Short bio Witold Lutoslawski
Birthday:
1913 in Warsaw, Poland
Died:
1994 in Warsaw, Poland
Active:
1930s - 1980s
Genre:
Classical,Avant-Garde
Period:
20th Century, Modern
Full biography Witold Lutoslawski
Witold Lutosławski was a Polish composer and orchestral conductor, born on January 25, 1913, in Warsaw, Poland. He is considered one of the most innovative and influential composers of the 20th century. Lutosławski's musical pieces are known for their resourceful use of sound and their modernist, yet emotional, soundscapes.
Lutosławski began his music education as a pianist, but he was also interested in composition from an early age. After studying at Warsaw Conservatory, he later went to the Warsaw Music Academy, where he studied composition with Symon Laskowski. His interest in new forms and structures grew, and his works from this period display a blending of traditional musical techniques and techniques that would become his style.
Throughout his career, which spanned over 50 years, Lutosławski composed orchestral, chamber, and vocal music. Among his most famous pieces are the Concerto for Orchestra, his Symphony No.3, and the Livre pour orchestre. His music often features themes of nature and the human condition, and is noted for its intense emotional expression and sharp contrasts between quiet moments and dramatic outbursts.
Lutosławski received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the Ernst von Siemens Award in 1983, the Grawemeyer Award in 1985, and the Kyoto Prize in 1987. He died on February 7, 1994, in Warsaw, Poland, at the age of 81. His legacy continues to influence contemporary classical music.
Compositions featuring Witold Lutoslawski
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Symphony No. 4 | 21:36 min | Symphony | 1993 |
| 2 | Fanfare for Los Angeles Philharmonic, for orchestra | 0:58 min | Orchestral | 1993 |
| 3 | Subito, for violin & piano | 5:03 min | Chamber Music | 1992 |
| 4 | Chantefleurs et Chantefables (Songflowers and songfables), for soprano & orchestra | 20:00 min | Vocal Music | 1991 |
| 5 | Interlude for orchestra | 6:49 min | Orchestral | 1990 |
| 6 | Songs (5) for mezzo-soprano & piano (or chamber orchestra) | 10:48 min | Vocal Music | 1990 |
| 7 | Prelude for G.S.M.D., for orchestra | 2:13 min | Orchestral | 1989 |
| 8 | Lullaby for Anne-Sophie, for violin & piano | 3:11 min | Chamber Music | 1989 |
| 9 | Fanfare for Lancaster, for brass ensemble & side drum | 0:28 min | Chamber Music | 1989 |
| 10 | Slides, for chamber orchestra of 11 soloists | 3:13 min | Chamber Music | 1988 |
| 11 | Piano Concerto | 25:47 min | Concerto | 1987 |
| 12 | Fanfare for CUBE, for brass quintet | 0:27 min | Chamber Music | 1987 |
| 13 | Fanfare for Louisville, for orchestra | 1:25 min | Orchestral | 1986 |
| 14 | Chain 3, for orchestra | 11:39 min | Orchestral | 1986 |
| 15 | Partita, for violin, orchestra & obbligato piano (arranged from version for violin & piano) | 13:10 min | Concerto | 1985 |
| 16 | Partita, for violin & piano | 16:18 min | Chamber Music | 1984 |
| 17 | Chain 2, dialogue for violin & orchestra | 16:01 min | Concerto | 1984 |
| 18 | The Holly and the Ivy, song for voice & piano | 1:50 min | Vocal Music | 1984 |
