Lutoslawski: Last Recording

Featuring

Witold Lutosławski
Ewa Pobłocka
Narodowa Orkiestra Symfoniczna Polskiego Radia NOSPR

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Historical Context

During the 1980s, Lutosławski boycotted state institutions in Poland to show solidarity with artists during and after martial law, refusing to conduct his music in his home country.

Compositional Technique

Lutosławski's 'chain technique,' where musical layers overlap rather than start and end together, was first used in the final movement of his Concerto for Orchestra and appears in other works from the 1980s.

Cultural Impact

Lutosławski was awarded the Solidarity Prize in 1983 for his principled moral stance and support of the democratic movement and artists' boycott in Poland.

Composer Biography

Lutosławski, the composer, was a skilled pianist and conductor, and even a violinist during his student years, which informed his deep understanding of performance.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Lutosławski believed that the problems of performance were an integral part of composition, and he aimed to 'compose the perception' of his music.

Recording & Production

This album features recordings of Lutosławski's music conducted by the composer himself, which are considered highly instructive and often definitive.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Lutosławski believed that creative artists live a 'double life,' inhabiting an 'ideal world' of dreams and wishes, which it is their mission to make accessible to others.