Opera-Poem: The Thrush – Green Bird

Bronius Kutavičius, Sigitas Geda

Opera-poem THE THRUSH – GREEN BIRD

Director: Jonas Vaitkus
Music director and conductor: Dr. Imantas Jonas Šimkus
Set designer: Arvydas Gudas
Costume designer: Kristina Kruopienytė
Choreographer: Inga Fontez-Sakurako

Roles and performers:
The Thrush – Arminas Skirvainis
Woman-Bird – Salomėja Petronytė
Priests, women and men – Panevėžys Musical Theatre Choir
Organ part – Arsenijus Esaulkov
Panevėžys Musical Theatre Orchestra, chief conductor E. Pehk
Panevėžys Music School folk instrument ensemble

When the human returned to the Bird, the Bird went to the Human.

The opera-poem “The Thrush – Green Bird,” created by distinguished artists Bronius Kutavičius and Sigitas Geda, reveals the subtle poetic power of words, the elemental force of nature and love, the beauty of music, and the importance of national history. In director Jonas Vaitkus’s production, the image of Strazdelis (Antanas Strazdas-Drazdauskas), the peasants’ bard, shaped by the metaphor of wings, the birdlike surname of the poet, and his distinctive personality, is transformed into the character of the Human-Bird. Through various forms of expression, dance, folklore elements, and traditional hymns, the production speaks of the coming together of man and woman, the depths of the spirit, the boundaries between nature and humanity, and the meaning of existence.

In autumn 2023, “The Thrush – Green Bird” was revived in the hometown of Bronius Kutavičius, at Panevėžys Musical Theatre. As in the original production, it was staged by director Jonas Vaitkus. This time, the opera-poem is performed live, without recordings. The music director is Imantas Jonas Šimkus, a talented conductor of the younger generation.

First, Sigitas Geda wrote the poem “The Thrush” (1967). Composer Bronius Kutavičius later created an unusual oratorio, calling it a “drama of sounds,” and subsequently renamed it the opera-poem “The Thrush – Green Bird” (1980). In 1984, drawing on these works, Jonas Vaitkus created an unforgettable ritual, sacred spectacle on the stage of Kaunas Drama Theatre. A cinematic version of the production was made in 1990.

The “Thrush” of those years seemed to invite audiences to step away from “politics” into the realm of pure art, and immerse themselves in a refined flow of beautiful images that brings together the aesthetic principles of Lithuanian folk art and traditional Eastern theatre. In director Jonas Vaitkus’s production, the image of Strazdelis (Antanas Strazdas-Drazdauskas), the peasants’ bard, shaped by the metaphor of wings, the poet’s birdlike surname, and his distinctive personality, is transformed into the character of the Human-Bird. Strazdas’s original personality and works have inspired many Lithuanian artists to create outstanding works. Music lovers are also familiar with Vytautas Kernagis’s composition based on the same poem by Geda, “The Thrush.”

Bronius Kutavičius’s work spans a broad cultural context, uncovering layers of nations’ history and prehistory buried in the depths of the centuries and giving form to archetypes of mythical and religious consciousness. His harmonious, sometimes intricately constructed sound systems are always vibrant with life and emotional power. Kutavičius’s work overcame the barriers of mistrust and audience hostility toward contemporary music. The composer freely drew on a wide range of contemporary compositional techniques, but the most significant influence on his style was the polyphonic, repeating vocal-part technique of the distinctive sutartinės, traditional multipart songs widespread in northeastern Lithuania. This was a deliberate “turn” toward paganism, which was also spiritually close to Geda’s work. Geda modernised Lithuanian poetry, while Kutavičius became a symbol of renewal in music. Their joint works are canonical landmarks of modern Lithuanian art, and gave rise to a new phenomenon: pagan avant-gardism.

The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.