Lutoslawski Novelette for Orchestra

Novelette owes its existence to Mstislav Rostropovich. When he was
appointed Musical Director of the National Symphony Orchestra in
Washington, he asked me to write a work for him to conduct with his
new orchestra. This was not in fact the first occasion on which I
composed a piece at the suggestion of this great artist; in the 1960s
he had spurred me on to write a cello concerto. Composed very much
with him in mind and dedicated to him, it was subsequently
commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society in London, at one of
whose concerts he gave the World Premiere.
Novelette is in five movements and despite the work's almost miniature
character, its total duration is eighteen minutes. As has happened in
some of my other works, the last movement is more substantial than
those which precede it, forming a kind of counterbalance to them. The
titles of the movements are 'Announcements', 'Three Events' and
'Conclusion'. The first movement is so-called because in it I present
as it were samples of the 'events' which follow. The three are
contrasting in character, the slow middle one being 'buffo' and the
third one being a fast and sparkling scherzando. The 'Conclusion'
consists largely of a slow heterophonic cantilena of two groups of
violins with the accompaniment of other instruments playing 'ad
libitum'.
Witold Lutoslawski