Birutė Vainiūnaitė
Birutė Vainiūnaitė was born in Kaunas. She studied at the Vilnius M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art; from 1965 to 1970 at the Lithuanian Academy of Music (with Prof. M. Azizbekova); and as a post-graduate from 1970 to 1972 at the Moscow Conservatoire (with Prof. J. Milstein). During 1975-1976 she trained at the Paris National Conservatoire under Prof. V. Perlemuter.
Winner of the first Čiurlionis Piano Competition (1965) and of the fourteenth Berlin Virtuosi Competition (1991), B. Vainiūnaitė presently teaches at the Lithuanian Academy of Music.
Birutė Vainiūnaitė frequently performs with other instrumentalists, and has appaeared in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Georgia, Spain, Sweden, USA, and in many cities in Russia. She played in Paris in 1976, and has performed there annually since 1990; she toured Germany with great success in 1994 and 1996, and has led master courses both there and in Lithuania. Prof. B. Vainiūnaitė has been on the jury at several international competitions: The International Stasys Vainiūnas Pianist Competition (1991, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001), First International piano duo competition, Visaginas 1997. She has performed with orchestras conducted by J. Domarkas, G. Rinkevičius, S. Sondeckis, and others. Her concerts are frequently broadcast by Lithuanian Radio and Television, and she has released several records.
Although the pianist performs various peirod music with an exquisite feeling for style, she has a great fondness for works by modern composers. B. Vainiūnaitė was the first to introduce Lithuanian audiences to O. Messiaen, M. Ohana, G. Crumb, P. Vasks, etc., and is entrusted by prominent Lithuanian composers with their latest works.
Lithuanian Composers
Julius Andrejevas
Grotesque
The Doom
Ballad in Memoriam of Balys Dvarionas
Vytautas Bacevičius
Premier mot, Op.18
Poem op. 10 No. 4
Feliksas Bajoras
Variations for piano No.2
Piece
Osvaldas Balakauskas
Four Pieces op. 6
Three Caprices
Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra
Cascades-1
Tune for piano and tape
Sonata of Mountains for piano and orchestra
Movimenti No. 1 for two pianos
Eduardas Balsys
Waves and Undines
Vytautas Barkauskas
Mirror op. 9
Vision op. 86
Concerto for piano and orchestra
Vidmantas Bartulis
Nine Glimpses of Early Autumn
Rain of Golden Clouds
Kęstutis Bieliukas
Composition No. 1
Ričardas Biveinis
Dreams
ZitaBružaitė
Concerto for piano and symphony orchestra
„Sonnet - VII" for voice and piano
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis
Impromptu in D minor
Fugue in B minor, VL345
Prelude in A minor, VL 254 (Fughetta and Two Preludes in B minor)
Prelude in D minor, VL 256
Prelude in B minor, VL 259 (Fughetta and Two Preludes in B minor)
Prelude, VL 300 (New Modes)
Prelude in C major, VL 301
Prelude, VL 302 (New Modes)
Prelude, VL 304 Prelude in minor, VL 322 (Sea Preludes)
Prelude in D minor, VL 325 (Sea Preludes)
Prelude in C major, VL 327 (Sea Preludes)
Prelude in C major, VL 328 (Sea Preludes)
Prelude in A major, VL 335 (The Last Summer)
Prelude in D major, VL 272
Ballade in F sharp minor, VL 272a (Three Piano Pieces)
Prelude in D minor, VL 308 (Storms and Depths)
Prelude in D minor, VL 344a
Piece in A major, VL 246
Prelude in A minor, VL 230 (Leipzig Miniatures)
Prelude, VL 241 (From the Unfinished Cycle)
Prelude in B minor, VL I82a (Eight Piano Pieces)
Lullaby, VL 242 (From the Unfinished Cycle)
Prelude in F minor, VL 251 (Four Preludes)
Dialogue (Prelude in D minor), VL 261 (Six Piano Pieces)
Prelude Autumn, VL 264 (Six Piano Pieces) Allegro.
