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Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 228 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. Today we’d like to discuss the concert of Vilnius University’s Unda Maris studio that was held at St. John’s Church on May 26. It was the culmination of our year-long season, right Ausra? A: Yes. V: It’s hard to believe, but it was the ending of the seventh season already. A: Already, yes. Time flies. V: Remember the day when we decided to create this studio? A: Yes, I remember it. V: We were in our summer cottage that day; and after communication with our boss at the Cultural Center at Vilnius University, we decided to create this studio, and even gave it a name: Unda Maris. A: Yes. And I was the godmother, actually. V: You came up with this name? A: Yes. V: It’s a nice name. A: Yes, and especially because the organ at St. John’s Church has this beautiful Unda Maris stop. V: Right. So, the studio is open to all members of the Vilnius University community. Students… A: Staff. V: ...Faculty, alumni… A: That’s right. V: ...Who love organ music. A: True. V: Ausra, do they have to be able to play piano, or not? A: Well, it’s not necessary, because some just started from scratch; but some are actually quite advanced keyboardists. V: Mhm. And in this concert, we also saw some quite advanced players, even though they were performing for the first time with our studio. For example, what did you think about the opening piece, Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 553, which was performed by Totile. A: Well, I thought she did quite well, knowing that it’s her first recital at all with the organ, and that she’s just a freshman in organ. V: Exactly. And during the concert, I introduced the performers and pieces, and during those intermissions, Ausra helped them to change the stops. A: Yes. V: And that saved a lot of time, and made it smoother. A: I know. It was sort of fun for me to watch them, how each of them behaved; because, I mean, you could not see such things in a professional concert! V: Mhm. People who had more experience playing in public acted more or less naturally, right? A: I know. It was great fun. V: But others, who were doing this for the first time, or after some decades of not being on the… A: Stage. V: Stage--they were very scared! A: True. V: Okay. So, then, the next piece was Léon Böellmann--Prière à Notre-Dame, from the Suite Gothique, which was also played by Totile. It’s a lovely piece, right Ausra? A: Yes, very nice. V: But if you don’t have a good grasp of piano technique, it’s too hard to start with Romantic music. A: Yes, that’s right, that’s true; but it seems that she had quite good piano technique, so it wasn’t a problem for her. V: Mhm. Before the concert, I told her to imagine that either she prays, herself, or she dreams. It’s sort of like Romantic meditation--in both states, prayer and dreaming are similar, in a way. So while playing, she had to transfer this mood to the listeners, too. A: Yes. V: I also thought that her articulation with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C Major was quite well-performed. A: Well, I thought that, you know, the… V: Too much… A: Subject, yes, of the Fugue sounded almost staccato--it was played almost staccato. And I noticed that before the recital, you told her to do the longer notes, instead of shortening them so much; but she did not do that during the recital! V: Yeah… A: I guess it was too much to expect from a beginner. V: Yeah. Maybe she can do this with her next piece, to adjust articulation a little bit. And Totile is an alumna of Vilnius University, and she is a translator, I believe, from English. A: True. V: Okay. The next performer was Vytautas, our faculty member in the physics department. And he played 2 pieces: one by Simon Mayr Prelude in d minor. This is an 18th century Austrian composer, I believe. A: True. V: Have you heard him before? A: Actually, no. This was my first time hearing him. V: Vytautas brought the music for me himself, and chose this piece--the entire collection. And the next piece, also, was unknown to me. So I felt quite pleased that he has some curiosity to dig up some unfamiliar and rarely-performed organ music. A: True, and actually, I think from all who performed in this recital, Vytautas is the oldest member of our studio. And so this was his 7th recital already, as an Unda Maris studio member. V: Uh-huh. A: And he always amazes me, how he’s interested in things; and even after this recital, he told me that next year he would like to learn more about the organ, and how all the things function. So basically, he’s a real physics major! V: And also he wants to learn music theory. A: True. V: To decipher musical compositions--to understand how they are put together. So, hopefully we can help him next year. Okay. And also, a few years ago, Vytautas brought with him his student--who is now also an alumnus of Vilnius University, graduated from the physics department of engineering: Vadim. A: And he actually came to the recital, and he told us that he might be joining the studio again next year. V: Yes. As his graduation work, for a diploma, he constructed a robotic hand, which can grab things, you know. A: Interesting! V: Excellent. So, the next piece or set of pieces was performed by Justas, who is a faculty member at the biochemistry lab. He deals with various...protons, I believe...and investigates them...I don’t even understand what he does. A: Hahaha! V: I think he does computer modeling of how they behave, you know. A: But you understand what he plays! V: Yeah. The first piece that he played was actually written by me: Offertorium from the Mass for the Fourth Sunday in Lent. This was the piece performed on the string stops on 2 manuals. And actually, I was surprised that he dealt with the texture where there are no barlines very well. And actually, I told him before the recital that he plays this piece better than me! A: Wow. Well, but you know, I had a problem with him; because since I had to change stops for him, for 2 pieces for your Offertorium and then for Prelude and Fugue in a minor, BWV 559... V: Mhm. A: He was always checking if I did everything