# Witold Lutoslawski: Symphony No 3



## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

This work has been offered to me by neoshredder as one of the greatest works of the last half of the 20th century. I'm creating a thread where we can discuss it.














Witold Lutoslawski: Symphony No. 3
Los Angeles Philharmonic / Esa-Pekka Salonen

I would appreciate it if folks would provide info or links to info on Lutoslawski and this particular work so we can have the background to know about the piece we're listening to.

thanks!


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Witold Lutoslawski is known as one of the great orchestral composers of the latter half of the twentieth century. His music is rooted in the Classical-Romantic tradition as well as the spirited character of Eastern European predecessors such as Bartók, Prokofiev, and Szymanowski. Along the way, though, he introduced a number of innovations in keeping with the avant-garde tendencies of his Polish compatriots. He managed to strike a balance, somehow, between novel, even aleatoric textures, chromatically expressive melodies, wide-ranging rhythms, and a clear formal balance that conveyed an engagingly dramatic narrative. His Symphony No. 3 is the most ambitious, and possibly the most successful, example of his style.

Lutoslawski struggled for many years with this score. Begun in the early 1970s as a prestigious commission for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, he finally delivered the completed score in 1983. In discussions on its genesis, Lutoslawski has tended to focus on his own difficulties in working through Poland's period of Martial Law, a difficult time for those engaged in artistic expression. There are "martial" elements in the piece, particularly in the aggressive brass motives that impose themselves at various points, but this work is not programmatic, or possessed of a literal narrative.

One of the composer's main concerns was to find a way to incorporate lighter, more melodic passages into his work. His Symphony No. 2 (1967), for example, is built primarily from blocks of dense textures; there is very little line to the piece. Symphony No. 3, by contrast, is much more nuanced, both in the variety of materials and in the formal design. The piece unfolds as one continuous movement, but a number of sections can clearly be heard. The brass shout a call-to-arms to launch the symphony, but the music quickly dissolves into a nebulous wash.

The work proceeds in an episodic fashion, with the attention shifting abruptly from one texture to another. The brass continue to interject, and at last an extended transition pushes toward a more substantial section. A toccata-like, contrapuntal string texture casts a Beethovenian shadow, and one can hear vestiges of the sonata allegro form in this passage, with the strings leading into a more lyrical "second theme." These elements are developed in succession, intercut with passages featuring the brass. Along the way, there are a few triumphant moments for full orchestra. The final culmination leads to what Lutoslawski calls an Epilogue. This section constitutes a grand crescendo, building from the bottom up, with more and more instruments entering until the entire orchestra erupts in a final lyrical outpouring. The coda is brief, winding its way quickly downward, ending with one last gasp.

Symphony No. 3 represents the pinnacle of Lutoslawski's achievement. The various families of instruments are all featured in one fashion or another, complementing very well the talents of a great orchestra such as the Chicago Symphony. New to Lutoslawski's style is the lyricism which is evident throughout the work, set against his more characteristic orchestrational brilliance and rhythmic vitality. The formal construction is impressive, too; the thematic elements are carefully developed, and the harmonies, though non-tonal, are often sonorous and built from triadic superpositions. Lutoslawski completed this symphony at the mature age of 70 and would complete one more. [Allmusic.com]


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

It won't really add any important information to the thread, but my grandmother knew Lutosławski's brother.  She never has came to know the composer himself, though.

Best regards, Dr


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## Renaissance (Jul 10, 2012)

Hey, bigshot, you haven't heard Rautavaara's #3.






If you like this, you should check the others as well. Doesn't matter that it's in the "retro" style, it is as contemporary as you can get.


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

This isn't about the 3rd Symphony in particular, but is a nice attempt to articulate what the writer likes about Lutoslawski in general.

http://www.stevenstucky.com/Lutoslawski.shtml

Excerpt:

"There you have my five hallmarks for appreciating Lutoslawski: (1) beauty of sound and mastery of color, (2) renewal of harmony, (3) clarity of form, (4) drama, and (5) eloquent communication."


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

a footnote: Lutoslawski's _Chantefleurs et Chantefables_, for soprano and orchestra, (poems by French Surrealist poet, Robert Desnos: Chantefables - Storysongs; Chantefleurs - Flowersongs [1945] written in 1990 when the composer was close to eighty years old, is another fine work. It is also notable for its freshness and sometimes occasional playfulness, atypical of most senior composer's output.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Just listen to the piece. If it went over your head, it did the same for me. It takes multiple listening just like many other Symphonies.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

My view: A very interesting and rewarding piece. Yes, it takes several listens, but it seemed to me from the first hearing to be likely worth that investment. And as it turned out, it was.

Bigshot has offered a mostly technical analysis of the symphony above, which should be helpful in listening to it. You can also download the CD booklet from NML (Antoni Wit's performance on Naxos). The Wiki page, in this case, is very unhelpful.


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2012)

I'd like to add that listening to other things helps, too.

Earlier Lutosławski. The concerto for orchestra maybe.

Maybe a different Pole. Szymanowski.

Some Bartók, why not?

Struggling with any particular piece might not be all that rewarding. The first time I heard M. Behren's _Final Ballet,_ I was unimpressed. I did my usual, which was to haul it out every so often and give it a listen. For almost ten years I did that. Nothing.

At some point, I began listening to some Sachiko M, some Keith Rowe and Toshimaru Nakamura, some Otomo Yoshihide--those people's most stripped-down, minimal, sparse, non-developing music.

Then I put on the Behren's for another spin.

Magic!

I just needed to have familiarized myself with sparse, minimal music, and then the Behren's made all the sense in the world. And was rich and sensual and very enjoyable. Repeated listens to _Final Ballet_ itself had not done that. Listening to other things did.

So that's another possibility for you, if you're struggling with a particular piece.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Commissioned by the CSO in 1972, Symphony No. 3 was not completed until 1983. A premiere soon followed with CSO/Solti. CSO did not record the work until 1992, with Daniel Barenboim. Concerto for Orchestra (1954) coupled. A recording I continue to enjoy.

View attachment 9849


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have the Salonen recording of symphonies 3 & 4, which I always enjoy listening to. There is a great 3 disc set on EMI of Lutoslawski conducting his own works. It includes:

Symphonic Variations
Concerto For Orchestra
Symphonies 1 & 2
Livre Pour Orchestra
Funeral Music
Venetian Games

... and a few other pieces. A great introductory set for under 7 dollars from Amazon vendors.

http://www.amazon.com/Lutoslawski-O...1352823964&sr=1-2&keywords=witold+lutoslawski

I haven't heard any of the recent recordings on Chandos.

some guy mentioned Szymanowski. If you're a modern music fan, go with the later works. Symphonies 3 & 4 are recommended. Beautiful music!


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Neo, I haven't had a chance to listen to this yet. I want to give it my full attention and listen a few times through. Just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten.


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