Balakauskas: Requiem in Memoriam Stasys Lozoraitis
6/8/2005, 12 Tracks, 52:53
Featuring
Donatas Katkus
Judita Leitaitė
St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra
Jauna muzika
Osvaldas Balakauskas
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Composition History
Balakauskas's Requiem is his only religious composition and was written in memory of Stasys Lozoraitis, a Lithuanian diplomat whose unexpected death in 1994 shocked the nation.
Interpretation
The musical language of Balakauskas's Requiem is more restrained than his earlier works, with a modal structure based on medieval principles.
Composer Biography
Osvaldas Balakauskas, a leading Lithuanian composer, also served as Lithuanian ambassador to France, Spain, and Portugal from 1992 to 1994.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Osvaldas Balakauskas developed his own compositional system called Dodekatonika, which gives his music a unique harmonic flavor often described as "Balakauskas's tonality."
Compositional Technique
Balakauskas's Requiem, though a modern work, incorporates elements of medieval liturgical music such as Gregorian chant, organum, and ars nova motets.
Performer Biography
Donatas Katkus, the conductor of the Christopher Chamber Orchestra of Vilnius, founded the Vilnius String Quartet in 1965 and was a member for 29 years.
