Polish composer Witold Lutosławski wrote his Symphony No. 4 in 1988–92, completing it on 22 August 1992. The symphony, lasting 20–25 minutes, is in one continuous movement embodying two sections: a preparatory section and a development section with an epilogue.
Orchestration 3 flutes (3rd flute also taking piccolo), 3 oboes (3rd oboe also taking English horn), 3 clarinets (2nd also taking E clarinet; 3rd clarinet also taking bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (3rd also on contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, bongos, chimes, glockenspiel, marimba, snare drum, suspended cymbals, tam-tam, tenor drum, tom-toms, vibraphone, xylophone), 2 harps, piano, celesta, and strings.
World Premiere The symphony received its world premiere on February 5, 1993 from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with the composer conducting, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. It was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic with the support of Betty Freeman.
Recordings OrchestraConductorRecord CompanyYear of RecordingFormatWarsaw National Philharmonic OrchestraWitold LutosławskiPolskie Nagrania Muza 1993CD Los Angeles Philharmonic OrchestraEsa-Pekka SalonenSony Records1993CDPolish National Radio Symphony OrchestraAntoni WitNaxos Records1994CDLos Angeles Philharmonic OrchestraEsa-Pekka SalonenDeutsche Grammophon2006Digital DownloadSilesian Philharmonic Symphony OrchestraMirosław Jacek BłaszczykDux Records2004CDSaar Radio Symphony OrchestraRoman KofmanCPO1995CDFinnish Radio Symphony OrchestraHannu LintuOndine2018SACDNDR Symphony OrchestraKrzysztof UrbańskiAlpha2016CD
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