# SS 8.12.18 - Lutosławski #2



## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:

*Witold Lutosławski (1913 - 1994)*

Symphony No. 2

1. Hésitant
2. Direct

wikipedia link
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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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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

I heard this work performed live recently. Interesting stuff. There are quite a few recordins available. I picked Esa-Pekka Salonen from my collection:


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

As you say, an interesting choice, Mika! At the moment the Saturday Symphony club seems to be concentrating on works/composers I very much admire, but when it comes to full-on loving their work, it's another matter! Lutoslawski is certainly one of those.

Interestingly, the work had two premieres, a bit like Walton's First, only the other way round!

I have the Naxos Lutoslawski recordings, so I'll give Antoni Wit a spin.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2018)

Mika said:


> I heard this work performed live recently. Interesting stuff. There are quite a few recordins available. I picked Esa-Pekka Salonen from my collection:
> 
> View attachment 110494


I'll take some time to listen to this one as well. My favourite of Lutosławski's symphonies.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I'll join in this one. The composer will be my guide.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Composer for me too but I have this incarnation of the recording:

View attachment 110500


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

will also listen to the Naxos recording with Wit and the Polish Radio Orchestra


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Mika said:


> I heard this work performed live recently. Interesting stuff. There are quite a few recordins available. I picked Esa-Pekka Salonen from my collection:
> 
> View attachment 110494


Yes this version for me as well


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Nice to see this one featured! I have both the Wit and the composer's recordings on EMI. I haven't heard Salonen's 1 & 2.

The EMI 3 disc set combined with the Salonen 3 & 4 symphonies CD makes a great Lutoslawski starter collection. If you like Wit, Presto Classical has an incredible deal on the 10 CD set right now.

You'll get the most out of no.2 if you listen closely, of course. The 1st movement is sort of a teaser, and everything unfolds in the 2nd.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Back around 1970, the Philadelphia Orchestra in the summer home of the Robin Hood Dell gave the American premiere of this symphony. I was there and listened intensely. When its last note was over, there was silence. I realized the work ended convincingly but I also realized that no one else did. So I started to applaud loudly and then the audience joined in. Enjoy!!


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Gardner and the BBC folks.


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I listened via streaming to the recording conducted by the composer. It was an interesting experience but this sort of thing isn't really my cup of tea. Nevertheless I've always looked at Saturday Symphony as a way to listen to works I never would otherwise, and was glad for the opportunity. Thanks, Mika for keeping Saturday Symphony going this week.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

starthrower said:


> The 1st movement is sort of a teaser, and everything unfolds in the 2nd.


It certainly does seem like the musical substance is all in the second half. I found the description of the 1st half as a "teaser" stimulating. It is certainly lighter and airy.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2018)

To tell you the truth I didn’t realise that Lutosławski’s 2nd Symphony even made it into the TC Top Recommended Symphonies list. How far down the list are we now? I used to participate in these listenings years ago but eventually dropped out of them...looks like there’s some really interesting repertoire at the moment I didn’t expect!


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this Symphony for the first time in a while - it brought back memories of when I bought the EMI composer conducted CD of Symphonies 1 & 2 along with some others when a store was having a sale. 
When I first heard both works I really didn't care for them but thankfully I just filed them in the collection knowing or at least hoping that at some stage in the future they would be more accessible for me.
I sometimes just wonder at the variety of music available to us to sample and enjoy at such a reasonable cost these days - a wonderful time for a music lover to be alive.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Enthusiast said:


> It certainly does seem like the musical substance is all in the second half. I found the description of the 1st half as a "teaser" stimulating. It is certainly lighter and airy.


It was designed this way by the composer. The fully developed ideas on display in the 2nd movement are only hinted at in the 1st.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

shirime said:


> To tell you the truth I didn't realise that Lutosławski's 2nd Symphony even made it into the TC Top Recommended Symphonies list. How far down the list are we now? I used to participate in these listenings years ago but eventually dropped out of them...looks like there's some really interesting repertoire at the moment I didn't expect!


We have done TC recommendations years ago. Now we dealing with mine . Actually you can send proposals. Saturday symphony -thread contains works we have done so far.


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2018)

Mika said:


> We have done TC recommendations years ago. Now we dealing with mine . Actually you can send proposals. Saturday symphony -thread contains works we have done so far.


Ooooh sounds good! So I guess now it's like the 'exploring contemporary composers' thread a little bit?


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

shirime said:


> Ooooh sounds good! So I guess now it's like the 'exploring contemporary composers' thread a little bit?


Not really. I have put in some contemporary ones, but others have added older stuff also. I am ok with all periods.


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