Apnea

commissioned by the musica femina München and composed for the Münchener Kammerorchester, cond. Clemens Schuldt

"Hier ist alles Abstand, und dort wars Atem". R.M.Rilke. Die achte Elegie

“Here, all is distance. There, all was breath.” R.M.Rilke. The eight Elegy

Following the series of my aquatic pieces, “Apnea” (in latin “absence of breathing”) for string orchestra, written during the pandemic winter, reflects the importance of breathing whilst exploring the physical and emotional transformation during the immersion under the water. The macro form of the composition reminds of a very long breath-in and a gradual breath-out stretching the time in between while continuing to delay the climax and increase the tension until the limits. The orchestra is playing without any pause taking both the players and listeners through the existential odyssey.

Duration: 13' ca.

Instrumentation: 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 1 or 12 / 10 / 8 / 6 / 3

Recording: https://soundcloud.com/juste-janulyte/apnea-for-strings-2021

“Justė Janulytės neues Werk wirkt soghaft, fast hypnotisch. Es kommt aus der Stille und kehrt zu ihr zurück - dazwischen bäumen sich erst kleine, später riesige, erst flirrende, dann schäumende Wellen auf! Die Komponistin erschafft eine unglaublich assoziative Musik, die Bilder vom tönenden Weltraum oder dem dunkel-brummenden Meeresgrund in mir entstehen lässt.” Clemens Schuldt, Chefdirigent des Münchener Kammerorchesters

Performances

16 June 2021 Münchener Kammerorchester, cond. Clemens Schuldt, 100th Mozartfest, Würzburg (DE) | 17 June 2021 Münchener Kammerorchester, cond. Clemens Schuldt, Prinzregententheater, Munich (DE) | 10 September 2021, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, cond. Olari Elts. Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn (EE) | 8 October 2021, Helsinki Philharmonic orchestra, cond. Olari Elts. Helsinki (FI) | 13 January 2022, BBC Symphony orchestra, cond. Clemens Schuldt. Studio recording for BBC Radio 3, London (UK) | 21 September 2022, konsTellation plus, cond. Gregor Mayrhofer, Klangspuren festival, Insbruck (AT), 26 October 2022, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, cond. Martynas Stakionis, Lithuanian National Philharmonics, GAIDA festival (LT) | 27 January 2023, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, cond. Clemens Schuldt. Kokkola (FI) | 20 April 2023, Uppsala Chamber Orchestra, cond. Olari Elts. Uppsala Konsert and Kongress (SE)