Penderecki and music for children? This little piece is an exception that contradicts stereotypes.
In his youth, Krzysztof Penderecki composed extensively for cartoons and puppet theatres. This lighter trend in his music culminated in the opera The Most Valiant Knight, written jointly with Marek Stachowski. Works for children are, however, virtually absent from his mature output. One of the few exceptions is the Christmas song entitled The Speckled Duck, dedicated to his granddaughter Marysia. It features two choirs engaged in a dialogue in a lively tempo. The simple tonality and onomatopoeic effects are the qualities of this graceful miniature.