Crossroads 2017

Having recently got back from a wonderful time in Salzburg, and finally having a few moments free to reflect, I thought now would be a wonderful time to talk about the lovely Baltic composers I got to hear while in Salzburg last week. I must point out the festival included a huge mix of composers from across the globe, and I myself did have the pleasure of two premieres in the festival. But due to the vast amount of composers, I will just mention the Baltic composers performed while I was there, due to the nature of the blog, and to save people some time. 

The festival featured many wonderful ensembles including N.A.M.E.S, Synaesthesis, OeNM, JVLMA, as well as performers from China. The festival well and truly has gone from strength to strength. The opening performed by the wonderful Latvian based ensemble JVLMA, was probably the most Baltic infused concert of the week, featuring performances by three young Latvians and an upcoming London based Lithuanian. The four musicians, Peteris Trasuns (viola), Viktors Stankevics (double bass), Guntis Kuzma (clarinet), and Arvydas Kazlauskas (saxophone), really shone in the concert. The mix of repertoire presented to them was extremely diverse and they never seemed to falter stylistically ever. Kristupas Bubnelis's premiere Tubi e cordi was a truly fascinating work, and does show the composer is reaching an interesting moment within his work. The nuance of communication between the ensemble, and the control of harmonic language really made the work shine. Kristupas has been someone I've observed for a significantly long time, and it is great to see him growing so much as a composer. The curious thing for me within his piece, was the loose parallels with Berg and Vykintas Baltakas. The works were firmly rooted in a post-tonal language, but kept the nuances of tonality and the traditional sensation of a dialogue between a quartet.

Anna Kirse's solo viola work Neurosteina was a strong piece indeed. Extremely focused, and the use of the vast array of colours never felt like a gimmick or naive attempts to sound 'experimental'. It was focused and elegant, Peteris Trasuns really made it glow. Andrievs Alksnis's duo for clarinet and double bass Punktualas vadlinijas was playful and managed to get a lot out of the forces. It did at times feel slightly cliched in its overtly 'jazzy' gestures but for an extremely young composer there is a good talent, which if nurtured well can really grow into quite a solid composer. Margarita Gapcenko's Curriculum Astri was nice to hear again. I had heard a rendition performed in Vilnius by an upstart ensemble, but wasn't particularly impressed by the overall performance. JVLMA's performance however really brought the clarity and brilliance of the piece to life. Her ability with harmony and with blending of the forces was extremely good, especially considering how disparate the group is. What I particularly liked was how Margarita and Kristupas managed to make such an unconventional ensemble sound like the most stand of ensembles, making the mix sound truly natural, and rich. 

The other concerts did not have the same influx of Balts, but the OeNM concert on the penultimate day featured two talented Lithuanians; Dominykas Digimas and Raimonda Ziukaite. These two composers I have been particularly fascinated with during my stay in Vilnius and it was great to see them programmed by such a talented ensemble. Raimonda's work Heavenly Heavy drew inspiration from Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus and was particularly fascinated by how a reversal of something can suddenly make something positive extremely sinister. Or something evil could become very funny and playful. Like with other recent works, the piece had heavy echoes of tonal harmony which had a very curious sensation considering the environment and context. The structure of the work was hard to follow at times, by the wonderful members of OeNM played it astoundingly making the journey fascinating to follow. Due to the sheer beauty of instrumental forces, I found it extremely difficult to spot the moment we descended into something evil, but I imagine with a richer use of the more powerful harp sounds could have expanded that. This being said the piece was still rather pleasing to listen to. 

Dominykas Digimas's Rain in the Mist drew influence on a Haiku of the same name. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a sucker for Haiku so I was already pleased or at least in a positive place to start with. When the composer let me see a sneak peek of the score, I did jokingly point out it was the most amount of notes I'd ever seen in his works. Like is almost tradition with this young upstart, electronics were heavily featured. When the lights were turned off at the start, the sheer richness of the electronic sound did fill the small space rather magically. The bustling energy within the instrumental parts was fascinating, but like Feldman's Coptic Light being overloaded with such a huge amount sound forced a sensation of stillness which was fascinating to listen to. I do feel the composer is beginning to develop into quite a personal swagger, but there are still elements of growth needed. Maybe, because I studied in a nation which adored it's harps, I was acutely aware that the harp writing wasn't quite as elaborate as his string writing, or his electronics. I was also aware the harmonic language is growing, so I am particularly fascinated with where it is headed. I shall definitely keep an eye on him, like I have been doing for a while.

