Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

Łukasz Dobrowolski
Witold Lutosławski’s Folk Melodies
transcribed for guitar

Like other composers of his time, Lutosławski took little, if any, compositional
interest in the subtle sound and rich history of the guitar. When it comes to the
Poland of earlier époques and local traditions of guitar playing, the music managed
to reach concert halls with wide acclaim; great recitals were given by illustrious
virtuosos of the instrument such as Feliks Horecki (1796–1870), Jan Nepomu-
cen Bobrowicz (1805–1881), Stanisław Szczepanowski (1811–1877) and Marek
Sokołowski (1818–1883). They composed, performed and transcribed numerous
guitar pieces; regrettably, few still exist today. Nevertheless, the guitar was not very
popular among those writers of music who did not play the instrument.
An exceptional figure was Aleksander Tansman, who left a profuse legacy
of guitar compositions. Among the most frequently performed stand Mazurka
(1925), Cavatina (1950), Suite in modo Polonico (1962), and Hommage à Chopin
(1966). All of them followed the composer’s cooperation with Andres Segovia,
a renowned Spanish guitarist.
Segovia played a very important role in popularizing the classical guitar and
the music written for this instrument. He aroused the compositional enthusiasm
of many including Joaquin Turina, Federico Moreno-Torroba, Manuel Ponce and
Mario Castelnuovo‑Tedesco. The ensuing collaboration helped the composers dis-


  The work of Aleksander Tansman comprises about a dozen published compositions and
a few collections of pieces for solo guitar and guitar and orchestra, for example Concertino pour
guitar et orchestre (1945). They had been written from 1925 right up to near the date of the com-
poser’s death. Not all works have been completed and printed, with some found only recently.
See Andrzej Wedland, Gitara w twórczości Aleksandra Tansmana (Guitar in Aleksander Tansman’s
Music), Łódź: Ars Longa Edition, 1996; Zbigniew Dubiella, ‘Odkryto nieznane kompozycje
Tansmana!’ (‘New Tansman’s Pieces Discovered!’), in: Świat Gitary klasycznej i akustycznej, 4:28,
2001, p 7.

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Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

cover the features of the instrument, including the particular way of writing for
the guitar. Not only did Segovia often establish the fingering but also drew up the
score and worked out the guitar parts.
With the popularity of the instrument growing stronger in Poland in the latter
half of the 20th century, guitar classes have now entered music schools’ curricula
at all levels. Festivals of guitar music, competitions for performers as well as for
composers, have been organized in several towns and cities, with Łódź, Tychy and
Żory hosting the latter.
Much of the composers’ interest in the instrument has stemmed from the
search for new means of representation. They treated the guitar as an intriguing
member of the orchestra, a source of timbre enrichment, used in various combina-
tions with other instruments to achieve fresh tone colour and expression. As was
the case in previous decades, writing for the guitar in the 20th and 21st centuries
has also involved the common practice of adapting, arranging or transcribing the
compositions originally written for other instruments, including both new and old
pieces.
In this respect, the transcription of Lutosławski’s Folk Melodies prepared by
Jose Azpiazu (1912–1986), a Spanish guitarist and composer, adds to the rep-
ertoire of Polish guitar music and supplements the texture of the piano version
with new timbre effects. Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne published it in 1971,
comprising nine of the twelve pieces .
Azpiazu’s work inspired many other adaptations, such as those for the guitar
and guitar ensembles:
1.  An adaptation of the whole collection for solo guitar by Julian Bream, re-
corded in 1993 by the author (Bream, J. Nocturnal, EMI Records Ltd.)


  Łukasz Dobrowolski, ‘Międzynarodowe festiwale muzyki gitarowej w Polsce’ (‘Interna-
tional festivals of guitar music in Poland’), in: Zofia Fabiańska, Jakub Kubieniec, Andrzej Si-
tarz, Piotr Wilk (eds), Muzykolog wobec świadectw źródłowych i dokumentów : księga pamiątkowa
dedykowana profesorowi Piotrowi Poźniakowi w 70. rocznicę urodzin (The Musicologist and Source
Documentary Evidence. A Book of Essays in Honour of Professor Piotr Poźniak on His 70th Birthday),
Kraków: Musica Iagellonica, 2009, pp. 625–40.

  For example Kazimierz Serocki’s compositions, see description in: Tadeusz A. Zieliński,
O Twórczości Kazimierza Serockiego (On the Work of Kazimierz Serocki), Kraków: PWM, 1985.

  PWM decided not to print the whole collection; 3 pieces have been excluded, namely
A River Flows from Sieradz, Master Michael, and The Gander. The publishing house owns Azpia-
zu’s manuscript (the adaptation of all the twelve compositions of the collection). Many modifi-
cations of the published version have been introduced by PWM.