Prelude, VL 269 (Little Sonata) II. Andante, VL 270 (Little Sonata)
Prelude in G major, VL 318 (Sea Preludes)
Prelude in C minor, VL 324 (Sea Preludes)
Prelude in D minor, VL 319 (Sea Preludes)
Lithuanian Dance
Sonata
Fugue in C minor, VL 314
Prelude in C major, VL 330 (Sea Preludes)
Fragment from tone-poem ”The Sea”, VL 255
Prelude, VL 303 (New Modes)
Povilas Dikčius
"Mirage"
Snieguolė Dikčiūtė
„Fomalhaut“
Balys Dvarionas
Mirage
Rondino-Humoresque
At the Old Belfry Starlet, for voice and piano
By the Lake, for voice and piano
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1
Pines, for voice and piano
Juozas Gruodis
Barrel-organ
Lament
Trick
Morning Song
In Lithuania (2nd movement from Sonata No.2)
Bells
Two Pieces
Katarinka
Poppys, for voice and piano
Rue, for voice and piano
Cornflowers, for voice and piano
Vladas Jakubėnas
Legend op. 2 No. 2
Antanas Jasenka
Me.Ka
Vytautas Juozapaitis
Preludes and fugues
Vytautas Jurgutis
A Child and Birds
Sonata in re
Julius Juzeliunas
Sonata No. 1
Sonata No. 2
Tomas Juzeliūnas
Close
Antanas Kačanauskas
Two Preludes op. 22/23
Juozas Karosas
Three Preludes
Sonata
Vincas Kudirka
Valse
Bronius Kutavičius
Sonata
Five Pieces
Three metamorphosis
Perpetum mobile for cello and piano
Vytautas Laurušas
Green Prelude and Green Fugue
Yellow Prelude and Yellow Fugue
Polyphony of Colors - preludes and fugues
Waves, for voice and piano
Teisutis Makačinas
Shepherds' Games
Suite No. 3
Algirdas Martinaitis
Clavier of the Life-giving Water, for two pianos and synthesizer
Pool of Siloam
Musical Moment
Vytautas Montvila
Freedom Sonata
Jonas Nabažas
Sonata
Dream
Prelude, Chaconne, Song
Onutė Narbutaitė
Vine Tree, for two pianos
Poem of Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas, for voice and piano
Leonas Povilaitis
Sonata No. 2
Spring Sonata
Antanas Račiūnas
Ballad in B flat minor
Two Miniatures
Scherzo Sonata No. 1
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 2
Anatolijus Šenderovas
M. K. Čiurlionis' Sketches
Trio
Raminta Šerkšnytė
Fantasy
Passacaglia
Stasys Šimkus
Silhouette
Vladas Švedas
Sonata
Juozas Tallat Kelpša
Fairy Tale
Impromtu
Stasys Vainiūnas
Sonata for violin and piano
Sonata-fantasy
Children's Corner, suite
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 3, Op. 33
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1
Concerto for piano and chamber orchestra No. 4
Eight Moods, Op. 43
Lament 1972
Remembrance for violin and piano
Little Insect Suite, Op.7, for piano solo
Nomeda Valančiūtė
Narcissus for piano solo
Zigmas Virkšas
Like the Sunrise, sonata for piano
Incantations of Night
Chamber Works
Tomaso Albinoni
Adagio in G minor for cello and piano
Arno Babadjanian
Sonata, vn, pf, 1959
Johann Sebastian Bach
Sonata for violin and piano in E major
Sonata for violin and piano in A major
Sonata for violin and piano in C minor
Sonata for cello and piano in G major
Bela Bartok
Sonata for violin and piano No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for violin and piano No. 7 in C minor
Sonata for cello and piano No. 2 op. 5 in G minor
Variations in F on ‘Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen’ from Die Zauberflöte, pf, vc, op. 66
Johannes Brahms
Sonata for violin and piano No. 3
Trio in A minor op. 114
John Cage
Amores
George Crumb
Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III), 2 amp pf, 2 perc, 1974
4 Nocturnes for violin and piano
Claude Debussy
Sonata for violin and piano in D minor