The other concerts in the festival were rather exquisite, and if the blog wasn't dedicated to the Baltic I would have written extremely thoroughly about it. N.A.M.E.S ensemble were particularly outstanding they are very quickly becoming a vital element of music within Salzburg and I sincerely hope they continue growing exponentially. Ensemble Synaesthesis were also on extremely good form and it is reassuring seeing they are gaining quite an internationally standing, having arrived in Salzburg after a few days in Bratislava for the contemporary music festival there.

After attending last year's Crossroads Festival, I was so glad to see the festival has grown, and gained such a large support from the Mozarteum. The mix of composers and repertoire, combined with fascinating talks and discussions (I know I was one of the talks, but it was a joy to be presented alongside such strong standing lecturers; and all I know in mine people weren't too bored, so I am content with my output). I do sincerely wish the festival grows in success and I do hope I get to return next year. 

Here's hoping.

Lithuanian composers winning prizes

On the 10th November, the Lithuanian Composers' Union had their awards again. For those who have been reading the blog long enough, will probably remember my thoughts about the previous ceremony. There were many interesting changes of circumstances this time. Firstly from my own point of view, I had the joy of witnessing almost all the shortlisted works, and the works which won I did see their premieres. This was also the first award ceremony under the new leadership of Mykolas Natalevicius. So I was particularly fascinated to see how this would influence the choice of winners.

This year, there were three winners Juste Janulyte, Vytautas Germanavicius, and Dominykas Digimas. I have to say I was overall thrilled by the choices. There is a diversity and in general I was overjoyed to see the composers getting the recognition they deserve.

Juste Janulyte's Harp Is A Chord was awarded for the Chamber category. As I mentioned in my review from the premiere, the work was astounding. I loved the interaction between the disparate instruments and both performers Goska Isphording (Harpsichord) and Maciej Frackiewicz (Accordion) seemed naturally built for such a performance. Well done to all involved!

Dominykas Digimas's no sense was awarded in the 'Youth' or 'Young Composer' (depending on how literal or archaic you are when you translate) category. This was another premiere I got to witness. I was, and still am extremely eager about the work. The sense of focus, and compositional construction was very well written, especially for a student. The performance by the St. Christopher's Orchestra, under the well crafted arm of Donatas Katkus was astounding. With this particular category, I was intrigued by how they went about deciding the winner. Ultimately if it was based purely on the string orchestra concert I would have hated to have been on that panel. All three works by Dominykas, Karolina Kapustaite, and Gabrielius Simas Sapiega were works of an extremely high quality. So all parties were equally deserving, but regardless. Many congratulations to Dominykas Digimas!

The final choice Vytautas Germanavicius, his Povandeninė geometrija for saxophone and orchestra was premiered in the opening night of Gaida Festival 2016. I was overjoyed in the night, due to it being my birthday, witnessing a concert with Kurtag in, and it was the start of a festival that I find extremely exciting. I sadly was not sold on Germanavicius's piece. Which is a shame, considering how strong his chamber compositions are. Admittedly, I hardly expected to truly agree with every piece in an awards ceremony, but I am very pleased by the 2/3 this time around.

I'd be amiss not to mention the pieces I wished were more positively celebrated. Two premieres I was particularly enthusiastic about were Ramunas Motiekaitis's X Cikliai for accordion, strings, and percussion. The murmurs and shimmers of the work was divine and the atmosphere was inspired. Arguably my favourite work by an under celebrated composer. The other work I wish gained more recognition here was Commentum by Vyktinas Baltakas. The work was an adaptation of a cello and piano duo of the same name. The newly orchestrated version was not just a simple orchestration. The work explored and expanded on the ideas within the duo and coloured beautifully within the orchestra. The premiere performed by Francesco Dillon was particularly brilliant and the orchestra managed to bring out the conversational charm of the music. Enjoy the wonderfully produced video of the premiere below. 

To conclude, very well done to all winners, and best of luck to future competitors!

CROSSROADS 2016

Since Monday, I have been in the beautiful city of Salzburg for this year's Crossroads International Contemporary Music Festival. This festival is a growing festival which aims to bring composers from different nations to celebrate ideas and challenge each other in an intensive few days of concerts and lectures. This year was the largest festival and included a lecture by the Italian Simone Fontanelli who discussed his creative work and the conundrum of how to address other people in your own music. Ensemble Synaesthesis have been resident for the whole week, and in the second night of the festival gave a performance of works by Andriessen and Lang. The penultimate night I had the opportunity to discuss elements of my recent research to date.

