Witold Lutoslawski - Paroles Tissées 1/2

Paroles Tissées (Wooden Words), for tenor & 20 solo instruments (1965)

Peter Pears, tenor
London Sinfonietta
Witold Lutoslawski

Premiered in 1965, this work is a setting for tenor solo, strings, harp, piano and percussion of a mysterious and elaborate four-part poem by Jean-François Chabrun entitled "Quatre tapisseries pour le Chatelaine de Vergi" (Four Tapestries for the Chatelaine [lady of the manor] of Vergi) the subject of which is the tragic romance in the Middle Ages of that lady and the Duke of Burgundy. Beginning with a chord in spinning arpeggios that resolves to a single note, spinning-wheel cycle figures take over as accompaniment to the voice. Lines of the text are often repeated with different musical accents within the vocal line and varying instrumental settings because the words are capable of many meanings and interpretations. Spinning motion is also suggested with steady harp arpeggios, often with random string pizzicati above. Suddenly the music takes a more dramatic turn with the ringing of tubular bells and multiple pizzicati at different rhythmic rates, as well as attacked notes followed by glissando slides, all of which also suggest a "weaving" motion but of a frantic nature. This settles into a non-vibrato sustained chord of a frozen texture followed by slow and steady tones like drops of water. Frequently the snaking and interweaving of close interval lines reappears below sighing lines from the vocalist. The piece ends in a mysterious bewilderment that describes the death of the two lovers. [Allmusic.com]

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Music

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• lutoslawski
• pears