  PWM has recently prepared a publication of the twelve pieces as adapted by a British
guitarist Raymond Burley. In his comment note, the author of the transcription mentions the
previous adaptation by J. Bream, yet, surprisingly, makes no reference to the work of Azpiazu,
once published by PWM and surely used by Bream as a source of reference. Burley perceives
the compositions in the context of Catalonian tunes arranged by Miguel Llobet at the begin-
ning of 20th century, which may sound controversial. In fact, Burley’s version does not differ

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2.  An adaptation of the whole collection for four guitars, recorded by Guitars
a Quattro (Guitars a Quattro, Four For Tango, Intim Music Records, 1996)
3.  An adaptation of the whole collection for two guitars, recorded by Bernard
Hebb and Finn Svit (Hebb, B., Svit, F. Guitar Impressions. Music for two Guitars,
Gega New Ltd. 2001)
Folk Melodies have also been arranged for other instruments.
The twelve pieces that make up the piano collection were composed by Witold
Lutosławski in 1945. They employ folk tunes originating from various regions of
Poland, often in a dance form:
1.  O, My Johnny (Ach, mój Jasieńko; a tune from Łowicz, western region of
Mazowia)
2.  Hey, I come from Kraków (Hej, od Krakowa jadę; a tune from Kraków, Lesser
Poland)
3.  There is a path, there is (Jest drożyna, jest; a tune from the region of Podla-
sie)
4.  The Little Shepherdess (Pastereczka; a tune from the region of Podlasie)
5.  An Apple Hangs on the Apple Tree (Na jabłoni jabłko wisi; a tune from the
area of Sieradz)
6.  A River Flows from Sieradz (Od Sieradza płynie rzeka; a tune from the area
of Sieradz, Greater Poland)
7.  Master Michał (Panie Michale; a waltz from Kurpie region)
8.  The Lime Tree in the Field (W polu lipeńka; a Mazurian tune)
9.  Flirting (Zalotny; a Silesian dance)
10.  The Grove (Gaik; a Silesian dance)
11.  The Gander (Gąsior; a Silesian dance)
12.  The Schoolmaster (Rektor; a Silesian dance)

much from those by Azpiazu and Bream. In reference to his predecessors, he has altered several
notes, marked phrasings and changed the key of one piece. Essentially, this is the first complete
publication of all twelve Folk Melodies by Lutosławski arranged for the guitar (Kraków: PWM,
2009).

  Four pieces of the collection (The Little Shepherdess, An Apple Hangs on the Apple Tree, A
River Flows from Sieradz, and The Lime Tree in the Field) have been published as a part of a col-
lection of pieces for violin and piano ‘Grające Świerszcze’, edited and transcribed by Helena
Dunicz-Niwińska and Maria Dziewulska (PWM, 1982). Lutosławski himself arranged some
movements of the collection. Those which have been printed include Four Silesian Melodies for
four violins, adapted in 1955 (Flirting, The Grove, The Gander, and The Schoolmaster), published
by PWM in 1955, in the series ‘Biblioteka szkolnych zespołów instrumentalnych’, and Five
Folk Melodies for string orchestra, arranged in 1968 (O, My Johnny; Hey, I Come from Kraków;
The Grove; and The Schoolmaster) also in the series ‘Biblioteka szkolnych zespołów instrumental-
nych’, published by PWM in 1969.

  The English translation of titles has been taken from Charles B. Rae, The Music of
Lutosławski, London: Faber and Faber, 1994.

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Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

Lutosławski used the quoted folk tunes as bases and joined them with a layer
of accompaniment, which he devised as a structure for distinguished harmonic
features – he eagerly inserted chromatic changes, and sonorities that together with
the folk melodies formed poly-harmonic texture as well as bitonality, observable
at some stages. The accompaniment also displays properties of folk music: the so-
norities of fifths in the bass line, or drone notes in the low register. All in all, the
pieces have been invested with a lucid texture and sound language, whose expres-
sion is nimble and clear.
It is not easy to prepare a good adaptation of a piano piece for the guitar,
which is conditioned by the unique capacity of each of the instruments. There
are timbre effects inherent to the guitar that are impossible to render on the pi-
ano. For instance, they ensue from the direct contact between fingers and strings,
which results in the ease of creating the sound colour, bringing out its nuances,
producing the effects of harmonics, percussion (with the use of strings or parts of
the soundboard) or elements of rasgueado technique employed in various ways.
The piano, on the other hand, lends itself to freely construct rich textures, to build
complex multi-note structures, the much unrestrained multi-voice systems, giving
the performer a wider scope. The volume remains specific to each instrument, thus
piano pieces are often arranged for an ensemble of two or more guitarists.
In Folk Melodies by Lutosławski the so-called thin texture aids in arranging
the pieces for the solo guitar, which does not mean, however, that the score can
be transferred as a whole and in an unchanged form. While approaching work on
the publication it should be established who Lutosławski aimed the composition
for as its performer. According to his original idea, the purpose of the collection
was educational, to present a young pianist with material for practice. Upon closer
examination, however, it turns out that, due to their captivating musical content,
the pieces may still stir up the interest of proficient performers. As compared with
the piano version, the guitar transcription requires a more advanced player.
What remains crucial for each piece is the choice of key. It serves a composi-
tion well to preserve the original one, which is the case in some pieces arranged by
Azpiazu. However, a transcription always needs to be checked against the capacity


