Karol Wojtyła’s philosophy and Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s creativity

Abstract

This article seeks to demonstrate the presence of Karol Wojtyła’s philosophy in Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s creativity, based on the words of the composer himself and the works which inspired him. The first part discusses a book the artist received, containing John Paul II’s homilies on the relationship between faith and culture. They turned out to become Górecki’s handbook on the role, nature and significance of art. The next part of the article discusses a homily quoted by the composer, on the religious dimension of art, which Górecki believed to be a perfect setting for introspection. The third part of the article describes the pope’s Letter to artists, which the composer believed to contain insights important for artists. Górecki’s statements show a significant influence of Wojtyła’s philosophy on the evolution of the composer’s creativity. John Paul II’s works are so significant to Górecki that he believes them to be seminal not just to his own introspective musings, but to art and culture as a whole.Keywords: the artist’s introspective, the composer vs the philosopher, creative attitude, art and religion.