Lithuanian music

[Mark Thomas]

The cause of promoting unjustly neglected composers isn't served by praising those whose music is justly neglected. I'm not putting Karnavicius into that category because I haven't heard enough of his music to judge its overall quality, I just haven't been impressed by what I've heard so far. In any event I speak only for myself - Alan and I happen to agree in this case but there's no "party line" and views to the contrary are always welcome.

[Martin Eastick]

Having just received my copy of this CD, I have tried to approach the music with an open mind, and I do try to find positives in any unsung repertoire, but this has left me stone cold - and indeed I could find nothing here that I would want to hear again unfortunately. I suppose that every now and again one comes across a real dud!...............

[semloh]

Having been away with my grandson, I was sorry to return and find that the discussion on this thread had become rather disharmonious.

I have absolutely no ear for opera, cantatas, or similar works, so I didn't download some of the works that seem to have sparked some of the debate. However, when it comes to Lithuanian music generally, I find it enjoyable and fascinating - and, of course, one is always on the lookout for works that one feels are unjustly unsung! I must say that The Oval Portrait and Ulalume of Karnavicius are rather gloomy, but then they are "after Edgar Allen Poe" - not exactly a fund of jollity - so I have no problem with them. They do lack colour, but at times I could hear faint echoes of Bridge's wonderful Suite The Sea. Quite apart from Cui and Ciurlionis, and modern Lithuanian composers outside UC's remit, I really enjoy the works of Gruodis. Anybody with me on that?

And, I am grateful to everyone who uploads music to UC, even when it's opera! 

[Christopher]

As we know, Ciurlionis was a painter as well as a composer.  There is currently an exhibition of his works at the Dulwich Picture Gallery:

https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/2022/september/mk-%C4%8Diurlionis-between-worlds/

M.K. Čiurlionis: Between Worlds

Discover Lithuania's best loved artist.

M.K. Čiurlionis: Between Worlds brings together over 100 works by the Lithuanian artist and celebrated composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911). Widely credited as Lithuania's greatest artist, the exhibition will feature paintings and drawings created throughout his short but prolific career, with most travelling to the UK for the first time.

M.K. Čiurlionis: Between Worlds will reveal how Čiurlionis used structure and colour to create works that travel between mythology and reality. The exhibition will highlight the breadth of Čiurlionis' interests, with a focus on humankind's relationship to the universe, and examine the themes and motifs that aligned his art to European Symbolism. Bringing together Čiurlionis' most accomplished masterpieces, including Creation of the World (1905/1906), The Zodiac (1906/1907) and Rex (1909), the Between Worlds exhibition will position him as a singular figure in the history of European art whose ethereal, and occasionally fantastical, works were precursors of abstract painting.

Čiurlionis left a profound imprint on Lithuanian culture and is among the country's most loved and famous historical figures – his paintings are widely reproduced and his music is often performed internationally.



And a review in the FT - https://www.ft.com/content/740602fc-5531-4124-9381-67926901a93d?shareType=nongift -
MK Čiurlionis at Dulwich Picture Gallery: a spotlight on a Lithuanian artist-hero
Exploring nature and pagan mythology, he receives his first UK retrospective more than a century after his death - SEPTEMBER 22 2022

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for this interesting notification, but let's confine ourselves from here on to discussion of his music.

[Ilja]

The thing is that with Ciurlionis, you can't really separate the two: music works cover images from his paintings, and vice versa. A rather unique case in that regard. And one of which I've grown rather fond.

[Alan Howe]

So, next time I listen to his music I've got to look at a painting of his? First time I've heard that! Next we'll be mandating light shows to accompany Scriabin...

[Christopher]

If someone produced the paintings that inspired Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition I bet you'd have a look... I certainly would!

[Wheesht]

If you decide to consider the music and only the music, then that is of course entirely up to you, even though, in the case of Čiurlionis, you might be disregarding the cross-influences of music and painting that contributed to who he was.
If who he was is of no interest and only the music counts, OK, but then that is surely equally true for all composers discussed on this forum. Taken to its logical(?) conclusion this would mean that we should not be interested in any biographical aspects such as nation, gender, upbringing etc.
In fact, blindfold tests a bit like the ones Leonard Feather did with jazz musicians in Downbeat magazine could be really interesting for raising awareness of unsung composers' music and testing reactions...   

[Gareth Vaughan]

I think Alan was only concerned that the thread didn't branch off onto a consideration of Ciurlionis' paintings instead of making the music the main topic. Certainly, where the two aspects of his art are intertwined or interdependent then it would be appropriate to consider the painting, especially if it were to throw light on a specific composition, but we should be careful not to get sidetracked. (And, just by the by, I would be fascinated to attend a performance of Scriabin's "Prometheus" with the light keyboard that he envisioned. I don't know whether it would enhance my appreciation of the music, but then I can't know until I experience it!)
And as for Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition", I'm so tired of hearing that piece played over and over again on the radio that I would find it refreshing to look at the pictures WITHOUT the music.

[Alan Howe]

Gareth is right. I'm simply concerned that we discuss the music here and don't get sidetracked into debates on the other arts.

[Mark Thomas]

I agree, Gareth's put it very well.