  Lutosławski’s Folk Melodies for piano have been discussed in many publications, e.g. by
Bogusław Schaeffer, ‘Polskie melodie ludowe w twórczości Witolda Lutosławskiego’ (‘Polish
Folk Tunes in Lutosławski’s Work’), in: Studia Muzykologiczne, 5, Kraków, 1956; Danuta Gwiz-
dalanka, Krzysztof Meyer, Lutosławski. T. 1 Droga do dojrzałości (Lutosławski, Vol. 1, Towards
Maturity), Kraków: PWM, 2003, pp. 155–7.

  Not much has been written on the issue of guitar transcriptions. It is worth naming
those that focus on specific features and textural capacity of the instrument, e.g. Michael Bur-
nett, ‘Arranging for the Guitar and Other Instruments’, in: Michael Stimpson (ed.), The Gui‑
tar. A Guide for Students and Teachers, Oxford-New York: Oxford University Press, 1988; John
Schneider, The Contemporary Guitar, London-Berkeley-Los Angeles: University of California
Press, 1985.

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of the new instrument it is written for. As the guitar is a six-string instrument, it

makes many 5- or 6-voice structures sound good, but not all sonorities are feasible.
The modern repertoire for the instrument helps us realize that the structures do
not need to be based on thirds and fourths, which might result from tuning of
the guitar. It is possible to play several notes of the same pitch on different strings
and in different positions. A guitarist of elementary skill can play almost any note
(apart from the lowest), even in unison. Still, the limitations originating in the
number of strings and fingers of the left hand that are used on the fret-board
(including the commonly used barré type of chord which involves pressing up to
six strings with one finger, usually the first) prevent the ease of texture develop-
ment. Open strings play a significant role and may be used to produce interesting
sonorities.
I would like to extend the scope of my analysis of Azpiazu’s guitar transcrip-
tions of Folk Melodies by Lutosławski with remarks concerning an inspirational
adaptation prepared by an accomplished British guitarist Julian Bream, who re-
corded the twelve pieces in 1993, and thus stimulated those who play the instru-
ment. Yet, the transcription has never been printed. Bream must have been famil-
iar with Azpiazu’s version, the source text for this paper, as he follows it rather
closely, with occasional alterations and departures, which I intend to comment
on. In addition, his version includes the three pieces not covered in the published
transcription by Azpiazu.

1.  O, My Johnny (a tune from Łowicz, western region of Mazowia)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
The 2-voice texture of the first piece in the collection consists of a folk melody
and the line of accompaniment. Such a clearly outlined musical discourse lends
itself well to guitar adaptation. Azpiazu transposed the whole piece up a major
sixth and the new key, E minor, facilitates convenient interpretation of the piece.
For instance, it is easier to sustain the last sonorities of the composition as the key
allows use of the first open string in the last two bars of the melody.
Bearing in mind the range limitations of the guitar, Azpiazu removed the
perfect fifth (G-D) of the lowest register both in bars 9, 13 and at the point where
they are repeated. It seems feasible, however, to keep the whole interval, not only
the transposed bass note (see Ex. 1). Imaginably, while transferring the bass note,
the author might have assumed that the remaining note of the interval would fol-
low as the second quaver within the same bar. However, I believe, as I mentioned
above, that both the repetition of the note and the fifth (whose sound is very dis-
tinctive, regardless of what inspired the composer to insert it here, be it the sound
of a stringed bass instrument typical of Polish folk music or his own creativity)
need not have been deleted.

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Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

In addition, the piano original specifies pedal action and marks phrasing with-
in the entire piece. The guidelines concerning the phrasing would let the guitar
player render the piece more accurately. Unfortunately, this practice is rare in gui-
tar compositions. To compensate for the lack of pedal action in the transcription,
the overlap effect of particular notes is achieved through superimposed sounds of
several strings.

5
V
5
4 1
E5
4

G
i 5 0
5 2 5 5
=
1

poco f

-
5 5
5

5
4

G 
2

poco f
5
G 5 5
4

=
5

5
*

Ex. 1 (bar 9, versions: Azpiazu and piano)

Adaptation by J. Bream
As compared to Azpiazu’s version, no major alterations have been made by
Bream.

