwards, including his symphonies. The contemplative and emotionally draining Symphony No 3 achieved unprecedented popularity years after its composition. This overview provides an essential look into one of Poland’s greatest masters of that country’s turbulent 20th century.