About

Symphonic Elements promises a powerful musical wave, raised by three mighty symphonic opuses: the monumental Symphony Cosmique (Cosmic, No. 6) by Vytautas Bacevičius, Lithuanian avant-garde composer, Concerto for cello, accordion and orchestra Azul (Blue) by Osvaldo Golijov, Argentinian composer of Jewish origin, and a suite from Richard Strauss’ scandalous opera Elektra. The LNSO will be joined by one of Lithuania’s most active accordionists, Tadas Motiečius, and perhaps the most versatile cellist in Lithuania, Mindaugas Bačkus. 

Bacevičius, one of the first Lithuanian avant-gardists, who spread the constructivist spirit during the interwar years and called for the creation of a modern Lithuania, was fascinated by the technological process, which was reflected in his symphonic canvases. The Symphony Cosmique is one of his late, most original works, in which the idée fixe of the cosmos took on a pure, organized musical form, determined by the composer’s intense intellectual and spiritual efforts.

Golijov’s Concerto for cello, accordion, and orchestra Azul cleverly combines various influences with a new, original vision. Born in La Plata, Argentina, to a family of Eastern European Jewish immigrants, the composer grew up as a musical polyglot, listening to and mastering various musical styles and genres: early classical music, cantorial singing, klezmer music, tango, Latin American folklore. Elements of all these different influences merge into an original musical canvas in his music. 

Richard Strauss’ opera Elektra is the second of his two modernist operas. Fans of the opera genre in German-speaking countries were divided into two camps: some adored it, while others criticized it mercilessly. Today, Elektra is one of the most frequently staged operas based on classical Greek mythology.