True Stories

In the Star Hall of Ąžuolynas Library

The traditional autumn event, the contemporary music festival “Iš Arti,” presents six events from 10 to 21 November, revealing the breadth of contemporary music—from reflections on the modernist tradition to new forms for the stage—and offering listeners an experience of its diverse world.

On 18 November, “True Stories” will be performed: musical narratives by 21st-century composers about the world, experiences and feelings, in which personal memory intertwines with collective imagination. The Kaunas Piano Trio, together with musicologist Viktoras Gerulaitis, presents four distinct narratives.

Giovanni Sollima’s “Short Stories for Trio” is a cycle of stylistic miniatures featuring a diverse cast of characters, from Leonardo da Vinci to the mysterious Ludwig van Beethoven, interwoven with Romani inflections and a recontextualised echo of Domenico Scarlatti.

Giya Kancheli’s piano trio “Middelheim” is a contemplative, emotional tribute born of personal experience and gratitude for a life saved. It is dedicated to the doctors at Middelheim Hospital in Antwerp, Belgium, where the composer received life-saving treatment in the winter of 2016.

Anatolijus Šenderovas’s “Song and Dance” is an intonational and ritual reflection on identity and the enduring human striving to remain oneself and tell one’s own authentic stories. Archaic motifs subtly intertwine with contemporary musical language, creating emotional and semantic depth.

The source of inspiration for Zita Bružaitė’s “The Enchanted Mountain” is Thomas Mann’s philosophical novel. In this short miniature, as in the writer’s novel, outward calm conceals inner tensions. As you listen, you may imagine a magnificent Alpine landscape, or the mountains in our own lives that appear before us and with which we stay—or which we leave behind… however difficult that may be.

The “True Stories” programme stands out for its variety of sound colours and the ensemble’s complex sound. The evening will be subtly enriched by musicologist V. Gerulaitis’s insights and stories, which will help listeners better understand the works and provide an unforgettable experience.

Organiser: VšĮ “Iš Arti”
The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
Main partner: Kaunas State Philharmonic
Media partner: LRT Klasika
Partner: Kaunas Ąžuolynas Library