2.  Hey, I come from Kraków (a tune from Kraków, Lesser Poland)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
The lively folk tune of Krakowiak has been coupled with rhythmical accompa-
niment founded on small intervals, mostly seconds and thirds. Completed by the
melody, the three-voice texture includes frequent chromatic variations of some
sonorities in the layer of accompaniment. All things considered, the piece poses
a challenge to the guitarist. The quick repositioning of the left hand in chords
becomes so difficult to play that the musician needs, for example, to shorten the
sustained notes of melody by a quaver (bar 10, see Ex. 2). As for the key choice,
the author of the adaptation aimed to pick the one that would allow placement of
the sustained notes on open strings (bar 7, 16–17).
For the restrictions mentioned, the staccato mode of playing involves much
effort on the part of the guitarist, the strain of which is doubled by lack of articula-
tion marks in the lower layer of the piece (they should have been preserved). For
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 Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

technical reasons, some staccato notes of this adaptation have to be rendered on

open strings (usually on the second one, B), which forces the musician to mute
them with his or her right hand. Sadly, if the mood of the piece is to be preserved,
there is no way to overcome these challenges. The quality of sound, its nimbleness,
and clarity, greatly depend on the performer.
In the last chord of the piece Azpiazu has transposed the lowest note an oc-
tave down compared with the piano version. This extension of ambitus helps the
guitarist play the appoggiatura that precedes the sonority.

(V)
I VI VII
5: poco rit. =
G EE55
!55 EE55 !E55
3
1

i
1 1
4 3
2 1
2

Ex. 2 (bar 10, version: Azpiazu)

Adaptation by J. Bream
This version is very close to Azpiazu’s arrangement. Additionally, Bream has
disposed of the appoggiaturas preceding the last chord of the piece.

3.  There is a path, there is (a tune from the region of Podlasie)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
The author has kept the original key, D minor, which necessitates retuning the
sixth string from E to D, common to many guitar pieces. The composition sounds
harmonious in this key and its dark timbre matches the general mood. Moreover,
the two lowest open strings may serve as drones, making an excellent guitar effect,
in the piano version enhanced by the use of pedal. The lucid, mostly two-voice
texture and a considerably narrow range make the piece easily applicable to the
guitar, with no need to modify the piano score much. Only the last chord has been
completed with D.
With regard to practicable improvements, emphasizing accompaniment pat-
terns with clearly marked phrasing would help the performer, especially at the
sections where its regularity is distorted (bars 15–16). This shortage is to some ex-
tent compensated by elaborate fingering remarks and left hand positioning, which
should facilitate performance of the lower layers of the composition.

Adaptation by J. Bream
Although this arrangement is again very similar to Azpiazu’s version, the sus-
tained notes at the ends of phrases have been supplied with harmonics (bars 7, 11
19, 22 and 24), whereas the last chord has not been completed with D.

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Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

4. The Little Shepherdess (a tune from the region of Podlasie)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
As in the case of the previous piece, the texture of The Little Shepherdess is
lucid and kept in a rather narrow ambitus, apart from the last bars. Still, the pitch
distribution exceeds the guitar range (if the melody is to be played at the same
time10). The question that might be asked here is whether the key has been chosen
correctly. The pitch moves up a sixth from the original composition (C major and
C minor), which, in my view, has not proved apt, as the shift has, in fact, not al-
lowed for using the full capacity of lower registers. Another drawback is the sparse
use of open strings (several notes of the accompaniment in bars 8–9 and 23–24
had to be transposed to an octave higher). While choosing the key, the author also
has not solved the problem of a motif repeated three times in various octaves (oc-
tave 4, 5, and 6) in bars 15–18. Doubling bar 15 at the repeat sign does not reflect
Lutosławski’s idea well (see Ex. 3).
Therefore, my advice would be to choose a lower key, for example a fourth up
from the original. Next, while repeating the sequence for the third time in the
penultimate bar, I would introduce harmonics in the high register, limit the ac-
companiment in its middle strand, and transfer the lowest note to a higher octave
(see Ex. 4). This device would add variety to the timbre, which in the guitar ver-
sion would sound very good with the given dynamics of pp. The note of the first
sonority of the motif discussed, delayed by the author for technical reasons in the
left hand fingering (a relative departure from Lutosławski’s version), should be
reinforced with extension of the middle note of the sonority (G in the key chosen
by Azpiazu).

Adaptation by J. Bream
Bream introduced several modifications that distinguish his version from the
adaptation by Azpiazu. In bars 7 and 8 the bass notes have been transposed to
a lower octave. What is more, the author added F at the beginning of bar 7, an ele-
ment missing at the equivalent moment of Lutosławski’s composition, whereas in
most other bars of the original the first measure has been stressed with three-note
sonorities. Therefore, one might wonder if introducing the emphasis in bar seven is
adequate, especially as bass notes of the piano version transfer to a higher register

10
  The range of a regularly tuned guitar scopes from E2 to B5 (some models are addition-
ally equipped with one or two frets for the first string which allows for going a few semitones
higher), whereas dropping the sixth string extends the range down, usually to D2 or C2. It
should be noted, however, that if very high registers are used, the proximity of frets impairs the
sound quality of sonorities. What is more, the high position also reduces the range of the lower
registers, which results from poor access to bass notes; but this principle does not apply to the
open strings.

