Christmas with “Ąžuoliukas”

Performers:
Boys’ and Youth Choir ĄŽUOLIUKAS
(artistic director Vytautas Miškinis, choirmasters: Neringa Sidaugaitė, Romas Skapas, Gitana Trimirkaitė, Gabrielius Gaidamavičius, Igor Larionov)
MUSICA HUMANA Ensemble
(artistic director and conductor Robertas Beinaris)
With the participation of VISMANTĖ BENKUNSKIENĖ (soprano), TADAS MOTIEČIUS (accordion), RIMVYDAS MITKUS (piano)
Conductor VYTAUTAS MIŠKINIS

Programme:
Martín Palmeri Misa a Buenos Aires. Misa tango (Mass in Buenos Aires), traditional Christmas carols

The festive concerts of Ąžuoliukas, which have become a beautiful tradition, draw a large number of listeners to the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall every year. For them the anticipation of Christmas is inseparable from cheerful and inspiring choral music.

In addition to traditional, well-known Christmas carols, this concert will feature Mass in Buenos Aires, or Tango Mass (Misa a Buenos Aires. Misa tango), by Argentine composer Martín Palmeri (b. 1965). In this work, written in 1996, the composer combines the Roman Catholic Latin Mass with the tango nuevo genre. Palmeri was inspired to create a classical Mass with tango intonations and rhythms by the music of his compatriot Ástor Piazzolla, which is reflected in the performing forces: the work’s timbral spectrum is complemented by the bandoneon, strings, piano, and rich vocals. The world premiere of the work took place on August 17, 1996, at Teatro Avenida in Buenos Aires; it is now performed worldwide and has become one of Palmieri’s most popular works.