Mi-parti
Mi-parti is an orchestral work by Polish composer Witold Lutosławski, composed 1975 – 1976 to a commission from the City of Amsterdam for the Concertgebouw Orchestra.[1] The name broadly means in two equal but different parts, referring to the treatment of the material rather than the large-scale structure of the piece.[2] First performance: October 22 X 1976, Rotterdam, Concertgebouw Orkest, the composer conducting.
Analysis
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The fifteen-minute piece utilizes Lutoslawski's trademark two-part form (a preparatory section followed by a development section with climax). It starts off with ethereal, sliding string textures. A cantilena played by the bass clarinet slowly rises from the lowest registers. Other woodwind instruments soon join in, playing motives reminiscent of bird-song. An orchestral flourish, complete with brass, leads the music into the agitated second half. The brass take on a more prominent role, and the previous ethereal textures are now replaced by rigorous rhythms in traditional notation. The music builds up to a powerful climax, incorporating Lutosławski's trademark semi-aleatoric techniques. The tension is subsequently released and the music reverts to ethereal beauty: divided strings slowly climb up to the highest registers, and the piece ends with soft repercussions from celesta, harp, and timpani.
Instrumentation
The work calls for a large orchestra made up as follows:[1]
- woodwind: 3 flutes (all doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, 3 clarinets (3rd doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons
- brass: 3 trumpets in C, 4 horns, 3 trombones, 1 tuba
- percussion: timpani, 3 percussionists (bells, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, tam-tams, cymbals, vibraphone without motor)
- celesta, harp, piano
- and strings (8 first violins, 7 second violins, 6 violas, 6 cellos and 4 basses).
Recordings
| Orchestra | Conductor | Record Company | Year of Recording | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra | Witold Lutosławski | EMI Classics | 1976 | CD |
| Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra | Antoni Wit | Naxos Records | CD | |
| BBC Philharmonic Orchestra | Yan Pascal Tortelier | Chandos | CD | |
| Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra | Antoni Wit | CD Accord | CD |
Awards:
- for EMI recording: International Critics’ Award, 1979; Deutsche Schallplattenpreis 1977
- for the piece: State Prize, 1st grade 1978
References
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