Balys Vaitkus (organ, harpsichord)
Balys Vaitkus (*1963) is one of the most active and best-known Lithuanian organists today.
He studied organ 1980-1985 with L.Digrys at the Lithuanian Academy of Music, 1988-1989 with V.Rabas at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts, and 1992-1994 with M.Haselböck at the High Music School in Lübeck. In addition he studied cembalo as a relative instrument and also attended numerous organ courses at the Haarlem Summer Academy, master courses with G.Bovet, M.Radulescu, P.Kee, L.F.Tagliavini, etc.
B.Vaitkus started his concert activities in 1983 and gave organ recitals in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Denmark, France, and Austria. He gave concerts at the famous music festivals such as "The New Organ Movement" in Russia, "Riga and Tallinn Organ Festivals", Rencontres Musical de Nantes in France, Wiener Festwochen in Austria, "St.Christoph Summer Music" in Vilnius and "The First Liepaja Organ Festival".
B.Vaitkus has successfully participated in several International organ competitions. He received a special prize at the "IOC Prague Spring" (Czech Republic) in 1989; he won both the 3rd and the Audience prizes at the IOC Gelsenkirchen (Germany) in 1993, and the 2nd prize at the International"M.K.Čiurlionis Piano and Organ Competition" in Vilnius (Lithuania) in 1995.
From 1989 to 1999 B.Vaitkus taught at the Organ and Harpsichord Department of the Lithuanian Music Academy.
B.Vaitkus collaborates as organist and harpsichordist with ensembles, choirs, and orchestras. Together with the Lithuanian Boys-choir Ąžuoliukas, he gave concerts in Poland and Belgium, and with the Langas choir he traveled in France and Spain. He has played Organ Concertos with the M.K.Čiurlionis Art School orchestra, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, the Honour Guard Orchestra of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and with the Neue Westfalische Philharmonie in Germany. Recently, he has often joined the ensemble, Musica Humana, as a solo-cembalist. B.Vaitkus has worked with such famous Lithuanian musicians as the flutist, A.Vizgirda, and the saxophonist, P.Vyšniauskas, etc.
He has made several broadcast recordings in Lithuania, including a recording on the Vilnius’ Cathedral organ for the CD, "Three Famous Organs", ERES Edition CD 07; and a CD recording with the Honour Guard Orchestra of the Lithuanian Armed Forces (LMSMBCD-014).
His repertoire extends from the pieces from composers before J.S.Bach up to contemporary music such as organ pieces of J.Alain, A.Schoenberg, O.Messiaen, and the modern Lithuanian composers E.Balsys, V.Bartulis, B.Kutavičius, and F.Latėnas.
Lithuanian Composers
Algirdas Martinaitis
Musikalisches Opfer
Cantus ad Futurum
Eduardas Balsys
Symphony-Concerto (1974-1977)
Vidmantas Bartulis
"1750-ųjų metų liepos 17-osios vizija"
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis
Fugues in F scharp minor, C scharp minor, A minor, C minor
Bronius Kutavičius
Sonata Ad Patres
Fight of the trees / Kampf der Baume
Faustas Latėnas
The Shine
Teisutis Makačinas
Sonata No.1
German Baroque
Johann Sebastian Bach
Prelude and Fugue - in D Major, BWV 532; in G Major, BWV 541; in C Major, BWV 547; in E Minor, BWV 548; in E flat major, St. Anne, BWV 552
Toccatas and Fugues in D minor, Dorian, BWV 538; in F Major, BWV 540
Toccata, adagio and fugue in C major, BWV 564
Fantasies and Fugues in C Minor, BWV 537, in G Minor, BWV 542; Fantasia in G Major, BWV 572
Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582
Chorale partita Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig BWV 768
6 Trio-Sonatas BWV 525-530
Concertos (by Vivaldi) in D minor , BWV 596, in G major, BWV 592
Choralen Preludes, Klavierübung-III, Leipzigo, Das Orgel-Büchlein
Concerto in F major, BWV 1057
Georg Böhm
Prelude and fugue in C major, WK i
Chorale partite WK ii, 132, Vater unser im Himmelreich
Chorale partita and variations, WK ii, 106, Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele
Nicolaus Bruhns
Praeludium in E Minor, in G Major
Chorale Fantasy Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
German Romanticism
Johannes Brahms
Prelude and Fugue in G Minor
11 Chorale Preludes op. 122
Max Reger
Introduction and Passacaglia in F minor, Op. 63
Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, Op. 135b
Chorale Fantasy Halleluja! Gott zu loben Op. 52/3
Variationen über ein Originalthema Op. 73
Julius Reubke
Sonata in C minor Der 94. Psalm
French Romanticism
Cesar Franck
Fantasies in C major op. 16-21, M 28-33 from Six pieces, in A major op. 22, M 35-7 from Trois pieces
3 Chorales in E major, B minor, A minor
Louis Vierne
Symphony in D minor Op. 14
20th/21st Century Music
Jehan Alain
