Lutosławski at his loveliest

The beauty of Polish composer Witold Lutosławski's folk art inspired works are brought to life by Edward Gardner, an on-form BBC Symphony Orchestra and wonderful soloists

Composer: Lutosławski
Repertoire: Silesian Triptych; Paroles tissés; Les Espace du sommeil; Chantefleurs et Chantefables; Lacrimosa
Artists: Lucy Crowe (sop), Christopher Purves (bar), Toby Spence (ten), BBC Symphony Orchestra/Edward Gardner
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Vocal
Label: CHANDOS CHAN10688

The Music Polish composer Witold Lutosławski helped rebuild cultural 
life in his country after the Second World War. His Silesian Triptych of
1951 taps the roots of folk art to appeal to a broad audience, while the Paroles tisées displays the modernist composer’s innate feeling for lyrical melody. 

The Performance Poles may quibble over Lucy Crowe’s command of the Śląsk (Polish Silesian) dialect. They’re more likely, though, to praise the beauty of her singing and the beguiling power of music-making projected by all concerned with this disc. Gardner’s understanding of and empathy for the expressive subtleties and rich humanity of this music register clearly and with irresistible authority. The BBC Symphony Orchestra is on superb form, as are Toby Spence and Christopher Purves respectively in Paroles tissés and Les Espaces du sommeil.
 

The Verdict This has the feeling of an award-winner about it, a release with ‘play me again’ etched in the material of each performance.