Enlightenment | Alytus

2023 May 4, thursday, 18.00

The constitution of the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth, signed on May 3, 1791, became the first parliamentary-adopted constitution in Europe and the second in the world after the United States. It is a cornerstone of the rule of law and Enlightenment ideas. A concert programme will commemorate this occasion by establishing cultural bridges between the USA, Poland, and Lithuania, symbolically focusing on the ideas of progress and freedom that defined the Enlightenment era. The programme will commence with a fanfare by American composer M. Ford – Przebudzenie (“The Awakening”), which draws inspiration from the Polish freedom fights during the turbulent historical events.

The concert will also showcase new premieres of Lithuanian authors. In Sunshine Rain, composed by Antanas Kučinskas, we come across two opposing forces – fire and water. These forces converge in surprising sonic textures. The theme of the natural forces is not uncommon to another prominent Lithuanian composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė, the recipient of the 2022 Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts. Her 4 Forces dwell on the four main physical phenomena. Alongside these, Joel Puckett’s composition 15th Night of the Moon (soloist – Dovas Lietuvninkas, trumpet) will embody the American neoclassical tradition, complemented by Lithuanian composer Teisutis Makačinas Symphony in B. The programme will culminate with Frank Ticheli’s Angels in the Architecture, in which the LSPO will be joined by the Latvian-born Lithuanian soprano Gunta Gelgotė.

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