Polish record labels have made an industry out of recording Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra, and no wonder: they do it very well. Antoni Wit made a previous version of the work for Naxos that was quite good, but not as good as this newcomer thanks largely to the participation of the excellent Warsaw Philharmonic. As anyone who heard the recent Naxos Mahler Eighth with these forces can attest, this is one terrific ensemble, and Wit also is an excellent conductor (at least most of the time). He plays the work with total conviction and the kind of easy confidence born of long familiarity. And if the brass section isn’t quite as brilliant in the final chorale as heard in the above-listed reference recordings, the strings are astoundingly adroit in the scurrying second movement, while ensemble balances are unfailingly clear and well-judged. In short, this is as fine a performance as any in a work that has received more than a few excellent renditions (most recently Paavo Järvi’s magnificent Telarc recording).
Both Dohnanyi and Järvi logically couple the Lutoslawski with the Bartók Concerto for Orchestra, a pleasing pairing and an easier listen than choosing late Lutoslawski, as here. That said, the Cello Concerto is an extremely fine work, and while the idiom may be more advanced (and thus more difficult), the music’s emotional journey from inarticulate sound to a passionate outpouring of lyricism couldn’t be easier to follow. This performance helps considerably; it’s notably lighter in texture and tone than Rostropovich’s pioneering EMI recording, and soloist Rafat Kwiatkowski makes the most of the work’s many opportunities to let his instrument sing. As in the Concerto for Orchestra, Wit and the orchestra offer ideally colorful, warm, and sympathetic contributions as well, making this interpretation an obvious choice to set alongside the EMI (particularly if you aren’t interested in that disc’s Dutilleux coupling). Dux’s sonics are totally natural, spacious, and well focused. This is an outstanding release by any standard, and a tribute to the excellent quality of Polish musicianship today. [7/11/2006]