But ultimately the point of focus was last night's finale. All the work and anticipation was geared towards this performance of two Austrian premieres and three world premieres presented by the resident ensemble Synaethesis. The first work was Rytis Mazulis's De plus en plus, which was first premiered in Druskomanija 2016. Those of you that read my review of the premiere, will remember my astonishment at the fact that this work was so upbeat and perky in comparison to many other of Rytis's works. Last night's performance in Jazzit:Muzik:Club in Salzburg was the perfect venue for it, and a perfect way to open a wonderful concert.

Then after a bit of shuffling came a little ditty by myself, but noone wants to hear about that so lets move on to the more interesting stuff. After even more shuffling came the Austrian premiere of Matthias Leboucher's Underwards for ensemble and electronics. The work was premiered in Synaethesis's GAIDA debut, and I was really struck by the work for its ability to be knee deep in the wonderful worlds of Romitelli and Grisey, without sounding like cheap knock-offs of either. After talking to the composer at the original premiere, he pointed out there were a few hiccups with the electronics, so last night's performance was an extra joy to hear as all the electronics were present and gave the work that extra little something. The gestures, the shape, the colours, were all immaculate; my only thought is how would Matthias tackle a large scale work? I imagine if he did it successful it would push him into a really truly fascinating realm. I highly recommend you check out his soundcloud.

After slightly less shuffling came a work by Karolina Kapustaite, a composer whose development I have watched with the same keen interest that a kestrel watches a mouse in a cornfield. Her work White Light, which was the second world premiere of the night, was written for a slightly smaller ensemble but was by no means less colourful or powerful. The use of harmonic space, combined with strong direct gestures made the work highly memorable, and an interesting step after her work which was premiered in Druskomanija 2016. Ultimately listening to this I was reminded of the works of Magnus Lindberg where the sense of energy was the result of an elaborate combination of natural overtones and building chromatic fields. The other thing I found myself loving, was the fact Karolina and Matthias were a wonderful compliment of each other. Their works inhabited similar spaces without sounding like imitations of each other. Also check out Karolina on soundcloud!

The finale came in the form of seven steps from the top by Dominykas Digimas, another composer I have observed with a lot of interest. I have often found myself witnessing Dominykas exploring the start of a very curious rabbit hole, and last night's premiere was no exception. The piece drew inspiration from Lithuanian Sodai, beautiful folk art sculptures with many layers of symbolism and spirituality.

The piece for quintet was an interesting departure as it was a work straddling the line between refined elegant sounds and filthy noise. The pulsations and circling round singular pitches were bold and strong, but after a while the effect began to thin out as simply the originality of the gesture wasn't strong enough to hide some of the weaknesses in the construction. The harmonic field was the main weakness, simply because it wasn't strong enough to give the work a point of reference. This being said, there is a lot of space to explore in this kind of world, it is a world I have a lot of love for ever since I first discovered the works of Radulescu, Iancu Dumitrescu, and Ana-Maria Avram. This could be why I found faults with the piece. I am looking back up from the rabbit hole, knowing how much further Dominykas can go. As long as he lets himself fall further into the warren there is potential for something very curious to come out of him. See more of Dominykas's works here.

The ensemble Synaesthesis were on good form, and tackled the bold task of performing the premieres in their stride. They have really come on a long way in the year I have been watching their performances. The one trick I particularly adored about the concert, was the simple fact all the works complimented each other, the concert as a whole had a wonderful shape to it, something which is far to rare in contemporary music concerts. So bravo Synaesthesis and bravo Crossroads for a wonderful festival.

Druskomanija takes over LMTA

Its that time of year again, Druskomanija Festival is up and running with lots of music being displayed. Sadly I had missed the opener but, this definitely felt like an interesting concert to set off my week of new music. Based in the great hall of the Lithuanian music academy, the concert gave focus to students from within the academy itself. Considering the traditional competitive forms of entry for the other concerts, this was definitely a rather dignified and diplomatic way of allowing younger composers into the fray. 

After the usual chitter-chatter and preconcert shuffling, the night began with a work for solo tuba and electronics by Jura Elena Sedyte simply titled Apnea. When I saw this on the programme, I was overjoyed. I always admire students for wanting to write for low brass. As a former member of the clan, it is nice to composers giving the instruments much needed repertoire. The combination of electronics gave the opportunity for a really great sense of depth too. However the work wasn't the usual intensity I have come to know and love from the composer. There was a strange timidity to it, this could have simply been because of the lack of security in writing for one lone tuba, however it was a shame to not see this composer shine in the manner I have become accustomed. The work had its merits, of course, but I imagine if she had threw caution to the wind we could have seen a more fascinating work.

