Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra; Partita for Violin and Orchestra; Novelette

Featuring

Nicholas Collon
Christian Tetzlaff
Jouko Laivuori
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Witold Lutosławski

Did you know?

1/7

Composer Biography

Witold Lutosławski, a Polish composer, was one of the most prominent creative musicians after World War II.

Critical Reception

Lutosławski's Concerto for Orchestra was a huge success at its 1954 premiere, establishing him as the most significant Polish composer since Karol Szymanowski.

Performer Biography

Christian Tetzlaff, the violinist on this album, is known for his extensive repertoire, performing around 100 concerts annually, and for championing both forgotten masterpieces and new works.

Composition History

Lutosławski's Concerto for Orchestra was influenced by Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, with Lutosławski stating Bartók's influence on him was immense.

Compositional Technique

Lutosławski developed 'aleatoric counterpoint' or 'restricted aleatorics', a technique where individual musicians play parts that don't need exact synchronization, as if playing alone.

Historical Context

Lutosławski used folk music elements in his early period, possibly as a way to balance the official Socialist Realism arts policy, which emphasized clarity, with his own expressive ambitions.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Lutosławski's career evolved through a Neo-Classical period, a transition to fully chromatic twelve-tone music, and then to aleatoric counterpoint, with his late works featuring more nuanced harmony and expressive melodic writing.