Repertoire
- Details
- Category: Repertoire
- Published on Thursday, 01 December 2011 06:00
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 47
The choir’s repertoire is especially wide: from the Renaissance and Baroque to contemporary music, from choral miniatures to large-form pieces. The collective sings excellently both a capella and with instrumental accompaniment.
I. MUSIC OF THE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE EPOCHS, CLASSICAL AND ROMANTIC MUSIC.
Pieces of a large form.
Johann Sebastian Bach – Mass in B minor; St. John Passion; Magnificat; Motteten;
George Frideric Händel – Messiah; Acis and Galatea (masque); Coronation Anthems;
Joseph Haydn – The Creation; The Seasons; Nelson Messe;
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Requiem; Vesperae Solennes de Confessore; Regina Coeli; Mass in C major;
Antonin Dvorak – Mass in D major.
Chamber music
The repertoire of “Polifonija” encompasses much secular and sacral music created by the following composers: Andrea Gabrielli, Claudio Monteverdi, Heinrich Schütz, Dieterich Buxtehude, Antonio Vivaldi, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Ferenc Liszt, Giuseppe Verdi, Camille Saint-Saėns, Edvard Grieg etc. The choir sings together with an ensemble of ancient music, organ, string quartets etc.
II. CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Pieces of a large form.
An exceptional place in the repertoire of “Polifonija” is given to the oratorio by David Fanshaw (Great Britain) “African Sanctus” for double choir, soprano, grand piano, percussion instruments, harp, solo and bass guitars. The piece acquaints not only listeners but also the performers with African music, shows its relation to Western polyphony. Composer’s legendary travel along the river Nile, in North East and Central Africa (1969–1973) was the ground for “African Sanctus”. This is a multicultural masterpiece being performed throughout the world. It encompasses texts from Latin Mass and Anglican Liturgy. The music created by the composer intertwines with authentic African music recorded in Egypt, Sudan, Uganda and Kenya.
The following pieces were performed together with wind orchestra: John Rutter – Gloria; Frigyes Hidas – Requiem (in memory of the dead in wars of all times) etc.
Chamber music.
Frank Martin – Mass for unaccompanied double choir;
Francis Poulenc – Sept chansons;
Henk Badings – Maria song cycle for soloists, chorus, flute and cello;
Arvo Pärt - Te Deum.
III. WORLD NATIONS’ MUSIC.
The repertoire of “Polifonija” also includes “multilingual” music of world’s nations which reflects specificity of diverse countries and continents. The project “Let’s Travel with Music All around the Globe” that started in 2007 still achieves much success in Lithuania.
Close relations are maintained between the choir and conductors from the USA: Anthony Trecek-King, Richard Bjella, Matthew Harden. Under their leadership, the choir has worked out three programmes on contemporary American music. These are just a small part of pieces that were performed at concerts:
Eric Whitacre – Cloudburst; A Boy and A Girl; Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine; Sleep; Water Night;
Morten Lauridsen – O magnum mysterium;
Traditional gospels and spirituals.
The choir has worked out the programme on Russian Orthodox music. The repertoire includes the pieces by these composers: Sergei Rachmaninov, Pavel Chesnokov, A.Nikolaev-Strumski, Georgy Sviridov.
IV. LITHUANIAN MUSIC.
Pieces of contemporary composers.
Music by contemporary Lithuanian composers performed by “Polifonija” arises much interest; it includes not only folklore elements but also some contemporary means of music expression, for example, dolby surround effects, etc. Choir’s repertoire encompasses pieces by Lithuanian worldwide acknowledged composers such as Algirdas Martinaitis, Mindaugas Urbaitis, Vaclovas Augustinas, Giedrius Svilainis, Vytautas Juozapaitis etc.
