CONCERT PROGRAMME
E. von Dohnány. Sextet in C major, op. 37 (cello – Rokas Vaitkevičius)
L. Narvilaitė. “Footsteps, Sand, Wind – You Came Here” for piano and large chamber ensemble (world premiere; cello – Marius Dominykas Sakavičius
F. Schubert. “The Trout Quintet” in A major, D. 667 (cello – Povilas Jacunskas)
The ensemble "Paleasis", formed by the charismatic piano virtuoso Alexander Paley, is making its debut in Vilnius. The ensemble's debut is marked by signs of the past and the present. The centrepiece of the concert program is the world premiere of the work "Footsteps, Sand, Wind – You Came Here" (2024) by composer Loreta Narvilaitė, dedicated to the ensemble "Paleasis". As the composer states, this work is "a journey through the sounds of music, observing and reflecting on one's own and others' footsteps, which are quickly covered by sand, constantly blown by the wind. Therefore, the melodic lines keep sliding, performing a glissando, as if sliding barefoot on the mounds of hard-packed Smiltynė sand. However, they keep returning home: they live within the double tonic F / D and the sound field for the entire 16 minutes of the work."
The sound of Loreta Narvilaitė's composition is determined by echoes of Lithuanian songs, and the motif of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's piano concerto can also be discovered here. The work embodies the unique composition of the ensemble: the expressive melodies of the piano and string instruments constantly intertwine, swinging up and down, and the signals of the wind instruments are like lighthouses that show them the way. At the end of the work, the statics of the flickering states and the unhurried flow of sounds are replaced by the unexpectedly bursting piano soloist's passages. They are like sudden gusts of wind that, having caused waves, wash away footprints and sand. Only memories remain that you came here once...
Allusions to programmatic and national compositions can also be heard in other pieces of the concert. The Sextet in C major op. 37, by the late romantic and early modern Hungarian composer Ernst von Dohnányi (1877–1960), which will be performed, contains a synthesis of traditional forms and new harmonic ideas. The sextet, designed for an unusual composition of piano, clarinet, horn, violin, viola and cello, reveals a wide palette of melodic and harmonic colours and textures, marked by Hungarian undertones. The composition of the “Trout Quintet” in A major, D. 667 by the Austrian romantic Franz Schubert (1797–1828) is also unique – the harmonies of violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano enrich and expand the sound of the usual piano quintet. The title of this piece comes from the composer's famous Lied song "The Trout" (German: "Die Forelle"), whose lively and sparkling melodic theme is varied in the fourth part of the composition.
The ensemble "Paleasis" debuted on June 26, 2022 at the Pažaislis Music Festival concert held at the Kaunas State Philharmonic. "Not a one-day project, but a regularly rehearsing, performing and improving ensemble – this is my old dream. I am very happy that this dream has been realized in Lithuania. I brought together 11 professional musicians, like-minded people with the goal of playing well-known and rarely performed classical music masterpieces and premieres that are still being created on stage," – this is how piano virtuoso A. Paley talks about the circumstances of the ensemble's emergence.
"Paleasis" actively performs throughout Lithuania, and thus, over the three years of its existence, the ensemble has become a guest of the audience of many major Lithuanian cities and surrounding towns. In 2023, the first "Paleasis" tour took place in the pianist's native Moldova, at the Chisinau Philharmonic, where the ensemble was highly appreciated by both the audience and critics, calling the concert "undeniably wonderful and giving unforgettable impressions". "Paleasis" also received excellent reviews on its tour in France, at the "Moulin d'Ande" festival, where their music was called "not of a festival, but of a philharmonic level".
"Paleasis" stands out for its unique composition of professional music performers, which allows them to transform music-making together into a kind of a chamber music laboratory, which opens up wide possibilities for repertoire and getting to know each other. "I appreciate the professionalism of my stage partners and the taste of the Lithuanian audience, therefore, together with the ensemble, we are constantly looking for opportunities to expand the repertoire and surprise as well as delight Lithuanian listeners," – says A. Paley.