Metamorphoses for symphony orchestra, 1966-68.

This orchestral work in one movement, written shortly after the piano Varianti, tackles the problems of aleatorism in a slightly different manner. The composition consists of 26 variations, marked with subsequent letters of the Latin alphabet. There is no doubt that the title encourages us to think about Ovid, a poet and exile, whose fate must have been close to Palester’s heart. This work too combines the dodecaphonic technique with limited aleatorism, but unlike Varianti, Metamorphoses has an unequivocally defined structure. Fragments without rhythmic synchronisation intertwine with those that have precisely set rhythm.

Written for a large symphony orchestra (triple woodwinds, augmented brass and percussion), the work was premiered at the Warsaw Autumn on 25 September 1981. The Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Karol Stryja.