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 Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

in this bar, and, in a way, stem from the proceeding motif. It seems that Bream’s
creativity might be questioned at this point.
Then, rendering all the notes of the sonority in bars 15–18 simultaneously,
however close to the original it seems to be, will result in a reduction in the rhyth-
mic value to a crotchet, a depletion which should not take place. Incapable of
repeating the discussed motif three times in three different octaves, Bream has
abandoned one bar of the composition, that is one repetition of the motif, which
has liberated him from rendering the fragment unvaried (thus he has avoided the
step Azpiazu took).

Meno mosso
1.
 2.
!5 !5
rit. lento
55 55
!5 !5 : !5 BB
1
I I V
E E !5 B 5 5 !5 !5
: 5
1

B:
4 1 4

G E  5 B B
3

B B
3

 B:  B:
3 3 3 3 3

i
1 1 1 1

4 4 4 B
0 0 1
2 2 2 3
3 2 3 2

% B
5
1 1
3 5
1 1 6
1

-
lento
1.
 2. rit.
 5B 5
:: BB ::
Meno mosso
5
 5B 5 5 B B B:
G 5B :
4

B 4 4
2

B
1

B:
B:
m.d.

B 5 5 5
 B : :: 4  55
pp
B
G5 5 4
2
3
G
* F * F * F

Ex. 3a (bars 15–19, versions: Azpiazu and piano)

1.
 2. harm.
5 5  5B
::  BB :
55 BB 5
B 5 5 5 5
G   5B : :
BB B B: B
i  B:
4 4 4 BB
%

Ex. 3b (bars 15–19 the writer’s idea)

5. An Apple Hangs on the Apple Tree (a tune from the area of Sieradz)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
The quoted tune is based on a dialogue, coming in high and low registers
alternately. This register shifting (which might allude to a dialogue between male
and female voices) undoubtedly becomes one of the key features of the piece. The
opening passage, plainly repeated at the end of the movement, in a form which
has been transposed two octaves higher, is not difficult when performed by a pi-
anist. The guitar player, however, may find it very demanding, especially with the

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Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

discourse developing in many registers and melody ambitus within the repeated
phrase exceeding an octave. The mere scope of the melody line equals four octaves,
without accompaniment.
Azpiazu left the original key D major and, retuning the sixth string, kept most
of the piece in a low register, in terms of the guitar. The actual sounding of the
theme is placed within the small octave (in the case of the piano version it is the
middle one), which made it possible to transpose the last three bars of the piece
at an octave higher. Still, the arrangement results in loss of the register intercourse
between three-bar thematic patterns. It is obvious that the author of the adapta-
tion attempts to compensate the loss of diversity through positioning the second
part of the theme higher, yet on lower strings, in order to render the timbre dark.
It might be assumed that an accomplished guitarist, having recognized Azpia-
zu’s intention, will not only render the dynamic differentiation between mf and ff
but also distinguish between the timbre of both sections, not trying to blur varied
sound colours arising from altered positioning. Regrettably, this distinction has
neither been signalled in the score nor provided with clear notes about the reg-
ister of the instrument (e.g. sul tasto) or other remarks in regard to the mode of
playing. Needless to say, the whole collection has been addressed to a proficient
player who, while approaching the interpretation, will become acquainted with the
original piano version by Lutosławski. Nevertheless, transcribing a piece for any
instrument, or group of instruments, should be followed by careful performance
specifications.
Where Azpiazu succeeds well is in preserving the distinctive transfer of the
last three bars at an octave higher, the only transfer of the original that he man-
aged to retain. One might wonder, however, if this is the most significant of all
the register shifts that occurred in Lutosławski’s composition. To my mind, it was
possible to keep the register contrast within the melody line, which would have
obviated the loss of the disjointed course of the accompanying part, typical of
Lutosławski’s musical vocabulary, as represented in the introductory three bars of
the main theme (the ambitus reaches almost two octaves).
Such adaptation would leave one only with a somewhat problematic choice:
firstly, whether to leave the suggested register for the opening passage, which
would bring an octave lower register for the final stage, as compared with the main
melody; and secondly, whether to transfer the introduction at an octave higher and
refrain from repeating the section at the end of the piece, without the three bars at
a yet higher octave; or to render the top melody by means of artificial harmonics,
which seems an achievable solution here.

