Lutoslawski: Symphony No. 3 / Paganini Variations
These pieces run the full length of Witold Lutoslawki's career. The  Paganini Variations are based on the same theme that both Brahms and  Rachmaninoff used in their Paganini variations (so did Boris Blacher and about a  million other composers, including Paganini himself--it's a great tune). The  Third Symphony was commissioned by the Chicago  Symphony Orchestra, and first performed by them under Sir Georg Solti. As with  many of the composer's larger works, it falls naturally into two parts, an  introduction and a main movement. The essence of the music is simple: nothing  happens until the end, when the orchestra at last achieves an unbroken melody.  The other two pieces are both song cycles that show the composer's sensitivity  in setting words. The performances are very good indeed, and texts with  translations are included.--David Hurwitz