# SS 16.01.16 - Lutoslawski #3



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening! 
_*
*_For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Witold Lutoslawski (1913 - 1994)*

Symphony No. 3 

1. Symphony No. 3

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another Saturday Symphony and another composer I'm not familiar with so as always I'm looking forward to checking this one out. I will be listening to the conductor's own recording on Philips.

View attachment 80269


Witold Lutoslawski/Berlin Philharmonic


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I hope I can pass on this one


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I'll be listening to Salonen/LA Philharmonic.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

I'll be playing Salonen/LA Phil as well.


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

My favorite version of this piece, recorded by the same orchestra that premiered it, under a different director (Solti); it was clearly written with the famous Chicago Symphony's brass players in mind:


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I haven't had this work for long so this is a good opportunity to know it a little better. Antoni Wit on Naxos for me.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Mahlerian said:


> I'll be playing Salonen/LA Phil as well.


This recording is my choice also


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

Salonen's was the first commercially released performance of the piece (the composer's own, on Philips with the Berlin Phil, came out a few months later). Salonen played it on his first visit to Los Angeles, in 1984, if memory serves, and recorded it shortly thereafter. (It was also one of Salonen's first recordings for CBS/SONY).

The first time I heard the piece was when the Chicago Symphony broadcast its premiere on its national radio network. I recorded the broadcast and learned the piece's ins and outs from that performance, conducted by Solti. The composer was interviewed before Solti's performance. His English was impeccable. I remember him talking about "soul fishing," when asked whether he thought about potential listeners when writing music. He said he thought of his music as "fishing for souls," listeners who might also hear as he did and be moved by sounds as he was. I've gotta dig out that old cassette tape one day.

In concert, performing the Third Symphony, it was an awe-inspiring thing to see the composer conduct... I saw him perform it about five or six times (in SF and LA): those were unforgettable moments.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Mahlerian said:


> I'll be playing Salonen/LA Phil as well.


New stuff for me and I will be going with this as well


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Shucks. I only have Symphonies 2 and 4.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

elgars ghost said:


> I haven't had this work for long so this is a good opportunity to know it a little better. Antoni Wit on Naxos for me.


I've had the Wit since it was released, and played it recently. It's hard to imagine the music done any better. I heard a concert performance by Barenboim and the CSO on radio and it was very good but I think a bit to literal


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I can't believe how many recordings of this there are!

I'm listening to Lutoslawski conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker.


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

The original Salonen conducts Lutoslawski 3 album cover:


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have both the Salonen on Sony, and the composer's recordings on Philips. The Sony has better sound, but I find Lutoslawski's recordings of his own works to have a higher intensity level. There's an excellent 3 disc composers set on EMI as well that includes the first two symphonies. I haven't heard Wit's recording.


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## MrTortoise (Dec 25, 2008)

PeterFromLA said:


> My favorite version of this piece, recorded by the same orchestra that premiered it, under a different director (Solti); it was clearly written with the famous Chicago Symphony's brass players in mind:
> 
> View attachment 80282


Such a big fan of the CSO, loved listening to the broadcasts when I was a kid. PeterfromLA reminded me of this. Streaming from Spotify.


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

I have to resort to the YouTube for this one. 

Listening to the composer conduct Berlin from November, 1985.


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## PeterFromLA (Jul 22, 2011)

> Such a big fan of the CSO, loved listening to the broadcasts when I was a kid.


Yeah, it was great that the major orchestras would do these weekly radio broadcasts, usually available via public radio; a fantastic way of hearing premieres of works that would often take years to show up on record, if ever. I have stockpiles of cassette recordings of these on air broadcasts. I always would check the listings to see which pieces the orchestras were featuring and be sure to tune in if it was going to be a modern work. I paid special attention to listings for broadcasts by the Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York orchestras. I seem to recall also listening to broadcasts of the BBC SO and something from the Netherlands. Charles Amirkhanian on KPFA would often broadcast things from the Berkeley SO, Cabrillo Music Festival, and sundry European festivals; meanwhile the LA Phil would often feature recordings from the Ojai Festival... Aside from traveling a lot to music concerts and festivals, this is how you heard commercially unrecorded new music back in the pre-internet days.


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## MrTortoise (Dec 25, 2008)

PeterFromLA said:


> Yeah, it was great that the major orchestras would do these weekly radio broadcasts, usually available via public radio; a fantastic way of hearing premieres of works that would often take years to show up on record, if ever. I have stockpiles of cassette recordings of these on air broadcasts. I always would check the listings to see which pieces the orchestras were featuring and be sure to tune in if it was going to be a modern work. I paid special attention to listings for broadcasts by the Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York orchestras. I seem to recall also listening to broadcasts of the BBC SO and something from the Netherlands. Charles Amirkhanian on KPFA would often broadcast things from the Berkeley SO, Cabrillo Music Festival, and sundry European festivals; meanwhile the LA Phil would often feature recordings from the Ojai Festival... Aside from traveling a lot to music concerts and festivals, this is how you heard commercially unrecorded new music back in the pre-internet days.


<evil grin>If you were ever so generous to dig up those tapes, transfer the audio to digital files and upload to youtube, please post the channel to TC. I would be a big fan!</evil grin>


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Salonen and LAPO for me. I have it paired with #4, not the release with all four .


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## bz3 (Oct 15, 2015)

Balthazar said:


> I have to resort to the YouTube for this one.
> 
> Listening to the composer conduct Berlin from November, 1985.


Me too, never heard this one but looking forward to it.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

*Lutoslawski*: Symphony 3, w. CSO/Barenboim. Recorded 1992 at Orchestra Hall, Chicago. Recording Engineer: Larry Rock.


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## Classical Music Fan (Nov 21, 2015)

I had to listen to it on youtube so I chose the composer conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. Despite being such a relatively new work I enjoyed it. It had the feel of a 60's mystery/suspense film score and even felt Hermann like at times.


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