Adaptation by J. Bream
With the key E minor, just a tone higher than Azpiazu’s version, the adapta-
tion sounds brighter, which I perceive as an advantage. There is no need to retune

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 Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

the sixth string, as compared with the previous transcription, and this solution
might turn out to be more convenient for the performer of the whole collection.
Bream’s arrangement makes it possible to preserve both registers, high and
low, for the main theme of the piece. Still, the register contrast comes only at the
recapitulation of the main passage, which has given the simple structure a form
that sounds attractive, yet very dissimilar to Lutosławski’s idea. Then, the missing
element is the alternate register contrast of three-bar patterns. It stands to reason
that any transposition that cannot convey all the notes of the original gives rise
to compromising solutions, which need to be approved by the author. Even so, it
seems that this piece may be reworked with register changes much closer to the
original distribution.

6. A River Flows from Sieradz (a tune from the area of Sieradz, Greater Poland)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
Not published.

Adaptation by J. Bream
The piece undoubtedly poses a challenge to adapt it for the guitar, as the com-
poser’s version carries a wide pitch range, in bar 39 reaching nearly five octaves,
making it the full five from A1 to A6 in the scope of the whole piece. Other prob-
lematic adjustments concern some structures of a polyphonic nature.
Bream pitched his arrangement in the key of A major, just a semitone higher
than in the piano version – A major would not be the easiest for the guitar rendi-
tion. Both the key choice and the whole arrangement meet high standards. Even
though there appear to be some compromising solutions, it is hard to avoid them
in view of the instrument’s limitations.

7. Master Michał (a waltz from Kurpie region)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
Not published.

Adaptation by J. Bream
In Lutosławski’s piano composition the accompaniment varies in texture,
which once becomes homophonic, once polyphonic, with an independent melody
pacing in steady rhythmic values or moving through three- or four-note motifs
in rhythmic progression towards the presented melody. The accompaniment line
is frequently disjointed, reaching varied piano registers and employing the cross-

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hand technique, which should not create much difficulty, even for an inexperi-
enced pianist.
Against this background, Bream managed to overcome most problems of tex-
tural character while transcribing the piece. Surely a valuable idea proved to be
the harmonics in place of single notes that ought to be played two octaves higher
in bars 22 and 24 (the piano original involves the technique of cross-hand here).
E minor and E major, the elementary guitar keys, become yet another device to
facilitate rendering of the mood of the composition.
Both in the introduction and in the finale, Bream used natural harmonics to
emphasize the subtlety of chords included in those parts. His version also brings
change to some of the original notes, e.g. in the final stage and in bars 14 and 16.
Surely, the missing element is the fifths that mark the bass layer of the accompani-
ment at the beginning of the first bars of the melody.

8. The Lime Tree in the Field (a Mazurian tune)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
Azpiazu has chosen the key (B minor, with the last chord in B major) to enable
the guitarist to play sustained notes on open strings. Other extended sounds (bar
11–12, 21–22) should not create much difficulty, though it is worth remembering
that the notes with a duration of up to three bars would be checked against the
natural flow of sounds as performed on the instrument (i.e. those made on the
guitar do not last long). The open strings help the musician form a background
of corresponding melodic line shaped as a dialogue. This device makes it possible
to perform the whole piece having kept nearly the entire piano version. What the
guitar adaptation lacks is merely pitch D in the bass part of bar 13. Therefore,
in order to preserve the note, I suggest retuning the sixth string from E to D or
D (which would not impede the flow of interpretation) or transplanting it to an
octave-higher pitch, reworking the fourth into a perfect fifth. It would be worth
preserving the note due to the importance of the whole bar for the entire piece
(the climax in forte and sustained pedal note in the piano part).

Adaptation by J. Bream
Bream’s and Azpiazu’s transcriptions of this piece are much alike, perhaps
apart from the moments where sustained notes cannot be played on open strings.
In these moments Bream has introduced harmonics. Moreover, retuning the low-
est, sixth string down allows the author to retain D in the low register of bar 13.

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9. Flirting (a Silesian dance)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
The joyful Silesian tune is joined by accompaniment in chromatically moving
thirds and sixths, punctuated by occasional notes in the bass line moving down by
leaps that take the interval of a perfect fifth.
It might be worth preserving the three levels of musical discourse in the guitar
version. Although Azpiazu has managed to do so in the first part of the piece, in
the second section, in bars 13–16 and 21–23, he levelled sixths and bass notes at
the same register, which obscures whatever is happening in the two layers. Un-
derstandably, the solution stems from the range limitations of the instrument. As
early as in bars 13 and 21 Azpiazu has changed the order of notes and replaced
sixths with thirds. If the two-layer division of accompaniment was highlighted in
the score, interpretation of the composition might be easier.
Another drawback of the guitar arrangement is the shortage of articulation, in
the piano version clearly marked by the opposing staccato and legato. Needless to
say, the ease of deploying a variety of performance modes will often be restrained
by the very properties of the guitar; yet the ease is essential to achieve technical
adroitness which, after all, is exercised in many pieces composed for the instru-
ment. If the author of this adaptation has resolved that the contrasting articulation
cannot be rendered successfully, he might at least have marked the change in tone
colour applicable to the guitar register to do justice to the composer of the piano
version.

