Naxos has released “Vytautas Bacevičius: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2” featuring Piano Concertos Nos. 1-2 alongside the Lithuanian composer’s Third Symphony. Two of the works, Concerto No. 2 and the symphony, are world premiere recordings. Just as in Volume 1 of Bacevičius’s orchestral works containing the other two piano concertos (Naxos, 2015), Gabrielius’s collaborators here are the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by the multiple-Grammy-nominee Christopher Lyndon-Gee.
Vytautas Bacevičius’s life was defined by exile and migration during the turbulent first half of the 20th century, but his impressive catalogue represents a remarkable creative spirit undimmed by adversity. Composed while frequently moving between Paris and Kaunas, Lithuania, the youthful Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 represent Bacevičius’s nostalgia for his newly found homeland in their unselfconscious and spirited use of Lithuanian folk melodies, all of which contribute to their light and celebratory nature.
About this release, Remy Franck writes for Pizzicato: “The interpretations on this album are powerful and colorful.” While Ralph Graves, writing for Charlottesville Classical, states “Pianist Gabrielius Alekna is exceptional. Bacevicius was a world-class pianist. He demands a lot from the soloist and Alekna delivers time and again.”