Witold Lutosławski was one of the major European composers of the
20th century, and possibly the most significant Polish composer since
Chopin. Lutosławski studied piano and composition in Warsaw, and
during World War II he made a living in that city by playing the piano
in bars. In the late 1940s and early 1950s his music was banned as
formalist by the Stalinist authorities. In the last three decades of
the century he became the pre-eminent musician of his country, and was
presented with a large number of international honours, awards and
prizes. Lutosławski's early compositions were overtly influenced by
Polish folk music; from the late 1950s onwards he developed his own
characteristically dense harmonies and innovative aleatory techniques.
His works include four symphonies and a Concerto for Orchestra; he
also composed concertos and song cycles for renowned musicians
including Mstislav Rostropovich, Peter Pears, and Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau. He was also a notable conductor of his own music.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witold_Lutos%C5%3Fawski
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
John Carroll, S.J., was appointed Bishop of Baltimore, the first
Roman Catholic bishop in the United States.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carroll)
1860:
Abraham Lincoln became the first
Republican candidate to win the U.S. presidential election.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election%2C_1860)
1962:
The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 1761,
condemning South Africa's apartheid policies.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_Africa_in_the_apartheid_era)
1963:
Duong Van Minh officially took over the government of South Vietnam
a few days after the assassination of President Ngo Dinh Diem.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duong_Van_Minh)
1999:
Although opinion polls had clearly suggested that the majority of
the electorate favoured republicanism, the Australian republic
referendum was defeated.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Australian_republic_referendum)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind." -- Mohandas
Gandhi
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mohandas_Gandhi)