LUTOSLAWSKI, Witold
b Warsaw, 25 January 1913
d Warsaw 7 February 1994, aged eighty-one
His first piece, a prelude for piano, dates from 1922, when he was nine years old. Much of his early work has been lost because of the Nazi occupation and the later Stalinist era. He studied privately from 1924 to 1925, then was at the Warsaw Conservatory from 1932 to 1936, receiving diplomas in piano and composition. From 1932 to 1955 he appeared as a pianist, and since 1953 has been a conductor. He has lectured in the USA, Denmark, England, Sweden and Germany, and has won many international awards and honours.
1934 (21)
Piano Sonata
1938 (25)
Symphonic Variations for orchestra
1941 (28)
Variations on a Theme of Paganini for two pianos
Symphony No 1 (1941-7)
1949 (36)
Overture for strings
1950-3 (37-41)
Concerto for orchestra
1951 (38)
Little Suite, for orchestra
Silesian Triptych, for soprano and orchestra
1954 (41)
Dance Preludes/ first version for clarinet and piano
1955 (42)
Dance Preludes, second version for clarinet and instruments
1957 (44)
Five Songs
1958 (45)
Funeral Music, for strings
Three Postludes for orchestra (1958-63)
1959 (46)
Dance Preludes, third version, for instruments
1961 (48)
Jeux Venitiens, for chamber orchestra
1962-3 (49-50)
Trois poemes d'Henri Michaux, for mixed chorus of twenty voices, wind instruments, two pianos, harp and percussion
1964 (51)
String Quartet
1965 (52)
Paroles tissees, for voice and instruments
1967 (54)
Symphony No 2
1968 (55)
Livre pour orchestre
1969-70 (56-7)
Cello Concerto
1972 (59)
Preludes and Fugue for thirteen solo strings
1975 (62)
Les espaces du sommeil, for baritone and orchestra
Sacher Variation, for cello
1976 (63)
Mi-Parti, for orchestra
1978-9 (65-6)
Novelette, for orchestra
1979 (66)
Epitaph, for oboe and piano
1981 (68)
Grave, for cello and piano
1982 (69)
Mini Overture
1983 (70)
fp Symphony No 3
Chain I, for small orchestra
Lutoslawski has also written vocal and instrumental music for children, and music for radio.