“Laudate Dominum” – is a lively dialogue between past and present, between dance and prayer, between two performers and listeners. The musical program will be performed by composers and pedagogues dr. Vidas Pinkevičius and dr. Aušra Motūzaitė-Pinkevičienė, who has organized more than 450 concerts in different countries of the world and played the organ in prestigious European sacred spaces – London’s St. Paul and Notre Dame Cathedrals in Paris.
During the concert, a historical Italian instrument will sound in the Church Heritage Museum – a unique organ in Lithuania and the only one of its kind exhibited in a museum, which reflects the traditional concept of the Italian baroque organ. The instrument has a mechanical tractor and eight registers with special ones registri da concerto in voices such as Voce human and Cornettinoits pedal system is combined with a manual, which gives an opportunity to convey both the delicacy of the old music and the baroque color. This organ is not only a valuable museum exhibit, but also a true witness of music history; the sound of the instrument gives the performed music a special authentic character.
The evening will begin with the intrados “Nona” and “Decima” by the German Renaissance master Hans Leo Hassler, followed by works from the Braunsberg tablature – one of the most important sources of early Baroque in Prussia and the Polish-Lithuanian region. The lively musical environment of that time will be opened by seven dances – German. so, served (this pavan is attributed to Thomas Morley), galliard – speaking of a period when sacred and secular traditions were naturally intertwined. Variations by the Dutch master Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck will convey a meditation on the fragility of life in the expressive colors of an organ. The second part of the program will feature another dance suite from the Braunsberg tablature – chorea, galliarda, saltarella – allowing you to hear different rhythmic structures of organ music. Baroque spirituality will be given meaning by Johann Pachelbel’s partita “Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan”, a cycle of variations on a chorale theme, full of peace, confidence and inner light. You will also hear contemporary works in the program. The concert will culminate with Hans Leo Hassler’s polychoral motet “Laudate Dominum,” summing up the theme of the evening: praise, joy, and the power of music to connect the ages.
Music by dr. Vidas Pinkevičius and dr. Aušra Motūzaitė-Pinkevičienė are the organists of Vilnius University, but their musical arsenal also features the old fisharmonies. The artists behind the Unda Maris Organ Studio have created the Organ Secrets blog, podcast and educational website for thousands of organists in 89 countries.
Concert listeners will also be able to visit the soon-to-be-closed exhibition “Organs and Čiurlionias”, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionias mentioned last year, presenting a memorial value important for perpetuating the memory of the Čiurlionia family – the organ from Kabelii St. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
The concert will take place on Wednesday, April 29. 6 p.m. In the Church Heritage Museum (Shv. Mykolo str. 9, Vilnius).
Ticket price – 15 EUR (12 EUR with discount).
