Mi-parti is an orchestral work by the Polish composer Witold Lutosławski, composed from 1975 to 1976 on a commission from the City of Amsterdam for the Concertgebouw Orchestra. 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. First performance: October 22 X 1976, Rotterdam, Concertgebouw Orkest, the composer conducting.
Contents
Analysis
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:
Recordings
Awards: