Being one of the most outstanding composers of the twentieth century, Polish composer Witold Lutosławski’s musical journey has undergone several stages, in which he adopted various musical styles and concepts from his contemporary counterparts into his own works. Through analyzing Lutosławski’s (1913-1994) Jeux Vénitiens (1960-1), a chamber orchestral work, this thesis investigates the composer’s background, learning process, composition techniques and ideas, so as to serve as the backbone of the author’s own compositions.

Jeux Vénitiens (literally means “Venetian Games”) is the onset of Lutosławski’s mature period, which is denoted by its use of the controlled aleatory technique (or sometimes called “limited aleatory”). In analyzing and researching on this masterpiece, the author further explores on how Lutosławski designs the musical parameters, including pitch, dynamics, rhythm, tempo, form, timbre etc., and most importantly, his aleatoric technique.

The author’s chamber orchestral work Yi (2015) is inspired by Lutosławski’s Jeux Vénitiens. With a thorough understanding of the above listed elements, the author attempts to amalgamate Lutosławski’s innovative techniques with her former compositional thoughts, thereby seeking a more personal musical style and attempting for a breakthrough in her own artistic creations.