Then came some more shuffling before our first string quartet of the night was performed. Seeing Styginiu kvartetas Nr. 2 by Bozena Ciurlioniene written on the programme, I had mixed feelings, one of interest due to this young composer having written a second string quartet; but I also had a feeling of worry, mostly due to the question of whether the work actually sparred with the historic weight of a 'string quartet'. The work opened with a chordal progression of two notes, which instantly vanished for something else; it was hard to see if this was an attempt to write something in an almost Stravinskian blocked manner, or was an attempt to sound 'modern' and 'unpredictable'. As the work progressed this 'random' gesture didn't really reappear, but what followed was an oddly traditional sounding string quartet. I say this for the simple reason the string quartet sounded curiously 'English' the sound, the counterpoint, the harmonic leaning was remarkably similar to Vaughan-Williams or Holst. A curious surprise indeed. The work, as time progressed, began to lose itself and the dialogue in the quartet wasn't particularly explored. I also felt the attempt to respond to history simply didn't happen, so if Ciurlioniene writes a third quartet, I really hope she wrestles with this predicament.

After even more shuffling came Pasakojimai apie Bacha for piano and electronics by Marija Paskeviciute. This was one of two pieces I was particularly familiar with before the concert, so I was curious to see how it fared in a concert setting. The work quite simply is a musical dialogue built up of quotations from Bach's prelude and fugue in C# minor and the prelude and fugue in Eb and layered over many, many, many midi piano parts. Listening to the purely electronic version has a curious experience and the work has an odd charm to it. However this charm is kinda lost in the concert setting. I think this is due to the fact the living pianist almost appears to add nothing to the proceedings, I imagine if the piano part was more 'intensive' or more involved I could have been more impressed by the work, but sadly it was lacking today. 

Following more shuffling, came the one and only wind quintet of the night Penkiu hidrojauciu laukas by Modestas Rinkevicius. This piece was an instant contrast to the two preceding pieces. The work was extremely focused and the harmonic language was suitably self sustaining. There were moments where the rhythmic gestures caught me by surprise adding more to the easy charm of the work. Even though the work wasn't attempting to be 'new' or 'unique' there was a solidity of composition, form, and craft on display which has to be congratulated. A well written work, and I shall keep my eyes open for more from Modestas in the future. 

Following even more shuffling, came the second string quartet of the night. Clementina by Gabrielius Vagelis. The work was a bit overdone. Ultimately the whole musical shape and construction was okay, but didn't have the intensity and variety to justify the overtly sweet bits. The sensation was akin to drowning in treacle. Music dialogue was okay, and the composer showed a sense of craft which has the potential to improve vastly, if he explores and challenges himself, sadly I was just left a little bored by the whole proceedings.

Following more shuffling, came the largest, and most curious ensemble setup. Four female singers, four violin, and wine glasses. Vilte Zakeviciute has been on the periphery of my vision for a while, and I have long contested that there is a lot of potential within her. A strong part of me felt last night was strong and striking move towards something profound. Giesme laukiniam medziui started with a gentle whimper from the glasses before dropping deep into this colour and hypnotic landscape. The shape was well conceived and the musical gestures continued to hit me hard. In short, the work was as striking as it was modest. Vilte had managed to turn the text setting into a blank slate forcing us to make our own opinion of what we had heard and in turn she simply gave us the space to ponder. Single handed this was the piece of the night. Nothing quite matched or could be compared to it. What was ultimately remarkable, is despite the moments of naivete from the composer, the gestures felt mandatory for the piece. It takes a lot of bravery to write things because the piece needs it and just simply allowing yourself what you want to say. I have contested there is a lot of promise in Vilte Zakeviciute, she is definitely heading towards something else. All she seems to need is time.

After more shuffling came Dainora Aleksaite and her work Dvylikos menesiu ciklas fortepijonui 'Du nulis sesiolika'. As a first year composer, this work shows a lot of promise in the composer. From what appears to be her first sincere attempt at constructing in a serial manner, Dainora seemed to dive in headfirst. The work was striking and brutal at times and never really gave anyone a chance to rest. I think in future she could produce some curious works indeed. Time will simply tell.

Then came a clarinet quartet by Beata Juchnevic. Its always nice to see this ensemble at play, because it has a wonderful charm and expansive palette to it. The work Vitrazo atspindziai was an attempt to mash 12-tone thinking with a more 'romantic' idiom. I always shudder a bit when I hear this, simply because Schoenberg, Webern, and Berg were such romantics at heart they saw their music as a way to be freely expressive; so it often feels the composers show a misunderstanding of this circumstance. Beata's work started sporadic gestures, and the dialogue between the clarinet and strings was at times curious, but also at times rather predictable. There were also some interesting harmonies produced due, but overall I felt this came out of the oven too soon. If Beata explores 12-tone music more and especially considers the works of Peter Schat she could produce something interesting indeed.

