Intriguing Conversations of Women

A concert by Silvija Vaitkevičiūtė and Eglė Kižytė-Ramonienė at the Kaunas State Philharmonic.

The first Sunday of October was brightened by a chamber music concert titled "Conversations of Women," held in the Small Hall of the Kaunas State Philharmonic. The concert featured pieces for violin and piano duets, with a program that was both interesting and intriguing, composed of works by female composers and pieces dedicated to women. The circumstances of the creation and dedications of these works varied, and they were brilliantly performed and live stories were shared by violinist Silvija Vaitkevičiūtė and pianist Eglė Kižytė-Ramonienė.

The musical duo has been performing together for several years, and they first performed this program last summer at Gelgaudiškis Manor. The concert at the Kaunas State Philharmonic began with two dances by Enrique Granados (from "12 Spanish Dances," originally written for solo piano): "Danza Triste" ("Sad Dance") and "Andaluza" ("Andalusian Piece"). The performers continued with the "Three Romances" for violin and piano by German composer Clara Schumann. In the first romance, the piano particularly stood out, with Kižytė-Ramonienė subtly and elegantly revealing the full palette of piano sounds. The romances performed by Silvija and Eglė resonated with sensitivity, standing out for their contrasts and variety.

In Manuel de Falla’s cycle "Seven Popular Songs" for violin and piano (originally written for voice and piano), the duo masterfully captured the Spanish color and the contrasting connections between the songs. The greatest applause for the violinist came after an excellent performance of Maurice Ravel's rhapsody "Tzigane." Vaitkevičiūtė showcased a rich array of both technical and musical expression.

Amy Marcy Beach's "Romance for Violin and Piano" and Nino Rota's "Improvviso" were completely different in content and musical style. The "Romance" is filled with romantic flair, beginning with quiet lyrical themes that develop into several climaxes. "Improvviso," from Gianni Franciolini's film D’amanti senza amore ("Lovers Without Love"), is a dramatic, expressive piece, played with great expressiveness by both performers.

The concert ended with Olivier Messiaen’s Fantasia for violin and piano, dedicated to the composer’s first wife, violinist Claire Delbos. This is an early work by the composer, filled with dissonant harmonies typical of the music of that time. Its texture is dense, with constantly changing tempo and meter, and it features many powerful climaxes. The Fantasia demands a great deal of skill from the pianist, and Kižytė-Ramonienė executed it brilliantly: the piano part sounded light, revealing many colors and different characters.

Chamber music concerts create a unique musical atmosphere, attracting a distinct audience and lovers of this genre. It is delightful that the concert "Conversations of Women" was professionally prepared, with a program that was both interesting and intriguing. Both performers are highly professional, distinctive, and full of character. Perhaps the strongest aspect of this concert was the excellent sense of ensemble and shared musicality. The performers seamlessly passed or extended each other's musical ideas in such an organic way that the result was simply enchanting. We can only wish them success in preparing new programs and look forward to more interesting chamber music concerts.

The author of the article is Giedrius Prunskus.