M. K. Čiurlionis. String Quartet in C minor, Part 1 (arr. for a string orchestra)
A. Schoenberg. String sextet “Verklärte Nacht” (arr. for a string orchestra)
P. Tchaikovsky. “Serenade” for string orchestra, op. 48
The second evening of the Festival of Baltic Symphony Orchestras shall give to its listeners a unique opportunity of hearing 100 string instruments playing at the same time. Joining forces for this impressive goal shall be musicians of three symphony orchestras – the stage of the Congress Palace in Vilnius will be under the reign of string players from the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (artistic director Andris Poga), Liepāja Symphony and Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestras (artistic director and chief conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius).
The concert will introduce a programme adjusted specifically for a string orchestra. In the first part we shall hear a section of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis’ (1875-1911) String Quartet in C minor and Austrian-American composer Arnold Schoenberg’s (1874-1951) string sextet “Verklärte Nacht”. The latter work was inspired by Richard Dehmel’s poem of the same name and composer’s deeply impressive acquaintance with his future wife Mathilde von Zemlinsky. “Verklärte Nacht” is considered to be one of Schoenberg’s most important early works. The second part of the concert shall be embellished by Russian romantic Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s (1840-1893) “Serenade” for string orchestra, op. 48. “While writing the Serenade, I was driven by an inner impulse. It is a work of my heart, this is why it is filled with warm feelings and love”, – wrote P. Tchaikovsky about one of his most famous works.
On this evening the string sections of three symphony orchestras from the Baltic states shall be led by the artistic director and chief conductor of the Lithuanian State and Liepāja Symphony Orchestras, one of the founders of the Festival of Baltic Symphony Orchestras, laureate of the Lithuanian National Prize, maestro Gintaras Rinkevičius.