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Lutosławski: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 - Lortie / Gardner

Lutosławski: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 - Lortie / Gardner

Chandos  CHSA 5098

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Orchestral


Lutosławski: Symphonic Variations, Paganini Variations, Piano Concerto, Symphony No. 4

Louis Lortie (piano)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Edward Gardner (conductor)


This is the third volume in the Chandos series devoted to the music of the Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski. It brings together his first surviving orchestral piece (The Symphonic Variations) and his last symphony, as well as two works for piano and orchestra – an early work originally written for two pianos (The ‘Paganini’ Variations), and his very last concerto. The works are performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Edward Gardner, described by Gramophone as a veritable ‘Dream Team’ in Vol. 1. They are joined in this recording by Louis Lortie, the award-winning pianist and exclusive Chandos artist.

Lutoslawski composed his Symphonic Variations while he was studying with Witold Maliszewski at the Warsaw Conservatory. When he showed the work to his teacher, he was told in no uncertain terms: ‘For me your work is ugly.’ A rather disheartening response to be sure, but perhaps also proof that here was a work that was well ahead of its time. Today it fits in easily with the European tradition of variation form, and is considered a prime example of the lush, but edgy harmonies of the composer, and of his vivid ear for instrumental colour and virtuosity.

Less than three years later, Poland was invaded by Germany, and normal music life disappeared. In its place, musical cafés emerged as places where light music as well as mainstream repertoire was performed. Lutoslawski made his living in these cafés by playing a repertoire of light music, arranged by himself and his piano-duet partner, Andrzej Panufnik. All but one of these works were destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. The sole survivor was the Variations on a Theme of Paganini. The version recorded here is Lutoslawski’s orchestration for piano and orchestra, of the original version for two pianos.

Also on this album is the Piano Concerto, the last of Lutoslawski’s concertante works, as well as Symphony No. 4, which Lutoslawski composed over four years (1988 – 92), conducting its premiere in Los Angeles, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, in 1993, just a year before his death.

The Polish series is supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

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Review by John Broggio - August 21, 2012

A hugely varied collection for this second volume of Chandos' Lutoslawski cycle (the first is here: Lutosławski: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 - Gardner).

Opening with the early Symphonic Variations of 1936-38, Gardner draws not only a rhythmically vital response from the BBC SO but manages to imbue the somewhat abstract "theme" and its subsequent variations with emotional power; the close is highly reminiscent of Schoenberg's first chamber symphony & gets an ecstatic response from the BBC SO brass.

The long-time Chandos piano stalwart Louis Lortie joins proceedings for the much later Piano Concerto (1987-88) that was written for Krystian Zimerman. Unlike some concertos of C20, this closer to the Brahmsian dialogue with the orchestra of his second piano concerto than the Lisztian virtuoso display model where the piano is pitted against the orchestra. Like the second piano concerto of Brahms', Lutoslawski's has 4 clearly identifiable movements; unlike the Brahms, these movements are joined seamlessly together to form a near 30-minute span of music. Lortie plays with enormous authority, blending extraordinary virtuosity with musicianship that guides the listener through the work as if for the first time. For an encore, the same forces perform Lutoslawski's 1978 orchestration of his 1948 Variations on a Theme of Paganini in scintillating style - it comes across in orchestral guise of this quality as a harmonically angular take of Rachmaninov's more famous work.

To close, Gardner presents a formidable account of the 22-minute Symphony No. 4 (1988-92). Starting out from stasis in the strings, Gardner chooses tempi that accentuate the moving lines whilst keeping the tension of the lower string writing. As with the far more compact Symphonic Variations, the closing flourish is exuberantly done and provides a satisfying end.

The Chandos recording is one of its best: a sonic halo surrounds the notes with only very slight obscuring of detail or blurring the sharp attack of the BBC SO in the more acerbic moments.

Recommended.

Copyright © 2012 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

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