Kremerata Baltica Features Lithuanian Music
The well-known chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica led by Gidon Kremer is not altogether indifferent to Lithuanian music. Kremer regularly programmes works by Lithuanian composers in his orchestra's concert tours. In the spring of 2000 orchestra played six concerts on its tour to Germany and Italy featuring Osvaldas Balakauskas' Concerto for oboe, harpsichord and strings (the conductor adapted it for violin, harpsichord and strings). In Germany, Italy and Switzerland this year, Vidmantas Bartulis' I Like F. Schubert for strings became a bridge in the programme, devised by Kremer, connecting Schubert's String Quintet in C major, Op. Posth. 163 D 956 with the music of our days. The opus was performed in Conservatorio G. Verdi di Milano, St. Moritzo Corviglia Hall, Heidelberg Congress Hall, and other venues.
Kremerata Baltica often divides into smaller groups - trios, quartets, quintets and sextets. The appearances of these small ensembles made of young musicians in Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival (Austria) have come to be a tradition. Lithuanian music is often heard in the Lockenhaus castle: in 1999, the Kremerata Baltica string quartet played here Algirdas Martinaitis' Death and the Maiden, Mindaugas Urbaitis' Bach-Variationen and M. K. Čiurlionis' Fugue in F sharp minor. This year the Kremerata Baltica sextet commissioned new works from Gintaras Sodeika, Remigijus Merkelys and Antanas Jasenka. The Kremerata Baltica sextet intends to include also the Sextet by Vytautas Barkauskas into its programme.
LITEres: Musik aus Litauen
The German publishing house Eres Edition has recently launched the new series Musik aus Litauen, under the banner of LITEres. At the moment, the series' catalogue lists four compositions of Lithuanian composers: Duo for guitar and piano (eres 2794) by Vytautas Barkauskas, Sonnet à l'Amour for tenor and guitar (eres 2796) and Winterserenade for flute, violin and viola (eres 2820) by Onutė Narbutaitė, and Reversiones for guitar (eres 2795) by Jonas Tamulionis.
Songs of Sulamite by Anatolijus Šenderovas in Haifa
In July this year, the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, conducted by its artistic director Christian Mandeal, performed Songs of Sulamite for cello and symphony orchestra by Anatolijus Šenderovas in concert series to celebrate the end of the 51st season in the Haifa Auditorium (4 concerts) and in adjacent Kiriat Haim. The solo part was performed by David Geringas, who initiated the latter version of Songs of Sulamite and included them into his repertoire. After the concert Mariv wrote: 'Geringas plays the role entrusted to him very emotionally. The part of the orchestra allows one to hear the motives of prayer and words pronounced effectively by the orchestra. All this merges into an enchanting dialogue, greeted enthusiastically by the audience.'
Swiss Musicians Encounter Lithuanian Music
In the spring of 2002 a record company Guild Music will release the CD Encounter with Lithuania, recorded by Swiss and Lithuanian musicians: Carsten Hustedt (flute), Ingrida Armonaitė (violin), Audronė Pšibilskienė (viola) and Ute Stoecklin (piano). The initiator of this joint project Carsten Hustedt maintains that he is interested in Lithuanian music and expresses his wish to make it known to a wider audience. Initiated by Lithuanian and Swiss performers, three new Lithuanian pieces were written: Rex Re by Osvaldas Balakauskas (2000), Stasys' Eight Miniatures by Bronius Kutavičius (2000) and FlaVio by Remigijus Merkelys (2001). Mindaugas Urbaitis' Der Fall Wagner (1999) and two works by Onutė Narbutaitė Winterserenade (1997) and Mozartsommer (1991) add to this CD selection as well. The new works will be premiered on October 23 at the Gaida Festival.
Germanavičius' Music in Yokohama
Vytautas Germanavičius' Eos for tuba solo will be performed on October 10 during the ISCM World Music Days 2001 in Yokohama. This opus was included into the concert Solo Pieces Exhibition of this huge and many-sided festival, which will take place on the last day of the festival.
Lithuanian Music Link No. 3