After his untimely death at 35, most of Čiurlionis's music was left unfinished or lost, and his music had to wait until the late 20th century for its renaissance.
Recording & Production
The scores for In the Forest and The Sea were published in 2000, cleared of later editions by other composers, allowing listeners to hear Čiurlionis's original versions.
Composition History
Of Čiurlionis's ten symphonic works, only the symphonic poems In the Forest and The Sea survived intact, while others like the overture Kęstutis exist in orchestrated versions by contemporary Lithuanian composers.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, the composer, aimed to combine sound and color in his art, expressing the grandeur of nature and the soul of the Lithuanian nation.
Performer Biography
Modestas Pitrėnas, the conductor, won the 1st prize and gold medal at the 7th Grzegorz Fitelberg Conducting Competition in Katowice, Poland, in 2003.
Compositional Technique
Čiurlionis's symphonic poem The Sea is scored for a large orchestra and organ, possibly influenced by Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra.
Composer Biography
Čiurlionis was trained in both music and painting, dedicating his talent to both realms of self-expression from 1903 onwards.
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