Windows to Lithuania

After a much needed recovery from Druskomanija 2016, I am back refreshed with another review to witter on about. This time I am reviewing a CD I have been eager to get my hands on as soon as it was first released. The Windows to Lithuania CD, produced by Ars Lituanica, is a fantastic little snippet at some of the wonderful chamber music that has been produced in the nation. The CD features composers like Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, Stasys Vainiunas, Balys Dvarionas, and Loreta Narvilaite to name just a few.


The first three tracks are three preludes by M.K. Ciurlionis which has been arranged for piano trio by N. Galiamova. I am quite fond of the three preludes for multiple reasons, Pastorale VL. 187 is a prelude I have been quietly murdering on the piano for some time now, so it is nice to hear it played beautiful. The three works are quite cute, and gain a slightly more serene life when put into a piano trio context. Its must have been perplexing for Gintaras Janusevicius to play these preludes in this situation. The overall sound is beautiful from the trio, always melodic, always harmonious, and the three stunning musicians sound like a unit, never like three soloists competing.


Then is Stasys Vainiunas's piano, which starts with a very dark rich slow unwinding of melodic materials, and has a strong air of Schumann to it. This being said it is by no means pastiche. The drama of the trio is intensified by the counterpoint in the three instruments who always seem to be adding to discourse constantly. And despite the opening darkness, the trio manage to really bring out the sparky playful character of the Allegro moderato in the first movement. The second movement is simply beautiful. And listening to it, it really feels a shame that this CD is my first encounter with the work. Its gorgeous melody and chocolatey harmonies are something that will be loved throughout Britain, Classic FM would love to play this; especially with these performers. The driving finale is full of oomph and the trio marvelously never over play this quality, retaining a strong sense of control and elegance despite the intensity.

The follow tracks are for Balys Dvarionas's Winter Sketches (Ziemos eskizai). The small piano works are wonderfully curious collection of miniatures which have a similar flavour to works by Debussy or Satie. The works are modest but elegantly crafted and are full of character. Gintaras Janusevicius really shows his klout and whimsy as a performer in this recording, which is especially wonderful considering he doesn't show off in the trio setting preferring to maintain the correct nature of the trio.


Next Gleb Pysniak plays through Vytautas Paltanavicius's Rhapsody for cello. The short four minute track is full of the same drama and beauty as Kodaly's and Bartok's cello works. A real show piece for any capable cellist. Gleb does not disappoint in this recording. A cellist with real power and strength but also the ability to step back and allow plain beauty through. Magnificent.

The final solo moment comes in the form of Dalia Dedinskaite playing Vytautas Barkauskas's Partita for violin. Another great show piece for the instrument, its five movements draw out a lot of character and nuance demanding a lot of artistry from its performer. In the CD sleeve is a wonderful quote from the composer:

'Although I have heard my Partita a hundred times. I was delighted when I heard Dalia Dedinskaite several years ago. The mood, special charisma, suggestion. I fell in love and haven't fallen out of it' 

I couldn't agree more. A stunning recording of a modestly demanding work.


Zita Bruzaite's Sonnet IV is the next featured work and it is simply beautiful. The simplicity of harmony and clear statements and interactions are delightful. With a work this simplistic in nature, it takes really dedicated musicians to bring into a good light. To often professional musicians play down or under perform simple because it is 'simple'. The trio of Dalia, Gleb, and Gintaras are far beyond that. The communication as a trio, interaction, elegance, and ability is just a joy to listen to.


Anatolijus Senderovas's Song and Dance (Giesme ir sokis). Is a charming diptych for trio. The opening is placed beautiful in the centre and is just allowed to sit. The trio avoid the temptation to drag out the tune too much, maintaining interest and keeping the performance tasteful. The following dance is a lot of fun. I can only imagine how much fun it is to play such a lighthearted bouncing work. The moments of humour are pulled off well and never feel forced or like they just burst the bubble. Another wonderful rendition by the trio.


The penultimate recording Pamatyk jura tolumoje (See the Sea in the Distance) by Loreta Narvilaite is stunning, probably my favourite track on the CD. Its lilting and rolling lines and motifs are crystal clear and shimmer. The repetitive nature of musical gestures are hypnotic and leave you stunned. For a beautiful and still work it is full of a smaller level of energy which is masked very well by the trio, some ensembles would be tempted to make the busy nature of the texture a major detail shattering the illusions created by the composer. Everything in this recording of this piece is done immaculately and is probably the best rendition of this piece I will ever hear.


The finale of the CD is a rather charming rendition of the Lithuanian folk song Prie Nemunelio by Aleksandras Kacanauskas. The harmonisation is quite elegant and not too sentimental but still heartfelt. A simply enjoyable and lovely track to finish off a rather brilliant CD by the trio.


I cannot recommend this CD enough. It is great for multiple reasons, firstly because it is a great showcase of some of the lesser known Lithuanian composers and shows the expansive nature of Lithuanian classical music. It is also worth getting hold of simply because the musicians are just fantastic. Every piece is recording amazingly well and every rendition is great. These great musicians are worth listening to for days on end!

As a great hint of what is in store, hear Dalia Dedinskaite performing Vytautas Barkauskas's Partita. 

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!