Barkauskas, Vytautas (Pranas Marius)

Barkauskas, Vytautas (Pranas Marius), eminent Lithuanian composer and pedagogue; b. Kaunas, March 25, 1931. He settled in Vilnius, where he received training in piano at the J. Tallat-Kelpa Specialized Music H.S. (1949–53), and concurrently took courses in the dept. of physics and mathematics at the State Pedagogical Inst. He then studied composition with Raciunas and orchestration with Balsys at the Lithuanian State Cons. (1953–59), and later attended the orchestration class of J.A. Fortunatov at the Moscow Cons. (1982). In 1961 he became a teacher at the Lithuanian State Cons., where he was made an assoc. prof. in 1974 and a prof. of composition in 1989. In 1972 he was awarded the Lithuanian State Prize and in 1981 he was made a Merited Artist of Lithuania. Barkauskas was an early champion of the avant- garde in Lithuania. His piano cycle Poetry (1964) was the first score by a Lithuanian to freely adopt the use of the 12-tone series. In his works, he has expertly balanced serial and tonal techniques.

Works

DRAMATIC: Conflict, “choreographic scene” for 3 Performers (1965); Legend about Love, opera (Vilnius, March 29, 1975). ORCH.: Tone Poem for Piano and Orch. (1960); 5 syms. (1962, 1971, 1979, 1984, 1986); Concertino for 4 Chamber Groups (1966); Expressivistic Structures for Chamber Orch. (1967); 3 Aspects (1969); Overture a priori (1976); Toccamento No. 1, concerto for Chamber Orch. (1978); Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orch. (1981); The Sun, symphonic picture (1983); Concerto piccolo for Chamber Orch. (1988); Piano Concerto (1992); Konzertstück No. 1 (1992) and No. 2 (1994); Here and Now (1998). CHAMBER: Piano Trio (1958); Partita for Violin (1967); Intimate Composition for Oboe and 12 Strings (1968); Contrast Music for Flute, Cello, and Percussion (1969); Pro memoria for Flute, Bass Clarinet, Piano or Harpsichord, and 5 Percussion (1970); Monologue for Oboe (1970); 2 string quartets (1972, 1983); 3 violin sonatas: No. 1, Sonata Subita (1976), No. 2, Dialogue (1978), and No. 3 (1984); Sextet for 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, and Piano (1985); Doubla Bass Sonata (1987); Vivo for 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, and Piano (1990); Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano (1990); Lare for Clarinet and Piano (1991); Concert Suite for Cello and Piano (1993); Intimate Music for Flute and Percussion (1993); Modus vivendi for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1996); Duo for Guitar and Piano (1997); Toccamento No. 2 for Viola and Piano Trio (1998). keyboard: piano:Poetry, cycle (1964); Variations for 2 Pianos (1967); Sonate pathétique (1969); 5 Pictures of Vytukas for Piano, 4-Hands (1971); Legend about Čiurlionis (1972); Elegy and Fantastical Toccata (1972); Prelude and Fugue for 2 Pianos (1974); Polyphonic Suite (1979); 3 Concert Études (1981); Winter 1982 for Piano, 4-Hands (1982); Sonata for 2 Pianos and 3 Performers (1984); La poème du coeur (1984); Sunday Music for 2 Pianos and 4 Performers (1985); 13 Pieces (1986); Vision (1988); The Second Legend of Čiurlionis (1988); Divertimento for Piano, 6-Hands (1993); The Third Legend of Čiurlionis (1993); Allegro Brillante for 2 Pianos (1996). Organ: Gloria Urbi (1972); Zodiac (1980); Credo (1989); Inspiration (1994). VOCAL: Pathetic Thoughts for Chorus (1962); Word about Revolution, cantata-poem for Narrator, Men’s Chorus, and Orch. (1967); La vostra nominanza e color d’erba for Chamber Chorus and String Quintet (1971); Prelude and Fugue for Chorus (1974); Salute Your Land, oratorio- mystery for 4 Soloists, Women’s Chorus, and Orch. (1976); Open Window, 5 sketches for Mezzo-soprano and 5 Instruments (1978); We Both, cantata for Soprano, Bass, Chorus, and 5 Instruments (1986); Hope, oratorio for 2 Girl’s Choruses, Solo Discanto, Men’s Vocal Quartet, and Organ (1988).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire