Complete Listening: Witold Lutoslawski

A while back I wrote about listening to the all of the recordings in my collection of one composer as a part of my listening activities.  I started that by listening to my collection of György Ligeti CDs.  Over a month ago I finished listening to these CDs.  I have decided to listen to Witold Lutoslawski's music next.  I own approximately ten CDs of music by him.  His music was important in the development of my compositional voice.  In particular Symphony No. 2, Chain I and Trois Poemes d'Henri Michaux are all pieces from which I have learned techniques and drawn inspiration.

Listening Journal: December 27, 2010 - January 2, 2011

Witold Lutoslawski - Orchestral Works, volume 2 - CD
   Symphonic Variations (1938)
   Little Suite (1954) for orchestra
   Symphony No. 2 (1967)
   Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1988)

Iannis Xenakis - Ikhoor (1978) for string trio
Kaija Saariaho - Laconisme de L'aile (1982) for flute



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Click to order mp3 recording from Amazon.com: Lutoslawski: Symphony No. 2 / Little Suite / Symphonic Variations / Piano Concerto

Lutoslawski's Last Concert

On Tuesday, October 26, 2010 Naxos released a recording of the last concert Witold Lutoslawski conducted.  The event took place on October 24, 1993 as a part of Toronto's New Music Concerts.  This concert features the trilogy Partita, Interlude and Chain No. 2 for violin and orchestra.  Fujiko Imajishi is the soloist on these tracks.  Chantefleurs et Chantefables as song cycle for soprano and orchestra is next on the recording sung by Valdine Anderson.  Chain No. 1 for fourteen performers finishes this concert.

This would be the last concert Lutoslawski would conduct as he would pass away almost four months later on February 7, 1994 at the age of 81.  This recording was released almost seventeen years after the date of the event.  This recording is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for October 2010.


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