Musical Chess

Festival Glasperlenspiel
Tue, July 9th at 7 pm St. John’s church (Jaani kirik), Tartu
MUSICAL CHESS
Dovilė Kazonaitė (soprano), Robertas Beinaris (oboe, conductor), Ramunė Grakauskaitė (violin), Inga Kuizinaitė (violin), Mykyta Nekh (violin, Ukraine), chamber orchestra Musica Humana (Lithuania)
Vivaldi, Mozart, Grieg, Sibelius, Copland, Piazzolla, Čiurlionis

This year’s Glasperlenspiel will conclude with a diverse music night, having a playful title that fits the festival’s concept particularly well. The concert features top performers from our southern neighbour Lithuania. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the chamber orchestra Musica Humana is renowned for its expressiveness, refinement and artistic mastery and is a frequent guest at international festivals. The music they play spans a wide range of eras and countries – from the brightness of Baroque master Vivaldi, the Mozartian elegance and the cool Nordic Grieg-Sibelius to the emotional Piazzolla and Lithuanian contemporary composers. According to the orchestra’s conductor, Robertas Beinaris, the performers are always looking for new interpretations of the music, as each piece is like a chess game between composer and audience.

Lithuanian chamber ensemble Musica Humana was founded in 1974 by flutist Algirdas Vizgirda and started with its concerts the revival of historical performance of early music in Lithuania. During the years, the ensemble’s high artistic mastery has gained recognition also abroad. Listeners and critics from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium and Scandinavia have commented on the skill of the musicians, their expressiveness, subtle taste, and artistry. Musica Humana frequently participates in international festivals in Lithuania and other countries (Gaida Festival, Pažaislis Music Festival, Klaipedos Muzikos Pavasaris, Vilnius Music Festival, Ars Baltica) and has been the resident ensemble of the Curonian Spit Summer Festival, the International J. S. Bach Music Festival and Varėna District Music Festival With Saint Theophilus. 

The repertoire of the ensemble is truly diverse, encompassing works from the Baroque and Lithuanian early music to contemporary compositions. Musica Humana has commissioned several pieces from Lithuanian composers such as Algirdas Martinaitis, Bronius Kutavičius, Jonas Tamulionis, Feliksas Bajoras and Osvaldas Balakauskas. The ensemble’s line-up may vary from the core basso continuo ensemble of four players to an orchestra. For some concert programmes it invites renowned Lithuanian and foreign soloists as well as choirs. Since 2018, the artistic director of Musica Humana is oboe player Robertas Beinaris.

Organizers:
Peeter Vähi – artistic director
Tiina Jokinen – executive director
Kadri Kiis – producer, accountant
Meeta Vardja – musicologist, editor of festival booklet
AI – design
Olavi Sööt – co-producer, video, logistics
Reno Hekkonens – marketing director, PR
Johannes Vähi – co-producer, webmaster, sound engineering, logistics
Marje Hansar – social media

Special thanks: Tartu City Government, Urmas Klaas, Triin Käpp, Jana Raud, Ministry of Culture of Estonia, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Canon, Toyota, Kaupo Kiis, Kristel Leppik, Anne-Liise Kiis, volunteers