Elongation of Nights

Programme note
Commissioned by the Lithuanian National Philharmonic for the concert series “Viva Musica Via Baltica” (Vilnius - European Capital of Culture) and composed for Sinfonietta Rīga

The structure of the two-layered score of “Elongation of Nights” reminds of the elongation of night while the day is getting shorter: one layer is setting down and getting quieter which makes way for the second layer that becomes louder and pulsates with elongating sounds. Every player has its own part (21 in total) similar to the echoes of a canon, thus such a monochromatic orchestra sounds like a utopian 84 string instrument. The harmony of the piece is based entirely on fifths, derived from the natural tuning of strings. Morton Feldman would have probably called such piece as “Fifths in my Life”.

Dedicated to autumning Vilnius.

Duration
8'30''

Instrumentation
6.5.4.4.2

Recording
Released by the Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre in 2010 in "Zoom in 8: new music from Lithuania".

Performances
9 December 2009 perf. Sinfonietta Riga, cond. Normunds Sne, Great Guild Hall, Riga (LV) | 10 December 2009 perf. Sinfonietta Riga, cond. Normunds Sne, Klaipėda Concert Hall (LT) | 11 December 2009 perf. Sinfonietta Riga, cond. Normunds Sne, Kaunas Philharmonics (LT) | 12 December 2009 perf. Sinfonietta Riga, cond. Normunds Sne,Lithuanian National Philharmonics, Vilnius (LT) | 16 February 2010, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, cond. Risto Joost, Tallinn Concert Hall (EE) |17 February 2010 Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, cond. Risto Joost, Vanemuise Concert Hall, Tartu (EE) | 26 February 2011 Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, cond. Robertas Šervenikas, Lithuanian National Philharmonics, Vilnius (LT) | 9 March 2011 National Chamber Orchestra of Moldova, cond. Robertas Šervenikas, Martisor festival, Chisinau (MD) | 18 November 2011, perf. Sinfonietta Riga, cond. Normunds Sne, Salle Colonne, Paris (FR) | 18 May 2013 BBC National Symphony Orchestra of Wales, Closing concert of the Vale of Glamorgan Festival, BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff (UK) | 16 August 2013 perf. Sinfonietta Riga, cond. Normunds Sne, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Schleswig Dom (DE) | 6 August 2014 Warsaw Autumn concert in Sopot, Sopot Classic Festival, perf. Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Rodrigo Tomillo (ES) | 11 October 2014 Worlds Music Days in Wroclaw, Narodowe Forum Muzyki, perf. Leopoldinum Wroclaw Chamber Orchestra, cond. Ernst Kovacic (PL) | 29 October 2014 Opening concert of the Expositions of New Music festival, perf. Philharmonie Brno, cond. Maciej Tworek (PL), Brno (CZ) | 13 December 2014 perf. String Orchestra of Brooklyn, cond. Eli Spindel, Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, NY (USA) | 9 February 2015 perf. Sinfonietta Riga, cond. Normunds Sne, Alter Oper, Mozart Saal, Frankfurt (DE) | 9 March 2015 perf. Sinfonietta Riga, cond. Normunds Sne, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg (DE) | 29 March 2015 perf. String Orchestra of Brooklyn, cond. Eli Spindel, String Theories festival, NY (USA) | 16 May 2015 perf. Sinfonietta Riga, cond. Normunds Sne, Concert season closing concert, Concert Hall of Sigulda (LV)

Performers
Sinfonietta Rīga | cond. Normunds Šnē
Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra | cond. Risto Joost/Robertas Šervenikas
BBC National Orchestra of Wales | cond. Garry Walker
National Chamber Orchestra of Moldova | cond. Robertas Šervenikas Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra | cond. Rodrigo Tomillo Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra Wroclaw | cond. Ernst Kovacic Philharmonie Brno | cond. Maciej Tworek String Orchestra of Brooklyn | cond. Eli Spindel

"In the music of Justė Janulytė the sound unfolds as an autonomous event, with incredible lightness, as a confluence of energies, which transform it into increasingly dilated harmonies. No beat, no apparent rhythm, just the ‘deaf’ pulsation perhaps, a downtempo, as some kinds of the electronic music are qualified; the swelling of intensities, the saturation of space, and then eventual return to the state of calm, which is already different, marked and disturbed. The importance of material that found reflection in the titles of her works: Textile (for orchestra, 2006), Aquarelle (for choir, 2007), Silence of the Falling Snow (for two pianos, 2006), Endings (for 4 saxophones, 2005)... But the most important is metamorphosis, a very personal one and therefore instantly recognisable. This is not the telluric forces in Xenakis, or the atomic process in Ligeti, but rather an irradiant form. Elongation of Nights, the second score for string orchestra after the White Music, with which the composer made her public debut in 2004, gives a good example of such radiation. Some kind of timeless, floating metamorphosis. A strikingly innovative dramaturgy of sound..." Antoine Gindt | MUSICA festival brochure, 2011

Included into the programme of the ISMC World Music Days in Wroclaw 2014