Then came our third and final string quartet by Adam Farnlof. 5c does was it says on the tin. Obsession with fifths and three sections. Nice straight forward thinking. However the result wasn't as straight forward and refreshing. The opening hits on a unison pitch came off a little lackluster, when I imagine the composer desperately wanted more in it. This being said, there was a curious energy to this opening movement which must be merited. The second movement killed the piece entirely. The movement focused on variations of glissandi and started from a high point and ended low. It was extremely predictable and almost ignored how predictable it was. If it sped through it like the start of a Grand Prix the result would have been startling and fascinating due to the complexity produced by a simple form. Alternatively, if the movement was a stand alone piece lasting an hour, or maybe even three, it would have in turn been fascinating for almost opposite reasons. As it took a clear gesture beyond our traditional understanding, thus abstracting it into something otherworldly, it would have been mind-bending. Sadly neither situation occurred, and we were left with a rather dull, uninspiring movement. The energy, and witty brevity of the finale was destroyed by the preceding movement. So sadly I didn't enjoy it for what would have been quite a charming finale. 

The finale came in the form of Dominykas Digimas's walking through the three points a work for piano trio, which coincidentally had been performed last year in the festival. I don't want to reiterate what I said in the previous rendition, especially as my discussions tonight have primarily been about premieres. However do feel free to read it here. The performance was done well, and the coordination with the visuals was also well achieved. However I felt after the preceding work, the work wasn't quite the antidote we needed. However, this does in no way detract from the pieces aforementioned merits.

I am glad to see the festival is back in full swing! And it must be noted the dedication of a big pool of players to perform in these pieces. Now there is only one thing left to say bring on more concerts! Let's hope Druskomanija 2017 continues to be a fascinating festival!

Druskomanija 2016: Day Four

This evening saw the fourth day of Druskomanija, and sadly the last day I will be writing about the festival (I will explain all in due course). Tonight was the high point of the whole festival with Bachelor students having their long awaited string orchestra pieces premiered by Donatas Katkus and his St. Christopher's Orchestra.The National Art Gallery was the perfect space for such an occassion, the light shone in from the riverbank and the open space made the concert welcoming, comforting and best of all resonant. 

The first work to be performed was Litosferos by Karolina Kapustaite, those of you who have read this blog before know I have been significantly impressed by her work in the past. Litosferos was no exception. The work shuffled in from silence. The space was empty, slowly filling with sound. Sensations of harmonies began to make their presence known. The sudden glimmer and flashes were as beautiful and intense as staring at the sun. Despite the intensity and the crushing austerity, the work had so a profound sensation of brilliance and energy. This made the work feel extremely beautiful and alluring as it flickered into life, like a flame on a wick. Throughout I was stunned by the poetic beauty, the skilled nuance and the modest brilliance of the work. What her piece said in its few audible moments, has spoken more wisdom than many composers have said in thousands. Without a doubt, this is the single most significant work of the whole festival. There is no confusion, Karolina Kapustaite is remarkable in her craft and is already a truly striking and thought provoking composer.


I felt sorry for the person who would have to follow such a giant work, thankfully the task went to one of the old figureheads of Lithuanian music. As the concert was also an opportunity to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the composer's union, two older composers's works were included in the concert. Teisutis Makacinas's Koncertinis Scherzo was the first. The work was lovely. The piece was full of wit and always had a skip in its step. It was wonderful to see this under performed composer get some limelight and it was also great to see the orchestra show us their metal. What I realised today is Makacinas has the same wit and charm of the late great Mervyn Burtch, I can only ponder what a meeting between the two of them would be like. All I know for sure is such a joint concert would be wonderfully brilliant. 


Gabrielius Simas Sapiega's A Torinoi lo was the second work by a young composer to be featured. Drawing influence from the ever optimistic Friedrich Nietsche, the work was bold and was a nice opportunity to final hear this elusive composer. The piece had the same kind of colours and shimmers you can find in Kaija Saariaho, and showed the composer has a good ear with an ensemble. Issues began to appear when the harmony became trapped on itself, forcing colour to be the only way to free itself. This then sadly meant the work began to be come a little lost on itself. However the composer has a good ear, a driven intellect and clear motivation. Over time, with solid work, he will find something truly memorable. 


