Mi-parti

Mi-parti is an orchestral work by Polish composer Witold Lutosławski, composed 1975 – 1976 to a commission from the City of Amsterdam for the Concertgebouw Orchestra.^[1] 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.^[2] First performance: October 22 X 1976, Rotterdam, Concertgebouw Orkest, the composer conducting.

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:^[1]

• woodwind: 3 flutes (all doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, 3 clarinets (3rd doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons
• brass: 3 trumpets in C, 4 horns, 3 trombones, 1 tuba
• percussion: timpani, 3 percussionists (bells, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, tam-tams, cymbals, vibraphone without motor)
• celesta, harp, piano
• and strings (8 first violins, 7 second violins, 6 violas, 6 cellos and 4 basses).

Recordings

Awards:

• for EMI recording: International Critics’ Award, 1979; Deutsche Schallplattenpreis 1977
• for the piece: State Prize, 1st grade 1978

References