Saturday, August 31 at 7 pm, Q2 Music at the Proms presents conductor Antoni Wit and the Warsaw Philharmonic in performance of Witold Lutoslawski's groundbreaking 1954 Concerto for Orchestra.
Lutoslawski would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year, and the Concerto for Orchestra celebrates his heritage by incorporating traditional Polish folk melodies with neo-Baroque and modernist compositional techniques.
Andrzej Panufnik, Lutoslawski's close friend and colleague, will celebrate his own centenary in 2014, and is recognized as one of Poland's greatest 20th Century composers. The Warsaw Philharmonic performs his Tragic Overture and Lullaby. Also on the program are Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No.6 and Piano Concerto No. 2, the latter featuring celebrated Russian pianist Alexander Menikov, here making his Proms debut. Menikov also offered Claude Debussy's Feux d'artifice as a surprise encore.
The evening marks Antoni Wit's final appearance as conductor and artistic director of the Warsaw Philharmonic, a post which he's held since 2002.
PROGRAM
Witold Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra
Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major
Andrzej Panufnik: Tragic Overture &Lullaby
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6 in B minor
Q2 Music at the Proms streams Saturdays at 7 pm from July 20 to September 9 on Q2 Music. On-demand audio will be available for 30 days after the initial webcast.
PROGRAM
Witold Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra
Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2
Claude Debussy: Préludes: XII. Feux d'artifice
Andrzej Panufnik: Tragic Overture
Andrzej Panufnik: Lullaby
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6