Sonata for cello and piano
Cesar Franck
Sonata for cello and piano in A major
George Frideric Handel
Sonatas for cello and piano in G minor, G major, F major, C minor
Paul Hindemith
Sonata for cello and piano
Sonata for violin and piano
Arthur Honegger
Sonata for cello and piano
Charles Ives
Sonata for violin and piano No. 4
Bohuslav Martinu
Sonata for cello and piano No. 3
Variations on a Theme of Rossini, vc, pf, 1942, op. 290
Olivier Messiaen
Quatuor pour la fin du temps, cl, vn, vc, pf, 1940–41: 1 Liturgie de cristal, 2 Vocalise pour l'ange qui annonce la fin du temps, 3 Abîme des oiseaux, 4 Intermède, 5 Louange à l'éternité de Jésus, 6 Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes, 7 Fouillis d'arcs-en-ciel, pour l'ange qui annonce la fin du temps, 8 Louange à l'immortalité de Jésus
Theme and Variations, vn, pf, 1932
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Divertimento for oboe, cello and piano
Hallelujah from Cantata “Exsultate Jubilate” K 165
Sergei Prokofiev
Sonata for violin and piano No. 5
Sonata for violin and piano No. 1 op. 80 in F minor
Overture on Hebrew Themes, c, cl, str qt, pf, 1919
Five Melodies, vn, pf [after 5 Songs, op. 35], 1925, op. 35 bis
Maurice Ravel
Sonata for violin and piano
Tzigane, rapsodie de concert, vn, pf, 1924, arr. vn, pf-luthéal
Franz Schubert
Duet for violin and piano
Dmitri Shostakovich
Sonata for violin and piano op. 134
Giovanni Valentini
Sonata for violin and piano in E major
Voice and Piano
Ernest Chausson
La Cigale
Claude Debussy
”Cinq poems de Charles Baudelaire” for soprano and piano
Jules Massenet
Elegy for soprano and piano
Olivier Messiaen
Trois melodies
Chants de Terre et de Ciel
Francis Poulenc
Proses lyriques
“Chanson du clair tamis”, “Violon”
“Chanson Vilegoese”
Sergei Prokofiev
Five Poems by A. Achmatova for voice and piano
Franz Schubert
”Der Hirt auf dem Felsen“
Solo Works
Isaac Albeniz
“Triana” from Iberia
Arno Babadjanian
Poem
Bach – Busoni
Chaconne
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata in A major op. 2
Sonata in C sharp minor op. 27 No. 2
Sonata No. 2 in A major, op. 2/2
Sonata No. 13 op. 27/1, in E flat major, quasi una fantasia
Sonata No. 14 op. 27/2, in C sharp minor, quasi una fantasia (‘Moonlight’)
Sonata No. 9, in E major, op. 14/1
Sonata Appassionata op. 57 No. 23, in F minor
Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major, op. 78
Sergei Belimov
Sonata Una corda, 1982
Johannes Brahms
Klavierstücke op.119
Rhapsody in E flat major
2 Intermezzi op. 76 No. 6 and 7
2 Capricci op. 76
Ballades, d‘Edward’, D, b, B, op.10
Ilona Brege
Intraversion
John Cage
Music of Changes, pf, 1951
J. Calles
Sonata
Manuel Castillo
Sonata
Frédéric Chopin
Etude op. 25 No. 12
Etudes op. 10 (1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12), op. 25 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 24)
Twenty-four Preludes op. 28
Sonata No. 3 op. 58, in B minor
Nocturnes (op. 55 No. 2, op. 27 No. 1)
Mazurkas (selected)
Ballade in F minor No. 4 op. 52
Scherzo No. 4 op. 54 in E major
Fantasy, f minor/A flat major op. 49
Muzio Clementi
Sonata in D major op. 40 No. 3
François Couperin
La Favorite Chaconne-rondeau
George Crumb
”Makrokosmos” II
Claude Debussy
”Images”
