4 March 2022, 7pm
Duration: 2 hours
Price: €9,00 - €24,00
Venue: Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania (Katedros Sq. 4, Vilnius)
Violin LĪGA BALTĀBOLA (LATVIA)
Cello MARCEL JOHANNES KITS (ESTONIA)
Choir KAUNAS STATE CHOIR (DIR. ROBERTAS ŠERVENIKAS)
Orchestra LITHUANIAN STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Conductor GINTARAS RINKEVIČIUS

CONCERT PROGRAMME

P. Vasks. “Vox Amoris“: Fantasy for violin and string orchestra
E. S. Tüür. Concerto for cello and orchestra
B. Kutavičius. Symphony-oratorio “Epitaphium temporum pereunti”

***

The concert of the Baltic Orchestra Festival this spring, just as every year, will invite listeners to get acquainted with the rich music scene of the Baltic States. The works of the most famous composers of the Baltic States will be performed tonight by Latvian violinist Līga Baltābola, Estonian cellist Marcel Johannes Kits and the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by maestro Gintaras Rinkevičius together with musicians from the Latvian and Estonian national symphony orchestras.

The first part of the concert will feature fantasy for violin and string orchestra “Vox Amoris” by the Latvian composer Pēteris Vaskas (b. 1946), performed by Līga Baltābola, violinist of the Liepaja Symphony Orchestra. The concert for cello and orchestra by the Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür (b. 1959) will be performed by Marcel Johannes Kits, one of the most promising Estonian cellists, laureate of the international Johannes Brahms (Austria) and George Enescu (Romania) competitions.

In the second part of the concert, listeners will be able to hear one of the most significant works of the Lithuanian composer Bronius Kutavičius (1932–2021) – “Epitaphium temporum pereunti” (eng. “The Epitaph for the Passing Time). This symphony-oratorio was created in two stages: the first two parts were written in 1973; in 1998 they were corrected, and two more parts were created based on the texts by Sigitas Geda. This astonishing work glorifies four of the most significant moments in the history of Vilnius: 1323 –Vilnius was first mentioned in written sources in Gediminas' letter; 1579 – Vilnius University was founded; 1832 – martyrs sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Lithuania; 1989 – Vilnius Cathedral was consecrated. The works of B. Kutavičius, who was awarded the National Prize, always attract with their unsurpassed originality of ideas. The composer is considered to be the pioneer of Lithuanian minimalism, and his creative roots lie in archaic forms of Lithuanian folk music. His seemingly simple but constantly repeated and cultivated sound systems have a magical effect on the listeners and are always filled with life and the power of the senses.