Sorry if I spoil the
game straightaway, but I must say that
this is one of the loveliest and most
interesting discs from Guild that I
have reviewed so far. The repertoire
heard here is quite unusual, i.e. when
compared what we usually get from this
label; and I sincerely hope that this
will be the first of many similar discs
from Guild.
This
well-filled disc provides for a fair
survey of the recent output of some
present-day Lithuanian composers belonging
to different generations. Both Kutavičius
(born 1932) and Balakauskas (born
1937) represent the first generation
of Lithuanian modern composers to have
achieved some prominence during the
Soviet era, although – as might be expected
– their often groundbreaking music found
little support, if at all, from the
Regime at that time.
Kutavičius’
output includes several substantial
and often quite personal choral works
(Pantheistic Oratorio
– 1970, which was banned by the Regime,
The Last Pagan Rites –
1978, one of his most accessible major
scores, From the Jatvingian Stone
– 1983 and The Tree of the World
– 1986, both of them containing some
of his most original and adventurous
music) as well as the often intriguing
tetralogy The Gates of Jerusalem
(1991-1995) and the superb opera Lokys
("The Bear" – 1999/2000) after
Mérimée that may be considered
as the synthesis of this composer’s
music making over the years. Chamber
music is not absent either, and Aštuonios
Stasio miniatiūros
for flute, violin and viola, one of
his recent works and one composed for
this CD, is a beautiful suite of short
character pieces inspired by paintings
by Stasys Eidrigevičius, who is
also a poet, whose verse Kutavičius
has set in Erotikos
(1997 – soprano,
recorder and horn). The titles of the
eight short movements speak for themselves,
and are evoked in vivid, subtle musical
terms. This is, no doubt, Kutavičius’
music at its most poetic; and, as far
as I am concerned, one of the real gems
in this selection. Osvaldas Balakauskas
may be somewhat better known thanks
to recordings from ASV and BIS. He too
has a substantial output to his credit,
in which concertos feature generously.
Rex Re (simply because
the piece is based on D [Ré])
for flute, violin, viola and piano is
another very attractive piece fully
displaying the composer’s imaginative
and resourceful handling of some basically
limited material. A real compositional
tour de force as well as a hugely
enjoyable piece (the other gem here,
indeed). This, too, was composed for
this disc.
The
younger generations are represented
by Onuté Narbutaité (born 1956), Mindaugas
Urabaitis (born 1952) and Remigijus
Merkelys (born 1964), all three being
former pupils of Julius Juzeliūnas,
himself a most distinguished
composer. I must add the Merkelys’ name
and music were completely new to me.
On the other hand, Narbutaité’sd
music features in two Finlandia discs
(which, sadly enough, I still have to
hear), whereas some of Urbaitis’ pieces
are available in discs published by
the Lithuanian Music Information Centre
in Vilnius. So let us begin Merkelys’
trio FlaVio (i.e. Flaute,
Violin and Viola), which
was also commissioned for this CD. The
piece may at times sound somewhat minimaslistic,
in that it is mostly based on repetition
of some basic motives, but the repetition
is varied enough as to avoid blunt Minimalism
and to sustain interest throughout its
10-minute duration. Narbutaité’s
works heard here are both related to
composers from the past : Mozart in
Mozartsommer (1991) written
on the occasion of the 200th
anniversary of Mozart’s death and Schubert
in Winterserenade (1997)
based on motives from Schubert’s song
Gute Nacht (from Winterreise).
I find that Winterserenade
is on the whole more successful, probably
because there is less emphasis on the
Schubert material, whereas Mozartsommer
is, to my mind, a bit too consciously
Mozart-like. However, both pieces are
fine examples of Narbutaité’s
music often characterised by clarity,
transparency, economy of means and considerable
poetic insight. Urbaitis, too, seems
to have some particular liking for letting
objets trouvés (i.e. quotes,
near-quotes or allusions) into his own
music, e.g. Mahler in Schlußstück
(1998 – mezzo-soprano, string quartet,
trombone and double bass) or Wagner
in Der Fall Wagner recorded
here, which, fine as it really is, may
be a trifle too long for its own good,
but again quite attractive in its own
right.
Well, I know, I did
it all the wrong way, beginning this
review with my conclusion. So, you already
know what I think about this very fine
release that will hopefully be the first
of many such releases. I recommend it
wholeheartedly for the quality and variety
of the works, the excellent performances
and the global quality of the production.
Really well worth investigating.
Hubert Culot
see also
review by Rob Barnett
Carsten Hustedt (flute); Ingrida Armonaité
(violin); Audroné Pšibilskiené (viola);
Ute Stoecklin (piano)a 