Three years ago was the time I heard the wondrous St. Christopher's Orchestra. It was in Cardiff as part of the Vale of Glamorgan festival that year. What I loved is the fact that first concert and tonight's both included Jonas Tamulionis's Toccata Diavolesca. A fiery show piece, that I can only imagine is tons of fun for a performer to sink their teeth into. The piece I know phenomenally well, as funnily enough I had arranged it that same year (with the composer's permission of course). What I did notice in tonight's performance was the fact the orchestra went at it like Ursain Bolt. I have never heard such a quick rendition. I was a tad out of breath just watching. 


The finale fell on the shoulders of Dominykas Digimas's no sense. He has featured quite a bit in the festival, and I have been quick to point out where he needs vast improvement. Tonight however he showed me his klout. The work was amazingly focused, I have not seen this from the composer before, but it was striking and elegant. The focus in turn meant his harmonic language was far more well crafted and the slowly evolving melodic lines were heart melting. His ability to colour the backdrop with quasi-spectral surroundings meant the melody could just sit. It could ponder itself for hours without the need to move. This side of Dominykas has really tugged at my heart strings. I desperately want more of this kind of heavily focused, modestly skilled, and clearly spoken music. From my perspective this could be the sign of something significant for the composer. Even though the work had some hiccups and rough edges, it was still wonderful to listen to. To put it overtly poetically, it is like the composer is beginning to open a treasure chest. We know there is something brilliant about to appear, because the glow from the jewels inside the chest filled the gallery tonight.


Now to explain my earlier statement about not writing more about the festival. In short this is because of two reasons. Firstly from Saturday the festival will be in Druskininkai, and will repeat most of the concert. However there is a concert of new works tomorrow, now why aren't you going to review tomorrow's concert? I am glad you asked, due to unforeseen circumstances, the main conductor of N.A.M.E.S Ensemble (Austria) was too ill to travel to Vilnius with his ensemble, so the task has fallen to me to wave arms for the ordeal. So ultimately I thought it would be odd for me to write a review about myself waving arms. But I will give you all a sneak peak of what you can expect tomorrow. 


I am conducting three works, one by Mykolos Natelavicius, Kristupas Bubnelis, and Andrius Siurys. It has been an interesting set up from my point of view, as I know Andrius's work quite well, the piece shows he is continuing to grow, and the use of electronics alongside the ensemble is pretty striking and majestic. 


Working on Kristupas's work has also been an intriguing experience. I have seen a lot of potential in him and his music, and he shows the signs of interesting growth. His ability to get whistling intimacy and the same intense richness of 95% Dark Chocolate, is commendable. He is really coming on well and his piece is definitely worth listening to. 


What has been intriguing for me with Natelavicius's work has been finally seeing music from the performer's perspective. I admit I have felt at times his music falls far short of where it could be. But in this work, there is a greater focus, due to a recurring isorhythmic element of the music, as well as the fact with only five instruments a lack of focus would make a piece of music fall apart at the seems. This is his strongest piece I have heard, simply due to that focus.


There are two other works, which will definitely be worth listening to. Also don't worry about coming for me. Even if you hate me, that feeling will fall into insignificance when you hear the wonderful N.A.M.E.S ensemble. The Salzburg based ensemble are a joy to work with, a pleasure to listen to, and are simply an extremely high class quality of musician that is at times rare in this world. So as I said, come for them you won't regret it!

Druskomanija 2016: Day 2

Another day means another concert, thankfully last night was only one so I wasn't giving myself repetitive strain through continued manic scribblings in my note book. Last night was a return to the wonderful space that is the Gothic Hall of the Vilnius Art Academy. The piano trio Thirty Fingers performed six works (one cheeky surprise) showcasing young composers from across the EU.

The first work started, notes hang in the air like drifting clouds. Restrained harmonies slowly grew and despite the austerity always sounded bright. The mood evoked something akin to Bent Sorensen, with its 'simplistic' harmony but made more resplendent through rich colours. Luis A. Tenaglia's Transfiguracion was quite a strong work indeed. A rather beautiful piece in places. However I did ponder how much greater would the magic be if it was significantly slower. It would have been like lying on the grass watching the clouds drift by without a care in the world. 

The magic bubble was burst by Whist by Aleksandra Zviozdkina. The opening chords were sickly sweet and felt like any pop ballad in the charts now. Honest to God I thought Adele was going to sing at any moment. I am a big fan of simplicity, but for it to function and strike people significantly it needs a stronger purpose instead of 'pretty' harmonies. The voice leading the violin and cello melodies, were a bit clumsy in places and the suddenly appearing 'dissonant' chords felt out of place. I personally would have loved for the piece to be significantly more austere like water frozen or allowing itself to be lead to new harmonic places.