| 19 | Chain 1, for chamber orchestra | 9:32 min | Orchestral | 1983 |
| 20 | Lord Tennyson Song ("Who can say"), for chorus | 1:44 min | Choral | 1982 |
| 21 | Metamorphoses, for cello & piano | 6:00 min | Chamber Music | 1981 |
| 22 | Grave, for cello & piano (also orchestrated with strings) | 6:16 min | Chamber Music | 1981 |
| 23 | Not for You, song for voice & piano | 2:33 min | Vocal Music | 1981 |
| 24 | Double Concerto for oboe, harp & chamber orchestra | 18:41 min | Concerto | 1980 |
| 25 | Epitaph, for oboe & piano | 5:16 min | Chamber Music | 1979 |
| 26 | Miniature, for 2 pianos | 2:04 min | Keyboard | 1979 |
| 27 | Novelette, for orchestra | 17:19 min | Orchestral | 1978 |
| 28 | Mini Overture for brass quintet | 2:54 min | Chamber Music | 1978 |
| 29 | Les espaces du sommeil, for baritone & orchestra | 15:00 min | Vocal Music | 1975 |
| 30 | Mi-Parti, for orchestra | 14:14 min | Orchestral | 1975 |
| 31 | Sacher Variation, for cello solo | 3:45 min | Chamber Music | 1975 |
| 32 | Symphony No. 3 | 31:09 min | Symphony | 1972 |
| 33 | Preludes (7) and Fugue for 13 solo strings | 34:01 min | Chamber Music | 1970 |
| 34 | Invention for piano | 1:00 min | Keyboard | 1968 |
| 35 | Livre pour orchestre, pieces (6) for orchestra | 20:49 min | Orchestral | 1968 |
| 36 | Symphony No. 2 | 29:45 min | Symphony | 1966 |
| 37 | Cello Concerto | 24:17 min | Concerto | 1966 |
| 38 | Paroles tissées (Woven words), for tenor & 20 solo instruments | 15:19 min | Vocal Music | 1965 |
| 39 | String Quartet | 24:45 min | Chamber Music | 1964 |
| 40 | Bucolics, pieces (5) for viola & cello (originally for piano solo) | 6:43 min | Chamber Music | 1962 |
| 41 | Poems (3) of Henri Michaux, for chorus, strings & percussion | 20:37 min | Choral | 1961 |
| 42 | Venetian Games, for chamber orchestra | 12:46 min | Orchestral | 1960 |
| 43 | Children's Songs (3) for voice & piano | Vocal Music | 1959 | |
| 44 | Postludes (3) for orchestra | 16:48 min | Orchestral | 1958 |
| 45 | Childrens' Songs (6) for voice & piano | 7:31 min | Vocal Music | 1958 |
| 46 | An overheard tune, for 2 pianos | 2:12 min | Keyboard | 1957 |
| 47 | Songs (5) for mezzo-soprano & piano | 9:53 min | Vocal Music | 1956 |
| 48 | Dance Preludes (5) for solo clarinet, harp, piano, percussion & strings (arranged from version for clarinet & piano) | 10:23 min | Concerto | 1955 |
| 49 | Winter Waltz, for piano | 3:01 min | Keyboard | 1954 |
| 50 | Musique Funèbre (Muzyka zalobna), for string orchestra | 13:49 min | Orchestral | 1954 |
| 51 | Children's Songs (2) for voice & chamber orchestra | 4:52 min | Vocal Music | 1954 |
| 52 | Dance Preludes (5) for clarinet & piano | 10:09 min | Chamber Music | 1954 |
| 53 | Dance Preludes (5) for ensemble | 9:56 min | Orchestral | 1954 |
| 54 | Little Feather, children's song for voice & piano or orchestra | 1:50 min | Vocal Music | 1953 |
| 55 | Polish Dances (10), arrangements for chamber orchestra of traditional dances | 13:10 min | Orchestral | 1953 |
| 56 | Pieces (3) for Young Pianists, for piano | 4:19 min | Keyboard | 1953 |
| 57 | Wróbelek (Little sparrow), song for voice & piano | 1:14 min | Vocal Music | 1952 |
| 58 | Bucolics, pieces (5) for piano | 5:50 min | Keyboard | 1952 |
