Musician. He is considered one of Poland's three greatest composers, along with Frederic Chopin and Karol Szymanowski. A native of Warsaw, he studied at the conservatory there from 1932 to 1937, but political events would stymie his international career for more than two decades. He joined the Army at the start of World War II, and during the Nazi occupation he barely supported himself playing the piano in cafes. Most of what he wrote before 1945 was left unpublished. He then had to contend with a communist crackdown on the arts in Poland. The music of Lutoslawski's early period was influenced by Bela Bartok and fairly conservative in approach, but this did not prevent Josef Stalin's bureaucrats from banning his First Symphony (1947) as "anti-people noise." His popular "Concerto for Orchestra" (1954) continued this vein, but with the "Funeral Music" for strings (1958) he arrived at a mature style and captured the world's attention. This was marked by a free use of serialism, strict tempo observations pitted against improvisational textures, and a rich sense of instrumental color. Lutoslawski's later compositions include the Second (1967) and Third (1983) Symphonies, and a Cello Concerto (1970). After 1962 he was also very active abroad as a teacher and as a conductor of his music. In 1993 Lutoslawski came to Los Angeles to conduct the premiere of his Fourth Symphony, commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. A brief "Fanfare" he wrote for the occasion was his final work. He died in Warsaw the following year. Unlike many composers of his generation, Lutoslawski's music is frequently performed and well represented in recordings.
Musician. He is considered one of Poland's three greatest composers, along with Frederic Chopin and Karol Szymanowski. A native of Warsaw, he studied at the conservatory there from 1932 to 1937, but political events would stymie his international career for more than two decades. He joined the Army at the start of World War II, and during the Nazi occupation he barely supported himself playing the piano in cafes. Most of what he wrote before 1945 was left unpublished. He then had to contend with a communist crackdown on the arts in Poland. The music of Lutoslawski's early period was influenced by Bela Bartok and fairly conservative in approach, but this did not prevent Josef Stalin's bureaucrats from banning his First Symphony (1947) as "anti-people noise." His popular "Concerto for Orchestra" (1954) continued this vein, but with the "Funeral Music" for strings (1958) he arrived at a mature style and captured the world's attention. This was marked by a free use of serialism, strict tempo observations pitted against improvisational textures, and a rich sense of instrumental color. Lutoslawski's later compositions include the Second (1967) and Third (1983) Symphonies, and a Cello Concerto (1970). After 1962 he was also very active abroad as a teacher and as a conductor of his music. In 1993 Lutoslawski came to Los Angeles to conduct the premiere of his Fourth Symphony, commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. A brief "Fanfare" he wrote for the occasion was his final work. He died in Warsaw the following year. Unlike many composers of his generation, Lutoslawski's music is frequently performed and well represented in recordings.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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