Préludes, bk 1 (1910): Danseuses de Delphes, 1909; Voiles, 1909; Le vent dans la plaine, 1909; ‘Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir’, 1910; Les collines d’Anacapri, 1909; Des pas sur la neige, 1909; Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest; La fille aux cheveux de lin, 1910; La sérénade interrompue; La cathédrale engloutie; La danse de Puck, 1910; Minstrels, 1910
Préludes, bk 2, 1911–13 (1913); Brouillards, Feuilles mortes, La puerta del vino, ‘Les fées sont d’exquises danseuses’, Bruyères, General Lavine – eccentric, La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune, Ondine, Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C., Canope, Les tierces alternées, Feux d’artifice
L’isle joyeuse, 1903–4 (1904)
Manuel de Falla
Cubana
Edvard Grieg
Elegy, Valse
Joseph Haydn
Sonata in E flat major
Paul Hindemith
Ludus tonalis, 1942
Arthur Honegger
7 pièces brèves, 1919–20
Georges Hugon
Etching
Betsy Jolas
B for Sonata, 1973
Scott Joplin
Ragtimes
Dmitry Kabalevsky
Sonata No. 3 in F major
Peter Jona Korn
Burlesque op. 11
Nikolai Korndorf
Yarilo, pf, tape, 1981
Franz Liszt
Etude in F minor from Etudes d’exécution transcendante
Miłosz Magin
Triptyque Polonais
Mazurka
Olivier Messiaen
Preludes, 1928–9
L’Alouette Lulu (lullula arborea) from Catalogue d’oiseaux
11 Première Communion de la Vierge from Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus, 1944
13 Noël from Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus, 1944
12 La Parole Toute-Puissante from Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus, 1944
20 Regard de l'église d'Amour from Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus
16 Regard des prophètes, des bergers et des mages from Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus
10 Regard de l'esprit de joie from Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus
14 Regard des anges from Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus
Wofgang Amadeus Mozart
Sonatas: in G major KV283, in D major KV284, in D major KV311, in B flat major KV333, in B flat major KV570, in D major KV576
Variations in E major, K 353 La belle françoise
Fantaisie KV396
Fantasia in C minor, K 396
Adagio in B minor K 540
Nikolai Myaskovsky
6 Improvisations, op. 74, 1906–46
Maurice Ohana
24 préludes, 1972–3 (selected)
Fernando Otero
Suite for piano
Paganini - Liszt
Etude in E major
Sergei Prokofiev
Sonata in D minor No.2, op. 14
Mimoletnosti (Visions fugitives), 20 pieces, 1915–17
Sarkazmï [Sarcasms], 5 pieces, 1912–14, op. 17
Song without Words, D Major, 1907
Sergei Rachmaninov
Etude-tableaux in E flat major op. 33, 1911
Maurice Ravel
Miroirs, 1904–5: Noctuelles, Oiseaux tristes, Une barque sur l'océan, Alborada del gracioso, La vallée des cloches
Franz Schubert
Moments Musicals D 780
Moment musical, op. 94 No. 1
Sonata in G major, op. 78/D 894 4
Impromptus, c, E, G, A, D 899
Clara Schumann
Quatre pièces fugitives, F, a, D, G, 1841–44 op. 15
Robert Schumann
Fantasie, C, op. 17
Alexander Scriabin (Skryabin)
Dvadtsat' chetïre prelyudii / Vingt quatre préludes, 1888–96
Shest' prelyudiy/Six préludes, 1895 op. 13
K plameni, poema/Vers la flamme, poème, 1914, op. 72
Sonata No. 3, 1897, op. 23, in F sharp minor
Sonata No. 5, op. 53, 1907
Déodat de Séverac
Baigneuses au soleil, 1908
Dmitri Shostakovich
24 Preludes and Fugues, 1950–51 op. 87
Bedřich Smetana
Polkas in E flat major, F major, E minor
Egils Straume
In memoriam Zero
Richard Strauss
Stimmungsbilder, 2 pf, 1882–4: Auf stillen Waldespfad, An einsamer Quelle, Intermezzo, Träumerei, Heidebild, op. 9
Natela Svanidze
Tsre [Circle], prep pf, 1972