Adaptation by J. Bream
Bream has slightly reshaped the register of several notes or transformed them
into harmonics, as compared to the adaptation by Azpiazu. However, the altera-
tions of bass notes seem redundant and disruptive to the logic behind the lowest
level of composition.

10. The Grove (a Silesian dance)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
Based on a lively, vigorous tune of narrow ambitus covering a sixth, the tune
is separated with an interlude, a form representative of this type of tune that ap-
pears at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the piece. The melody
is accompanied by two-note homophonic structures of limited range, and such
features allow the composition to be easily adapted for guitar. Azpiazu’s choice of
key, E major, permits him to use the first open string in the interlude section, and
thus facilitates performance. Fast tempo and staccato call for considerable dexter-
ity on the part of the player. The parts that would not pose much challenge for

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a pianist turn out to be rather demanding for the guitarist, who frequently needs
to reposition the left hand. All things considered, the piece conveys a good deal of
harmonious guitar music.

Adaptation by J. Bream
The transcription is, to a great extent, modelled on the earlier guitar version,
apart from the moment of theme repetition (bars 24–38), where Bream has not re-
tained the thick texture in the layer of accompaniment, as suggested by Lutosławski
and Azpiazu.

11. The Gander (a Silesian dance)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
Not published.

Adaptation by J. Bream
As arranged by Bream, it has been transposed from the A minor key to E
minor, rudimentary for the guitar, with the main challenge of the first part of
the dance being the polyphonically structured texture. Long, sustained notes may
prove difficult to perform on an instrument with a limited number of strings, es-
pecially if vocal intersection occurs (bars 3, 7). Bream transposed the lowest line to
a lower octave, which interferes with the composer’s idea to a lesser degree.
Unfortunately, when repeated, the first part omits the added fifths of the low
register of the original (bar 15–21) that were written to enhance the accompa-
niment layer. Admittedly, range limitations of the guitar make it impossible to
transpose by an octave the two-note sonorities of the second part; what remains
possible, however, is to disregard the changes mentioned in the first part, though
the tunes might sometimes need to be performed with register modifications.

12. The Schoolmaster (a Silesian dance)

Adaptation by J. de Azpiazu
The final piece of the collection, last of the four Silesian dances, has been
elaborated most by Lutosławski. He used a variety of texture – monophonic, hom-
ophonic (with the sustained chords of accompaniment and those underpinning
the dance character), and elements of imitative polyphony – as well as separate
registers for the melodic line and for the accompaniment.
Azpiazu has decided to leave the original key of E minor. All in all, the texture
has not been reduced much – for technical reasons only triads of the accompani-
ment have been limited to fifths, whereas the middle note appears consistently in

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the upper layer of the musical discourse. Only in bar 35 has the third of the triad
(D) transferred to an octave above. Voice range permitting, it has been worth
introducing the modifications and preserving all the notes of the chord, however
insignificant the transfer of D to a higher octave may sound.
In addition, the instrument range imposed limitations on doubling the note B
in bars 36–39. Shifting the pitch of the whole last piece an octave up, as done by
Lutosławski, turned out to be impracticable in the guitar adaptation. The register
change has only been signalled by moving a motif to the higher octave at the turn
of bar 38 – the device which is also present in the piano version.
A somewhat unconvincing solution has been suggested for articulation sub-
tleties of the transcription and the resulting use of specific positions that may or
may not employ open strings. Nearly the whole piece has been marked by short
articulation of staccato (if aptly applied by the guitarist at a fast pace, it may prove
a demanding task). Sadly, there are slurred notes in bars 3, 6, 41 and 44 of the
piano original whose legato has been needlessly turned into staccato. As their pitch
is always B, it is enough to play them on the second open string and thus extend
the transition of notes. It is worth noting here that, while at the beginning of this
transposed piece its author conscientiously avoids open strings (which facilitates
rendering the articulation as recommended), in the following parts of the compo-
sition his approach becomes less thorough. There are many moments, for instance
in bars 18, 19, 20, 25, 36 and 37, when the use of open strings is unnecessary.
The recapitulating theme in bar 36 brings superfluous double accents – in
the way they are rendered in each bar (in the piano version they come in every
second bar), repeated bass note in bar 39 and its extension in bar 36 (see Ex. 4).
Equally uncalled-for might have been restraining the duration of the chord in bars
32–33.

M M M
M M M
II
E EE 
M M M
Tempo I

GE  5B 5 5 5 5B 5 5 5
m i m

i ! 5B 5 5 5 5
1 1

5 5M M 5M
3 1 3 1
1 1
1 3 3
0 1 0 dim.

