What is an intentionally sad song that makes you feel good, and an intentionally upbeat song that makes you feel sad?

Gorecki, a citizen of Poland, composed the symphony in honor and memory of when Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany. The lyrics to the symphony are taken from the walls of Polish concentration camps; words prisoners had written on the walls.

I knew nothing of this when I first heard the symphony.

I simply had this performance here on CD and sat and listened.

And I literally cried through most of the symphony. I sat and listened to it in its entirety
No symphony in my life has affected me like this symphony and this particular performance.

It's all so beautiful in its sadness that it takes me to a place of beautiful happiness and hope.

Soprano Dawn Upshaw, London Sinfonietta and conductor David Zinman are flawless to me here. I listen as I type now and I'm getting chills.

I hope someone out there has about 54 minutes to listen. It starts very quietly in the lower strings; so low that you possibly may think nothing is playing. But it is. Keep listening.