Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994)

Started by Maciek, April 11, 2007, 02:44:42 PM

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71 dB

Quote from: vers la flamme on August 22, 2019, 03:13:23 AM
would even be OK with passionate hatred.  ;D

I try not to hate things. If possible I ignore rather than hate.  0:)
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vers la flamme

Fair enough. All I can say to that is your loss, my friend. I am happy to have discovered Lutoslawski's music recently, and my life has been enriched for it.

If I had to narrow his talent to one trait, I'd say that Luto was a hell of a virtuosic orchestrator. I can't help but wonder if he had studied the scores of Ravel. He must have taken some influence from John Cage, too. Now that's an obscure composer to me.

I still have yet to hear Luto's 2nd symphony. I think I will hold out until I can afford to get the Salonen/LAPO cycle of his symphonies. Perfectly content to explore the other three until then. The first continues to be my favorite at this early stage in my listening.

Quote from: 71 dB on August 22, 2019, 03:45:33 AM
I try not to hate things. If possible I ignore rather than hate.  0:)

That is probably a healthy perspective to take. :D There's not much in music that I truly hate, either.

Andy D.

#262
Quote from: 71 dB on August 22, 2019, 03:41:41 AM
To express a viewpoint that there are classical music fans to whom Lutoslawski and Penderecki are obscure composers.

I think that viewpoint's shared by many, my friend. If I walk down a typical American street (for instance) and mention their names, 10-1 I'd get a blank stare.

That said, I highly recommend the Utrenja (at least just to say ya gave it a fair try)...mostly because it might be Penderecki's most dazzlingly original work. And a great piece on its own, imo. Just be ready, there isn't a horror film score in the world that could prepare yourself for Part II's...uh, 'Resurrection".

But hey, it's definitely not for everyone lol.

Andy D.

I really like Lut's 3rd symphony, the aleatoric parts in general in his  music  are quite welcome and inspiring to me. I'm not as wild about the  4th, which makes me think of the time Pollack stopped doing drips (when he was so amazing and ground-breaking with them).

I found the Salonen recording buried  in my discs, glad to have that one.


North Star

Fortunately for Poju, Naxos has an excellent series of Lutolawski recordings, available individually or boxed here.


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"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

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71 dB

#265
Quote from: Andy D. on August 22, 2019, 03:51:12 AM
That said, I highly recommend the Utrenja (at least just to say ya gave it a fair try)...mostly because it might be Penderecki's most dazzlingly original work. And a great piece on its own, imo. Just be ready, there isn't a horror film score in the world that could prepare yourself for Part II's...uh, 'Resurrection".

But hey, it's definitely not for everyone lol.

Thanks, I'll look that out if I have time (for all the Youtube videos I watch these days...  :P )

EDIT: I listened to the first 15 minutes of Utrenja (Naxos) on spotify and didn't like it at all. Cold horror music from hell. I felt like being in hell. I prefer "heavenly" music with warmth and beauty. apparently Penderecki is not my thing. Sorry.
Spatial distortion is a serious problem deteriorating headphone listening.
Crossfeeders reduce spatial distortion and make the sound more natural
and less tiresome in headphone listening.

My Sound Cloud page <-- NEW Jan. 2024 "Harpeggiator"

vers la flamme

A few pieces of Lutoslawski's have blown me away lately: the Double Concerto for Oboe & Harp, the concert aria Les espaces du sommeil, the Funeral Music for strings, and the First Symphony. These pieces are all wildly different from each other and between them all, I think the new listener might be able to garner an idea of just how versatile Luto's talent was. I think all of these rank among his more accessible pieces, too.

I'm not always in the mood for Lutoslawski's great music, but when I am receptive to it, I am absolutely in awe. What a composer!!  :o



This is a must for any 20th century classical library, I think... it's hard to imagine a better introduction to his works. It wasn't mine, that honor goes to the LaSalle Quartet recording of his String Quartet, and then Antoni Wit's recording of the First Symphony along with the great Jeux vénitiens and a few song cycles. I am curious to hear Salonen's recordings of the symphonies, but frankly, I think the Polish conductors and orchestras are the way to go with this music. He is Poland's great Modern composer, and as cosmopolitan as his music would become, there is an essential Polishness to still most of it.

SymphonicAddict

Quote from: 71 dB on August 22, 2019, 08:58:22 AM
Thanks, I'll look that out if I have time (for all the Youtube videos I watch these days...  :P )

EDIT: I listened to the first 15 minutes of Utrenja (Naxos) on spotify and didn't like it at all. Cold horror music from hell. I felt like being in hell. I prefer "heavenly" music with warmth and beauty. apparently Penderecki is not my thing. Sorry.

