Steinberg compared the success of Górecki's symphony to the Doctor Zhivago phenomenon of 1958: "Everybody rushed to buy the book; few managed actually to read it.
Steinberg compara o éxito da sinfonía de Górecki co fenómeno do Doutor Zhivago de 1958: «todo o mundo corría mercar o libro a toda presa; aínda que moi poucos chegaron lelo.