| 59 | Night is falling, children's song for soprano & chamber orchestra | 1:19 min | Vocal Music | 1952 |
| 60 | Children's Songs (2) for voice & piano or orchestra | 3:42 min | Vocal Music | 1952 |
| 61 | Folk Melodies (5) arranged for string orchestra | 5:10 min | Orchestral | 1952 |
| 62 | Pożegnanie wakacji (Goodbye to holidays), song for voice & piano | 2:04 min | Vocal Music | 1952 |
| 63 | Folk Songs (5) transcription for orchestra of "12 Folk Songs" | 4:45 min | Orchestral | 1952 |
| 64 | Wianki (Wreaths), song for voice & piano | 1:45 min | Vocal Music | 1952 |
| 65 | Sleep, sleep, children's song for soprano & chamber orchestra | 2:25 min | Vocal Music | 1952 |
| 66 | Soldier's Songs (10), for male chorus | Choral | 1951 | |
| 67 | Spring, children's song cycle for mezzo & chamber orchestra | 8:59 min | Vocal Music | 1951 |
| 68 | Silesian Triptych, for soprano & orchestra (collabration with Bryston) | 9:29 min | Vocal Music | 1951 |
| 69 | Recitativo e arioso, for violin & piano | 3:40 min | Chamber Music | 1951 |
| 70 | Little Chain of Straw, children's song cycle for soprano, mezzo-soprano, flute, oboe, 2 clarinets & bassoon | 10:38 min | Vocal Music | 1950 |
| 71 | Concerto for Orchestra | 28:34 min | Concerto | 1950 |
| 72 | Songs (7) for unison chorus & piano | Choral | 1950 | |
| 73 | Little Suite, for chamber orchestra (later arr. for full orchestra) | 8:09 min | Orchestral | 1950 |
| 74 | Avalanche, song for voice & piano | 3:38 min | Vocal Music | 1949 |
| 75 | Overture for Strings, for string orchestra | 5:16 min | Orchestral | 1949 |
| 76 | Children's Songs (2) for voice & piano or orchestra | 4:59 min | Vocal Music | 1948 |
| 77 | Children's Songs (6) for female voice & piano or chamber orchestra (later also for children's chorus & orchestra) | 9:11 min | Vocal Music | 1947 |
| 78 | Folk Songs (12) for voice & piano (collaboration with Oiszewski) | 16:04 min | Vocal Music | 1947 |
| 79 | Symphony No. 1 | 24:59 min | Symphony | 1947 |
| 80 | Warsaw Suite, film score | Film Score | 1947 | |
| 81 | Polish Carols (20), for voice & piano (later also with female chorus & orchestra) | 42:18 min | Vocal Music | 1946 |
| 82 | Folk melodies, easy pieces (12) for piano | 11:51 min | Keyboard | 1945 |
| 83 | Trio for oboe, clarinet & bassoon | 11:33 min | Chamber Music | 1944 |
| 84 | Variations on a theme of Paganini, for piano & orchestra | 7:58 min | Concerto | 1941 |
| 85 | Variations on a theme of Paganini, for 2 pianos | 5:29 min | Keyboard | 1941 |
| 86 | Etudes (2) for piano | 5:03 min | Keyboard | 1940 |
| 87 | Songs of the Underground Struggle, for voice & piano | Vocal Music | 1939 | |
| 88 | Lacrimosa (fragment of a requiem), for soprano, chorus & orchestra (or organ) | 3:52 min | Choral | 1937 |
| 89 | Symphonic Variations, for orchestra | 9:07 min | Orchestral | 1936 |
| 90 | Piano Sonata | 29:17 min | Keyboard | 1934 |
| 91 | Tune | 1:25 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | - |
| 92 | A Kiss of Roxanne, for piano | 1:27 min | Keyboard | - |
| 93 | Invention for piano (undated manuscript) | 1:19 min | Keyboard | - |
| 94 | Fragments (3) for flute & harp | 4:07 min | Chamber Music | - |
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