Karol Szymanowski
Sonata op. 36 no. 3, 1917
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Dumka
Peter Vasks
Pavasara mūzika: quasi una sonata [Spring Music], pf, 1995
Rudens mūzika: quasi una sonata [Autumn Music], 1981
Mazā nakts mūzika [A Little Night Music], 1978
Jāzeps Vitols
Lullaby
Imants Zemzars
Brīnumskaņdarbi [Miracle Pieces], pf qt, 1995
Two Pianos
Claude Debussy
En blanc et noir, 3 pieces, 1915 (1915)
Raimo Kangro
Sonata op. 28
Alexei Koroliov
Sonata
Olivier Messiaen
Visions de l'Amen, 2 pf, 1943
Maurice Ravel
Sites auriculaires, 2 pf, 1895–7: Habanera, Entre cloches
Peteris Vasks
In memoriam, 2 pf, 1977
Concertos
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto in E major BWV 1053
Ludwig van Beethoven
Concerto no. 3 in C minor, op. 37
Concerto no. 5 in E flat major, op. 73
Johannes Brahms
Concerto no. 1 in D minor
Edvard Grieg
Piano Concerto, a, 1868
Franz Liszt
Concerto in A major
Jules Massenet
Concerto
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Concerto in A major KW 488
Concerto in D minor
Sergei Rachmaninov
Concerto no. 1
Maurice Ravel
Concerto no. 2 in D major
P. Silvanski
Concerto for piano and orchestra
Vytautas Juozapaitis, Prelude and fugue in F
Vytautas Juozapaitis, Prelude and fugue in H
Concert in Museum of Applied Art, April 18, 2010
ROBERT SCHUMANN
String Quartet No. 3 in A major, Op. 41, No. 3
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44
VILNIUS STRING QUARTET
Concert in the Festival “Music of Changes”, 21th of October, 2009
“The Evening of Fantasies and Reminiscences”
M.K.ČIURLIONIS Pater noster VL 260
Impromtu in D minor VL 298
Piece in A major VL 246
Piece in B minor VL 119
Prelude VL 325
Nocturne in C sharp minor VL183
R.SCHUMANN Fantasy in C major op.17
Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen
Ma&ig.Durchaus energisch
Langsam getragen.Durchweg leise zu halten
***
S.VAINIŪNAS Prelude
3 pieces from suite Homeland's Meadows, Op. 31
Little Insect Suite, Op.7
"Lament" 1972
"Eight Moods”, Op.43
Birutė Vainiūnaitė (piano)
Concert at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall, April 4, 2009
To mark the STASYS VAINIŪNAS' Centennial
STASYS VAINIŪNAS (1909–1982)
Sutartinė for orchestra, Op. 35 (1965)
Symphony in C sharp minor, Op. 27 (1957)
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 4, Op. 40 (1975)
Concerto for violin and orchestra, Op. 28 (1959)
LITHUANIAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Soloists:
BIRUTĖ VAINIŪNAITĖ (piano)
VILHELMAS ČEPINSKIS (violin)
Conductor ROBERTAS ŠERVENIKAS
Concert in Museum of Applied Art, March 22, 2009
To mark STASYS VAINIŪNAS Centennial
STASYS VAINIŪNAS (1909–1982)
Piano Quintet No. 2 (1966)
Piano pieces
Piano Trio (1945)
Sonata for violin and piano, Op. 38 (1971)
VILNIUS STRING QUARTET
FORT VIO Piano Trio:
INGRIDA RUPAITĖ (violin)
POVILAS JACUNSKAS (cello)
INDRĖ BAIKŠTYTĖ (piano)
BIRUTĖ VAINIŪNAITĖ (piano)
ASTA KRIKŠČIŪNAITĖ (soprano)
DALIA SURAUČIŪTĖ (violin)
EUGENIJUS ŽARSKUS (piano)
The Most Precious Pearl of Lithuanian Pianism "The pianist Birutė Vainiūnaitė is giving a concert at Kaunas Philharmonic. Everything is perfect. One's soul rises into transcendental heights. The audience dissolves in the light of divine love. Spiritual vibrations grow into ecstasy. Catharsis. Eternity in the frozen chime of the clock... ... tears are only a poor shadow of our thoughts..."
D. K. "7 meno dienos", 2 May 2003, No. 18
