LUTOSLAWSKI, WITOLD

born Jan. 25, 1913, Warsaw, Pol. died Feb. 7, 1994, Warsaw outstanding Polish composer of the 20th century. Lutoslawski studied theory and composition at the Warsaw Conservatory and mathematics at the University of Warsaw, subsequently taking an active role in Polish musical life. His early works tend to be conservative in style, basically within the system of traditional Western tonality, sometimes using material from Polish folk tunes. The Symphonic Variations (1938) and Variations on a Theme of Paganini for two pianos (1941) demonstrate Lutoslawski's early dependence on traditional forms. Lutoslawski spoke of his Funeral Music (1958) for string orchestra as marking a turning point in his style; dedicated to the memory of the Hungarian composer Bla Bartk, it is a 12-tone work that received recognition from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's Tribune Internationale des Compositeurs. It was followed by Lutoslawski's first use of aleatory (chance) operations in combination with conventional effects, in Venetian Games, written for the Venice Festival of 1961. In this work Lutoslawski used non-staff, optically suggestive notation to guide the performer in the various improvisatory operations. Lutoslawski is best known for his orchestral works. Other works include piano pieces, children's songs, choral works, and a string quartet (1964). He was honoured with a government prize in 1955, soon after composing his Concerto for Orchestra, based on folk themes. Lutoslawski's later works include Symphony No. 2 (1967), Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1970), Symphony No. 3 (1983), and Chain 2 (1985).