Lutoslawski: Orchestral Works Vol. 2

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Another fine disc in what is surely to become the definitive digital Witold Lutoslawski edition--and at budget price, too. The two major works are the Second Symphony, one of the composer's most challenging pieces, and the Romantic Piano Concerto--which has been described as the greatest piano concerto that Berg never wrote. The Second Symphony falls into two movements, labeled "Hesitant" and "Direct," and it makes extensive use of "controlled randomness," where the composer directs the players to repeat a phrase however many times they please within a specified amount of time. The other two works are early and very approachable. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Symphonic Variations
Little Suite (Mala suita): Fujarka (Piccolo)
Little Suite (Mala suita): Hurra Polka
Little Suite (Mala suita): Piosenka (Song)
Little Suite (Mala suita): Taniec (Dance)
Symphony No. 2: Hesitant
Symphony No. 2: Direct
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra: I
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra: II
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra: III
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra: IV

Amazon.com

Another fine disc in what is surely to become the definitive digital Witold Lutoslawski edition--and at budget price, too. The two major works are the Second Symphony, one of the composer's most challenging pieces, and the Romantic Piano Concerto--which has been described as the greatest piano concerto that Berg never wrote. The Second Symphony falls into two movements, labeled "Hesitant" and "Direct," and it makes extensive use of "controlled randomness," where the composer directs the players to repeat a phrase however many times they please within a specified amount of time. The other two works are early and very approachable. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Second Symphony; the Piano Concerto is less good.......2003-12-16

This disc, the second in Naxos' series of Lutoslawski's orchestra music, covers his work over nearly 50 years, from his first piece for full orchestra, the Symphonic Variations of 1939, to one of his last, 1987's Piano Concerto.

The Symphonic Variations are a ten-minute student-level essay. Written in a style that bears considerable resemblance to Stravinsky and Les Six, this passes by inoffensively for its ten minute duration, without really catching fire. It might be an interesting entry for a "spot the composer" game, though. More distinctive is the Little Suite from 1950. Forced by Stalinist politics to write in a rather mild folk-inspired style, Lutoslawski here creates a light-hearted four-movement suite that is not without interest. The music here hints at more ambition than such works usually have, and at points sounds like a study for his first masterpiece, the 1954 Concerto for Orchestra.

Moving on to 1967 and the Second Symphony, Lutoslawski's style had changed dramatically. Trading tonality for atonality and simplicty for complexity, the composer's works of the 1960s are demanding both on interpreters and performers, but for the most part are worth the effort. In particular, the Second Symphony may be about the most demanding of the lot. It's a work based around dichotomies--two movements, the first entitled Hesitant, the second Direct (and these titles pretty much sum up their content); two types of music, one conventionally notated, the other with all the instruments playing independently and not in time with each other; and a semi-soloistic group of oboes, cor anglais and bassoons against the rest of the orchestra. The first movement acts as an introduction, exploring motifs and ideas without developing them, the second builds these motifs gradually towards a powerful climax, after which the work falls apart in an epilogue for the bass instruments alone. This isn't as fine a work as the two succeeding symphonies, but it isn't negligible, and Wit directs a very fine performance. Giving the music more space to breath than, say, Salonen on Sony, he creates greater tension and a more powerful climax despite the superior orchestral playing on the Sony disc.

The Piano Concerto is a late work, and one where Lutoslawski's modernism had mellowed, allowing him a rapprochement with Romanticism without compromising his stylistic integrity. It is in four movements that play without a break; the first alternates delicate passages with a melodic cantilena which eventually leads to an impassioned climax, the second is a moto perpetuo scherzo, the third a slow movement that alternates solo recitative with accompanied passages and the finale a fast chaconne that ends with a variant of the first-movement cantilena. This performance isn't as good as that of the symphony; Piotr Paleczny is a fine pianist but lacks the lightness and vigour of Crossley on Sony and Zimerman on DG.

This disc can be warmly recommended for those looking for a good recording of the Second Symphony. Those looking for the Piano Concerto will find superior recordings elsewhere--if at a steeper price.

Brilliant Second Symphony and great Piano Concerto.......2000-02-04

The Naxos label has released several CDs of the complete works of Lutoslawski, and they are all indispensable to anyone even remotely interested in 20th-century classical music. This particular disc covers exactly 50 years of Lutoslawski, from his 1938 'Symphonic Variations' to his 1988 'Piano Concerto.' The recorded sound is, as usual, excellent, and the playing of the orchestra and of pianist Piotr Paleczny is just spectacular. The 'Symphonic Variations' put Lutoslawski on the map, and though early, reveal a sound that Lutoslawski could completely claim as his own. They are, as can be expected, scored with Lutoslawski's trademark utter delicacy. Next on the disc is his 'Little Suite' from the early 1950s. It is in four uptempo sections, with the second movement Hurra Polka being the most lively. All four sections are very pleasing to the ear, a sharp contrast to Lutoslawski's later style, which is represented next with his Second Symphony, certainly one of the greatest symphonies written in the 20th century. The half-hour long work is in binary form (two movements), a style which Lutoslawski would return to again and again in the future. He says that he intends to use the initial movement to moderately stir the interest of the listener, but not satisfy him/her; just as the listener is about to give up on the piece, Lutoslawski says, the second movement starts. And what a movement it is! Lutoslawski's principle of controlled chance is used to the max here. The players are allowed to repeat any marked passage any number of times. The movement builds up to a breathtaking climax with a whole battery of percussion taking the lead, then gently (almost inaudibly) fades off into the distance. Finally, his 'Piano Concerto' is a bit more listenable. He modeled it after the Baroque style, and it is a very rewarding piece for both performer and listener. Its four movements are all interconnected (following the composer's Chain principle), and are generally very listenable. Pianist Paleczny is one of Poland's finest pianists, and he gives a top-notch performance of his compatriot's work. Certainly one of the best, if not the best, piano concertos written in the last quarter century. All in all, this disc is essential for the 20th-century music fan. Music just doesn't get a lot better than this!

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