Following this came a work by Tze Yeung Ho. shulammite (a) was an extremely colourful work, which showed a lot of imagination and understanding of the dynamics of a trio setting. The manic flourishes and the sudden breaks were very impressive at the start, but the harmonic focus began to unwind, meaning in places the work had as much focus as an ADHD child in a petting zoo. This being said the piece had a wonderful sense of drama and communication. With greater harmonic focus Tze Yeung Ho will stun audiences.

After this and a bit of shuffling came Water for piano trio and electronics by Tine Surel Lange. The electronics instantly made their presence and purpose known, giving the work a dynamic similar to Berlioz's Harold in Italy with the small heroes fighting off the greater force throughout their tale. The trio element on the whole was strong, showing a lot of creativity and personal character. Some moments were extremely beautiful and the lulling water was riveting. The only issue I had was the block composition of the structure let the piece down as, excuse the pun, the sense of flow was ruined by it. The elements themselves were beautiful, but their context wasn't always very strong. But I am curious to see how the composer develops, there is a spark.

The penultimate piece, LaLaMiRe, by Vilte Zakeviciute was curious. She surprised me in the piece. Starting off with a melancholy akin to Shostakovich, but suddenly building into a piece with the same novel and intriguing interactions you find in the works of Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgren. A very strong work, Vilte is has come on a lot since hearing her little flute piece a few months ago. What I would love to see is her now jumping into something harmonically more complex. I imagine with a strong prowess of serialism Vilte could produce mindblowing works of immense grandeur and spectacle. She is definitely gathering steam!

The final piece was a surprise, and annoyingly that meant I didn't manage to get the name of the piece. This surprise work by Dominykas Digimas was for trio and video. Sharp musical gestures swooped in. The accompanying projection was particularly surreal as the music was so dynamic and the imagery was so 'normal'. The work was full of colour and evolving timbres, something Dominykas has proven his prowess before, but I fear in this work the harmonic language was a tad stale. The only element driving the progress of the work was the visuals and the musical colours, if the harmony contributed too it would have been an almost immaculate work. The piece was definitely a noble attempt at producing something new, but the lack of independant musical structure and stagnant harmonies let the work down. Dominykas has great potential indeed, if he address these issues he will be a force indeed.


Another day done, now to gather myself before tonight's two concerts including a fun shindig with mini-moogs!

Young composers in the Gothic Hall.

Last night I was involved in a concert of young composers from various walks of life recent graduates, masters, and bachelors students. The performance took place in the magical Gothic Hall in the Vilnius Art Academy. The concert was overflowing with people, to the point that often I was just outside listening to the pieces being performed.

The first piece was by Jurgis Jarasius. His work Acchor'deo was a reconstruction of a work by the same name. The original was composed for strings and electronics, the version we heard last night was purely electronic. The work focused on a sustained sounds which slowly circled itself. The work was nice and still and quite colourful. Nothing ground breaking but just a nice piece. My only query is why the string parts were only recreated with virtual instruments? With the infinite opportunities with electronics could the string lines be redo with whole new timbres we have never heard before? Just a question really. I'll be curious to compare to the original when I finally get a chance to listen to Zoom in 11. I recommend you have a look at Jurgis's Soundcloud to make your own discoveries about him.

Following this was Andrius Siurys. A composer who I have been able to watch grow and change for the past 2 years. The work last night Atspirties Taskas was for violin and piano, and ultimately a wonderful leap in Siurys's craft. The work was full of energy and violence, and Diemante Merkeviciute handled it all with power and grace. The focus on motivic development showed a greater skill in his construction, but I feel the harmonic potential was not quite tapped into fully. The violent chords were strong, but the still moments felt disconnected, the previous harmonies if used skillfully could have been the way to hold it all together. If he addresses harmony a bit more, mostly finding purpose in the choice of harmony, Andrius has a growing potential to become very potent. For those curious, check other recordings of him here on Soundcloud.

