These excellent performances are “Lutoslawski’s last studio recordings in Poland”. Independently from any documentary value they represent a fine example of Lutoslawski’s art, thanks to the orchestra’s virtuosity and the composer’s authoritative presence on the podium. This is Ewa Poblocka’s first recording of the Piano Concerto; the second was made a few years later for the same label, with Kazimierz Kord conducting, coupled with two contemporary Polish works for piano and orchestra. In this earlier attempt she shows tenacity and presence, solidity and flexibility–and the composer’s ability to detail his own score and bring it to the boiling point is second to none. Unlike many of his colleagues, Lutoslawski was as good a conductor as a composer, and this pays off in the Third Symphony, already a classic, where the tension generated by the accumulation of small rhythmic cells results in a formidable climactic explosion, full of drama and violence. The composer’s nervous, sharp-edged conducting perfectly combines clarity of texture and a profusion of color with expressive gestures and a subtle alchemy of timbres. All of this combines with vivid sound to make for an impressive release. [4/16/2000]