You're sort of like this:  :D


vers la flamme


vers la flamme

Lutosławski's String Quartet is an ingenious work. I have never heard anything like it in the genre. What other chamber music did Lutosławski write? All that I have is this and then the two-piano version of the Paganini Variations, a completely different kind of piece. Please tell me there's something else out there. Failing that I suppose I still have the SQs of Bacewicz and Penderecki to explore further...

North Star

Quote from: vers la flamme on November 16, 2019, 01:10:23 PM
Lutosławski's String Quartet is an ingenious work. I have never heard anything like it in the genre. What other chamber music did Lutosławski write? All that I have is this and then the two-piano version of the Paganini Variations, a completely different kind of piece. Please tell me there's something else out there. Failing that I suppose I still have the SQs of Bacewicz and Penderecki to explore further...
Check out the wonderful Partita for violin and piano - I at least prefer it to the later orchestration (requested by Mutter, I recall).
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

relm1

Quote from: vers la flamme on September 24, 2019, 04:31:26 PM
A few pieces of Lutoslawski's have blown me away lately: the Double Concerto for Oboe & Harp, the concert aria Les espaces du sommeil, the Funeral Music for strings, and the First Symphony. These pieces are all wildly different from each other and between them all, I think the new listener might be able to garner an idea of just how versatile Luto's talent was. I think all of these rank among his more accessible pieces, too.

I'm not always in the mood for Lutoslawski's great music, but when I am receptive to it, I am absolutely in awe. What a composer!!  :o



This is a must for any 20th century classical library, I think... it's hard to imagine a better introduction to his works. It wasn't mine, that honor goes to the LaSalle Quartet recording of his String Quartet, and then Antoni Wit's recording of the First Symphony along with the great Jeux vénitiens and a few song cycles. I am curious to hear Salonen's recordings of the symphonies, but frankly, I think the Polish conductors and orchestras are the way to go with this music. He is Poland's great Modern composer, and as cosmopolitan as his music would become, there is an essential Polishness to still most of it.

I totally agree with you and have this set too and adore it and find it the best versions of the music (perhaps because it was my first exposure to it though) but I love it.

vers la flamme

Quote from: North Star on November 16, 2019, 03:44:47 PM
Check out the wonderful Partita for violin and piano - I at least prefer it to the later orchestration (requested by Mutter, I recall).
Thanks! I didn't know there was a chamber version of that great piece. Let's see if I can find it.

André

Quote from: North Star on August 22, 2019, 06:09:16 AM
Fortunately for Poju, Naxos has an excellent series of Lutolawski recordings, available individually or boxed here.


[asin]B00DOQBVNW[/asin]

This set is indispensable.

....................................................................

I'll hear the 4th symphony next Wednesday, conducted by Hannu Lintu. I really look forward to that concert  :).


Daverz

Quote from: SymphonicAddict on September 24, 2019, 04:49:36 PM
You're sort of like this:  :D



"Imagine no Penderecki, I wonder if you can..."

Of course, later Penderecki rather famously "sold out", though some of his music can still be a bit dour.  An exception is the Piano Concerto, which is about as unbuttoned as Penderecki gets.

Maestro267

He also has his own Composer Discussion thread where discussion of him should be taken. This is Lutoslawski's thread.

Mirror Image

Getting back on topic of Lutoslawski, how about those orchestral songs?!?!? For me, they are are tremendous works and definitely reveal, at least for this listener, the scope and range of his artistry.

CRCulver

Has anything ever been written on how Lutoslawski learned English? There are a number of videos on YouTube of him speaking English, and he speaks with total comfort and this remarkably patrician accent. Did he have an English governess growing up? Did he spend some time in childhood in England?

MusicTurner

#278
Quote from: CRCulver on October 13, 2020, 11:29:25 AM
Has anything ever been written on how Lutoslawski learned English? There are a number of videos on YouTube of him speaking English, and he speaks with total comfort and this remarkably patrician accent. Did he have an English governess growing up? Did he spend some time in childhood in England?

His mother would translate English children's books in the early years for a living, so there was some learning there at least.

vers la flamme

#279
Quote from: CRCulver on October 13, 2020, 11:29:25 AM
Has anything ever been written on how Lutoslawski learned English? There are a number of videos on YouTube of him speaking English, and he speaks with total comfort and this remarkably patrician accent. Did he have an English governess growing up? Did he spend some time in childhood in England?

I always got the impression that those videos were dubbed. His English is just too perfect.