Symphony No. 2 [2.Symfonia] | Witold Lutosławski

Commissioned by Norddeutscher Rundfunkorchester, Hamburg

Chester Music is the publisher of this work in all territories except Poland, Albania, Bulgaria, China, countries of the former Czechoslovakia, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Romania, Hungary and the whole territory of the former USSR, where the copyright is held by Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne (PWM).

Orchestration
3(pic)3(ca)3(bcl)3/4331/timp.3perc/hp.pf.cel/str
Duration30 min

CategoryLarge Orchestra

Composer
Witold Lutosławski

Performances
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Programme Note

I composed the SECOND SYMPHONY during 1966 and 1967, some twenty years after my FIRST SYMPHONY. It consists of two movements and although it has nothing in common with the classical or neo-classical symphonies, I decided nonetheless to call it a symphony in the sense that it is written for a symphony orchestra in a large-scale closed form.

The first movement which is subtitled Hesitant comprises a succession of contreasting episodes which are generally fairly lively, punctuated by a recurring slow refrain. This movement merges into a the second which is called Direct and which is in its construction in direct contrast to the first. Although particular phrases or musical episodes can be distinguished here, they are subjugated to the forward motion (direct) which leads to the final conclusion. This contrast seems to me indispensablein a work lasting over half an hour.

The first performance of Direct was given in Hamburg in October 1966 by the Orchestra of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk, conducted by Pierre Boulez. The complete work was given its first performance in June 1967 in Katowice by the Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio and Television, conducted by myself.

© Witold Lutoslawski

Media

Symphony No. 2 (1994 Digital Remaster): I. Hésitant

Symphony No. 2 (1994 Digital Remaster): II. Direct

Scores

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Reviews

Witold Lutoslawski, who developed for his Symphony No. 2 a process of "limited aleatoricism" inspired by Cage's use of random techniques - here involving motific units partly determined by the individual musicians. The result was remarkable, with moments of sublime beauty, comparable to Cage's own works, battling to emerge from chaos...

Gramophone

1st September 2015