Conversations with Witold Lutosławski

Book excerpt: Witold Lutosławski (1913-1994), who claimed that 'talking was not his speciality', emerges during a series of conversations with the music critic Tadeusz Kaczynski as a most lucid and articulate commentator, not only on his own compositions, but on every aspect of twentieth-century music and musicianship. This revised and expanded edition of Conversations with Witold Lutosławski makes for compelling and thought-provoking reading, offering a fascinating insight into the mind of this great composer. Of the sixteen conversations collected here, ten refer to Lutosławski’s own creative works, with the rest dealing with various issues of contemporary music. Illustrated throughout with musical examples, these conversations are a rich source of information on both the music and personality the artist.