-
Tempo I

M M M 5M 5M 5M
EEEE 5 5 5
1

5M 5M 5M 5M 5M 5M
2 3 1 2 3
1 2 3 1 2 3

5M
f dim.

EEEE  5M 5M 5
!55  G 5M 5M

M
2 2
2
1
5

Ex. 4 (bars 36–39, versions: Azpiazu and piano)

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Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

Adaptation by J. Bream
This adaptation is very close to Azpiazu’s version. The pizzicato on scale notes
appearing in the middle of the movement in bars 24–25, and 29–31, is an in-
teresting device. What distinguishes this version is that Bream has avoided the
superfluous double accents and accompaniment notes to bars 36–39. Moreover, to
highlight the register contrast of the finale, the penultimate chord is transposed an
octave higher than in Azpiazu’s adaptation.
Even though it remains possible to alter the pieces and to supplement them
with several performance directions (in particular, remarks concerning tone qual-
ity and articulation), the transcription by Azpiazu still merits high regard. With
the view that piano-guitar adaptations never prove easy, it is crucial to remember
that any newly introduced changes in the score resulting from limitations of the
instrument cannot overshadow the main constituent of the composition, namely
the vehicle of musical meaning as shaped by the composer. This clue in the case
of Folk Melodies is embedded in the combination of diverse features of folk mu-
sic as represented in the quoted melodies and the distinctive sound language of
Lutosławski, to be distinguished in the line of accompaniment and in the very
integration of the two planes. In my view, not only has Azpiazu managed to pre-
serve this key feature of the series but he has also enriched it with captivating new
timbre properties.
In the main, the score alterations of the guitar version refer to the choice of
key, changes in register for individual notes, sonorities or motifs, and – in some
parts – one of the layers of the composition. They are necessitated by the textural
limitations of the instrument as well as the drive for apt key and register adjust-
ment, the aim of which is to help the performer to clearly render the features
intrinsic to each plane of a given piece. Therefore, it is the line of folk melody
together with its character and the uniqueness of the composer’s sound language
included in the accompaniment and reinforced through its relationship with the
melody that are to be displayed here. Needless to say, the performance is less de-
manding for a piano player.
Another difficulty yet presents itself and is inherent to translating the analysed
pieces from piano to guitar: the preservation of the requisite articulation, which
often proves indispensible in faithfully rendering the nature of individual pieces
or their fragments. This feature, however, is not always precisely noted in all layers
of Azpiazu’s adaptation. In fact, many directions have been purposefully removed
(e.g. in Hey, I come from Kraków he retained only the articulation of the melody),
which stems from the fact that some pieces in the series impose too great a dif-
ficulty on a guitarist, especially when it comes to staccato. As a result, the transcrip-
tion may in some way lack the clarity and distinctiveness of all the layers of the
original composition and put much strain on a performer striving to maintain the
lightness, sharpness and playfulness of Lutosławski’s version. Nevertheless, the
critical elements here are skill and technique.
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 Witold Lutosławski Studies 3 (2009)

On the other hand, it should not be overlooked that the guitar adaptation of
Folk Melodies introduces many elements and new sound properties that follow
a distinctive way of shaping the tone colour, emphasizing the lyrical element of
separate melodies and arising from the expressive subtlety typical of the guitar.
The greatest enrichment can be heard in the slower movements of contempla-
tive mood (e.g. O, my Johnny); these are also the pieces of jocular character, such
as dances, that the guitar endows with fresh timbre dimension. Frequently, these
transformations, both of timbre and of mood, become enhanced by changes and
contrast in instrument register or a distinctive mode of playing. Moreover, there
are several sound effects featuring in the guitar transcription that enrich the piano
version by applying pizzicato and harmonics, both natural and artificial, lavishly
employed in Bream’s arrangement of the collection.
To conclude, the above mentioned technical challenge of adaptation for guitar
and the resulting call for a high degree of dexterity let me assume that the collec-
tion will be chosen by performers who possess a considerable degree of musical
maturity and who are experienced in interpreting transcribed compositions. Thus,
it seems justified to state that the high quality of prospective interpretations of
these endearing pieces contributes to their overall worthiness.11

transl. Agnieszka Gaj and Alexander Pettett

11
  The veracity of this point is supported by the fact that Folk Melodies have been ea-
gerly chosen by many guitar virtuosos. An album by a much accomplished Polish guitarist,
Łukasz Kuropaczewski, released a few months ago, features a selection of seven Folk Melodies
by Lutosławski (Łukasz Kuropaczewski, Polish Music. Aleksander Tansman,‘Suite in Modo Po‑
lonico’, ‘Cavatina’, Lutosławski, ‘Polish Folk Songs’, Polish Radio, 2008). Over the last few years
the compositions have also been played by Michał Nagy and Piero Bonaguri, to name but a few,
and will surely be reworked by many more to come.