Did you know that Witold Lutosławski one of Poland’s most important composers resided here? This plaque commemorates Witold Lutosławski. It marks his presence in this house from 1968 to 1994.
Witold Roman Lutosławski was born in Warsaw in 1913. He died in Warsaw in 1994. He is generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szymanowski. Some even say he is the greatest Polish composer since Chopin.
Lutosławski’s music includes symphonies concertos and orchestral works. He also composed chamber pieces. He was a notable conductor of his own works. His best-known pieces include four symphonies. Other famous works are Variations on a Theme by Paganini and Concerto for Orchestra.
Growing up Lutosławski studied piano and composition in Warsaw. Early on Polish folk music influenced his works. His style featured rich atmospheric textures. His folk-inspired music includes Concerto for Orchestra. It also includes Dance Preludes. He described Dance Preludes as a farewell to folklore.
From the late 1950s Lutosławski began developing new composition techniques. He introduced aleatoric elements. He retained tight control of his music’s material architecture and performance. He built harmonies from small groups of musical intervals.
During World War II Lutosławski played piano in Warsaw bars to earn a living. After the war Stalinist authorities banned his First Symphony. They considered it formalist. It was accessible only to an elite. Lutosławski rejected anti-formalism. He maintained his artistic integrity. He provided artistic support to the Solidarity movement in the 1980s.
Lutosławski received numerous awards and honors. These included the Grawemeyer Award and a Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal. In 1994 he received Poland’s highest honor the Order of the White Eagle.
Living in this house Lutosławski continued his work. He composed and engaged in social and musical activities. He earned universal esteem. He became a figure of moral and creative authority. Lutosławski said that music is the domain of an ideal world. He derived satisfaction from contact with the audience.
He felt fortunate to have excellent performers. The prospect of writing for the Chicago orchestra helped him. The same was true for compositions commissioned for great soloists. Mstislav Rostropovich was one of them.
Lutosławski mentioned Peter Pears and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. He also mentioned Heinz Holliger and his wife. The LaSalle Quartet Pinchas Zukerman and Krystian Zimerman also inspired him. He also mentioned Anne-Sophie Mutter. Imagining these musicians perform his music stimulated his imagination.
Before the war Lutosławski started writing a piano concerto. He intended to be its first performer. But he threw the sketches away. Later he did not write a piano concerto for Małcużyński. He admired Małcużyński’s artistry. He felt he was not ready. He finally wrote it much later.
Krystian Zimerman’s interest in the piece inspired him. The piano held few secrets for Lutosławski. After all he was once a pianist. Ryszard Kapuściński described him as a cheerful man. Lutosławski beamed with buoyancy and balance. He was a man you wanted to be around.
Lutosławski said music should be directly experienced. It should not make people wonder how it is made. He quoted Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky said he worked regularly because inspiration doesn’t come to lazy people.
Lutosławski sought technical solutions that endure. He searched for lasting values that do not expire immediately. He and his wife Danusia read the same book simultaneously. He read aloud quickly. They read twice a day. He also read other books on his own.
Lutosławski considered himself a modest man. Only someone convinced of his own gifts can afford modesty. Showing off hides the conviction that one’s own value is small. He enjoyed sailing. It commanded his attention and engaged his mind.
Lutosławski considered it an intensity of leisure incomparable to anything save mountain climbing. He had an outstanding crew in his wife. They preferred to sail alone. But they sometimes needed a third party to ballast the boat. Their combined weight was only slightly over one hundred kilograms.
Lutosławski dreamed of becoming a classic composer. He hoped people would find something lasting in his music. He lived on Śmiała Street in the Żoliborz district of Warsaw. This was his home for the longest time until his death. This plaque marks his presence.