L'oeuvre d'orgue de Jehan Alain, Vol.I - Scherzo; 3 danses: Joies, Deuils, Luttes; Aria
L'oeuvre d'orgue de Jehan Alain, Vol.II - Intermezzo; Litanies
Three mouvements for flute and organ, 1935
Marc Dupré
Three Preludes and Fugues Op. 7 - in B Major, F Minor, G Minor
Les Vepres de la Vierge Op.18
Maurice Duruflé
Suite Op.5
Petr Eben
Laudes
Paul Hindemith
Sonata No. 1
O. Macha
Three toccatas
Olivier Messiaen
Apparition de l’Eglise éternelle
L’Ascension
La Nativité du Seigneur
Les Corps glorieux
Messe de la Pentecote
Arnold Schoenberg
Variations on a Recitative Op. 40
Concerts for Organ and Orchestra
George Frideric Händel
Concerto in F Major, Op. 4, No. 4
Joseph Jongen
Symphonie-Concertante Op. 88
Francis Poulenc
Concerto in G minor
Other Works
Marc Dupré
Variations sur un Noel Op. 20
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Toccatas
Nicolas de Grigny
Extracts from the Mass Livre d’Orgue
Hymnes Veni Creator; Pange lingua
Johann Kaspar Kerll
Chancones, Capriccio, Passacaglia variata, Toccatas
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Fantasy in F minor, KV 594
Fantasy in F minor, KV 608
Andante in F major, KV 616
Georg Muffat
Toccatas IX, XII from Apparatus musico-organisticus
Jean-Philippe Rameau
III Concert
Concert at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall, 25 April 2011
3rd International J.S.Bach Music Festival
Programme 5
Easter Oratorio
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, BWV 1049
Easter Oratorio for soloists, choir and orchestra, BWV 249
MUSICA HUMANA Ensemble
Artistic director, conductor and soloist ALGIRDAS VIZGIRDA (flute)
VILNIUS State Choir
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Povilas Gylys
Soloists:
ROBERTAS BEINARIS (oboe)
BALYS VAITKUS (harpsichord)
JULIJA STUPNIANEK (soprano)
JURGA PRAKELYTĖ (mezzo-soprano)
MINDAUGAS ZIMKUS (tenor)
IGNAS MISIŪRA (bass-baritone)
Concert at the Pažaislis Music Festival, St. Michael the Archangel’s (Garrison) Church, August 1, 2009
Closing Concert of the Week of Gregorian Chant at the Pažaislis Monastery
Marcel Dupré
Les Vêpres de la Vierge
CANTORES MONTIS PACIS Choir
BALYS VAITKUS organ
Concert at the Vilnius Evangelical Lutheran Church, March 8, 2009
OHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069
Prelude and Fugue in D minor for organ, BWV 539
Magnificat in D major, BWV 243
MUSICA HUMANA Chamber Ensemble
Artistic Director and Conductor ALGIRDAS VIZGIRDA
Šiauliai State Chamber Choir POLIFONIJA
Artistic Director GEDIMINAS RAMANAUSKAS
Soloists:
VIKTORIJA STANELYTĖ (soprano)
RŪTA VOSYLIŪTĖ (mezzo-soprano)
MINDAUGAS ZIMKUS (tenor)
NERIJUS MASEVIČIUS (bass)
BALYS VAITKUS (organ)
Concert at J.S.Bach Music Festival, Evangelical Lutheran Church, 04 04 2007
J.S.Bach and the 20th Century Music
Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto for harpsichord, strings and basso continuo in D minor, BWV 1052
Arvydas Malcys Milky Way for strings
Jurgis Juozapaitis Suite for wind quintet
Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata No. 57 Selig is der Mann, BWV 57
MUSICA HUMANA Ensemble, soloists: Raminta Vaicekauskaitė (soprano), Ignas Misiūra (bass-baritone), Balys Vaitkus (harpsichord); conductor Algirdas Vizgirda
В пятницу, тринадцатого, в Днепропетровском Доме органной и камерной музыки литовский органист Балис Вайткус играл "Видение 17-го июля 1750 года" (дата смерти И.-С. Баха) литовского композитора Видмантаса Бартулиса. С первыми звуками музыки приходит туман, медленно обволакивает, клубится серым дымом, расслабляет, навевает печаль… Внезапно, редкие и резкие звуки, как одиночные золотые стрелы, как тонкие лучики солнца пронзают пелену тумана. Появляются настойчивые нотки предчувствия, ожидания чего-то. Светлеет, звук из медленного спокойно-тихого переходит в новое качество - утверждается, крепнет, расширяется в пространстве и времени. Музыка как будто просыпается, постепенно насыщает свежестью, наполняет собой все вокруг. Туман светлеет, а потом и вовсе рассеивается. Мощный поток яркого света врывается, крушит все на своем пути! Шквал звуков, буйство красок, вихрь эмоций обрушиваются, сбивают с мысли, шокируют. Многообразие звука, света, форм переполняет, слепит и оглушает. Когда эмоции стихают, впечатления от явления чуда раскладываются по полочкам. Всему свое место. Постепенно все собирается в привычную, заново открытую, гармоничную картину мира. Уходит резкость восприятия, яркие цвета становятся приглушенными, звук – менее громким, но емким, появляются оттенки, слышны нюансы. Красота и умиротворение ощущаются каждой клеточкой тела. Тело растворяется в этом ощущении. Ощущение растворяется в звуках. Звуки растворяются в воздухе. Красотой мира звучит тишина… Органист давно убрал руки с клавиатуры, уже затих самый последний звук органной трубы. А зал слушает тишину… 15 апреля 2007 г.