The third piece in the concert I had the pleasure of knowing extremely well because I was conducting it. Which adds the most curious twist I have had to deal with when writing any sort of review. Karolina Kapustaite's work Matrikacakra, draws on the imagery and philosophical stance of Chakras; namely certain areas of the body have a specific form of resonance and energy which is linked to all other sorts of resonances and energies throughout the universe. In Tibetan and Tantric Buddhism this is quite a fascinating topic, but many new age people have misappropriated it sadly. Anyways back to the piece. Matrikacakra was composed for a mixed quintet of flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello. In its seven minutes the work shimmers and glistens. The sense of timing is wonderful, never rushed, new sounds drift in adding or taking away from the present texture. The piece is extremely strong, Karolina Kapustaite has a bright future ahead of her if she keeps producing wonderful works of this strength. The players in the ensemble were extremely solid and really brought the piece to life. And noone wants to hear about my conducting. I strongly recommend everyone to listen to Karolina's other works here.

The penultimate piece before the break was a string quartet by Marius Civilis. The work 

-mona- was very straight forward, the quartet moved as one, very close to one another, but not quite together in a collection of quite dissonant waves. The shape of the work was fine, if a bit laboured due to its predictability. The harmonic language was dull and tedious. The circling lines were a bit like Bartok's Music for String Percussion and Celeste and if my ear is correct its climax was almost identical. Sounding like Bartok can be great, but sadly in this piece it sounded more like Bartok was hammered on absinthe. The microtonal harmonies were unnecessary, or at least made little to no sense in the work. Its almost like he wanted to make sure he sounded 'modern'. Now don't get me wrong, works that treat the string quartet as one mass moving together can be extremely powerful look at Scelsi and Radulescu's fourth quartet, as well as sans pause by Rytis Mazulis. But they succeeded due to skillful craft. Once you take away the fact that the piece wasn't original what does it have left to stand on? I sadly couldn't find Marius Civilis on soundcloud, I would have given a link so you can make up your own mind on it all.

The final piece in the first half was a piano work by Kristupas Bubnelis called Plaktukai be fortepijono. The work was full of character and charm, the flowing lines of the piano were a lovely break from the previous piece. The piece at times I found mildly reminiscent of Georgs Pelecis's Concerto Bianco. The use of Balakauskas's trademark Dodekatonality was very heavy, even at times I found it to be a tad pastiche when suddenly from the free flowing lines to 'jazzy' chords. For such a young student is craft is very strong, I feel he just needs to step out into something more Bubnelis and less Balakauskas. I think if he came across composers like Peter Schat, Per Norgard, or Hans Abrahamsen would help broaden him and push into something very strong. Have a listen to his works here.

After the break was the work Bizonai by Monika Sokaite. The work opened with a simple circling of harmonies in the piano which served as a backdrop to the vocal melody. The team of Vaidrius Smilinskas and Paulius Pancekauskas was beyond remarkable. A beautiful voice like melted butter in the fluffiest baked potato, and a piano support which was strong and supportive allowing the singer to be brilliant. I was in awe. But the awe kind of ended with the quality of the performance, because the work did nothing and said nothing. Ultimately it was a blank sheet of paper which allowed the performers to craft it into something worth listening to. This song by no means compares to works like Erlkonig or  Die Doppelganger. Simplicity can be really profound just look at Howard Skempton or Arvo Part. But simplicity needs purpose and intent otherwise it is just naive or bland. This being said do have a listen to her music on Soundcloud, I am by no mean gospel.

Following this came a real highlight for me. Pradzioje Taskas - Pabaigoje Pradzia by Julis Aglinskas blew me away. The opening chord caught me like a rabbit in headlights. The stillness was beautiful and never let me go. It is obvious composers like Feldman are an influence, but it was by no means a pale imitation of him. The static chords and the chill of the harmonics on the piano just mesmerised. I really hope I get to hear this piece again! I definitely recommend you all see his recordings on Soundcloud.

The penultimate work of the whole concert was a charismatic little flute miniature by Vilte Zakeviciute. The piece Siaures vejo gusis was well crafted and full of character. A young student can take pride in the piece. I will be curious to see how she develops as a composer, there is something there.

The final piece, Isochronous by Dominykas Digimas was strong. The space was reminiscent of Georg Fredrich Haas's In Vain, waiting in the dark before things moved. The visual display was very hypnotic and Dominykas really made sure his music fitted the character of the visual elements. The sparse electronics were hypnotic and the saxophones were magical and full of evocative colours. The only issue I found was piece depended too much on the visual element. If we take opera, Mozart et al were lead by the visual and dramatic elements but the works are still well crafted. Cross-collaborations cannot transcend music, so the music needs to be as skillfully crafted as a 'traditional' concert piece. This being said, with a strong craft and the same kind of nuance and subtlety of composers like Eliane Radigue, Dominykas could be extremely profound. He just needs that extra push. I recommend people check him out on Soundcloud.

Until next time!