right! And it just made me laugh! V: Well, maybe because he is not used to playing in public. It’s his first year. A: But he argues with me--he wanted to do pedal with 32’ stop... V: Mhm. A: And you know, I had many doubts about it; and finally, no--he agreed not to use it. But we had quite a fight before the recital! V: In order to use a 32’ stop in the pedals in a Baroque piece, the pedals should move quite slowly, right? A: I know, and I just didn’t think it suitable for this kind of prelude and fugue! V: Like, imagine maybe Chorale Fantasia by Bach--“Komm, heiliger Geist” from the Great 18 Chorales from the Leipzig collection, right? That would be... A: And my final argument was, “Are you so good at articulating the pedals? Because if not, your pedal will be behind all the time.” V: Mhm. A: The sound will be behind all the time, if you add 32’ stop. V: Or 32’ stop would work well for Pièce d’Orgue, middle movement. A: Yes. V: Because of the long note values. But you know, since Justas is just a beginner, he probably likes the 32’ stuff, and its gravity. A: Haha! Sure. V: But he doesn’t know what the effect is downstairs. A: True. V: He’ll learn, probably. Excellent. So, let’s continue our discussion in the next conversation. But you see, it’s so much to talk about, right Ausra? A: Yes. V: And it was a fun concert to observe. A: Yeah, it was. V: Thank you guys. Look forward to our next discussion in the next podcast. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen.  By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here) Do you plan your daily activities around your organ practice? Even though you might have a different profession, does playing this instrument is high on your priority list, maybe high enough to influence some of your choices? It seems like this is the case with Arnoldas Leleika, the member of our Unda Maris studio who studies chemistry at Vilnius University. Here's what he wrote: "This year was very special to me because I entered the university, met a lot of new people and expanded my cultural and artistic horizons. It's a little secret but before choosing Vilnius University, I went to Cultural Center's website and saw that they have an organ studio. Because I'm an amateur organist who used to play in his little town during church services, I thought that this studio would give me a lot and my choice to study at Vilnius University was in part based on my wish to participate in the Unda Maris organ studio. My dream has paid off. When I played during the graduation ceremony, it was like my recognition that I really can play the organ. This inspired me to play even better. And our final concert on Saturday showed that the people at the university are not only smart but also very talented. I want to thank Vidas and Ausra for leading us on this musical discovery path and giving a special chance to get better. I want to also thank Giedre. One day I was thinking that alone we can play quite well but when we join the forces together it seems like everything doubles and music starts to sound differently. I hope in the next year we can keep the level quite high and even more strive for perfection because only the sky is the limit. :)" I hope you will enjoy this video how Arnoldas is playing Gordon Young Prelude in the Classical Style. His dedication to the organ is amazing, even though his profession is entirely different. To Arnoldas and Giedre's credit I have to say they both will represent Unda Maris next September in the Freshmen Integration Week at the university where they will share their experiences of being a part of our community to the young people of various majors who are just beginning their studies there. Hopefully this will inspire a few more students to start playing the organ.  By Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene (get free updates of new posts here) Have you been in a situation when you've been swept away from music, from any artistic activity for a while and all around you were your colleagues from completely different field, your co-workers who couldn't fully understand you? Well, Giedre Juodzeviciute who studies math at Vilnius University found herself in this situation. Here's what she wrote after our Unda Maris concert last Saturday: "I'm very happy about this concert. For a few more days I could hear the sounds from the pieces that Mindaugas, Arnoldas and myself played. My family liked the concert very much, when they climbed to the organ balcony they were surprised by the size of the instrument. I can't believe how fast this year went by. How the organ changed my life? When I came to Vilnius, I lost all the chances to have a piano and to practice regularly. Little by little I started missing art so much because all around me was just math... But when I would to come to church to play, I could escape this, meet people who shared my interests and I also missed them. To not forget piano skills, finger technique, to feel a little anxiety when the tourists would be striding constantly, even to remember what does it mean to play a duet. All of this was an opportunity for me to grow further. I'm very grateful to Vidas and Ausra for their support, care and advice! Looking forward to the new season and I'm going to start searching for new music to play over the summer. :)" I hope you'll enjoy Giedre's performance of Hans Zimmer's Inception which incidentally she arranged for the organ herself directly from listening a video on YouTube. It was like a gigantic melodic dictation for her. If you're curious about the original, here it is too. So anyway, I thought of sharing this with you today because I feel that art does something to our souls and even to our bodies which nothing else can replace.
What is it? I can't really put it into words but it seems like we can only fully appreciate it's power over our lives when we've for some reason lost contact with it for a while. 
By Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene (get free updates of new posts here)
Last Saturday our organ studio "Unda Maris" at Vilnius University played a joint concert at St John's church. One of the pieces on the program was J. Pachelbel's Chaccone in F Minor which was played by Mindaugas Dulkys, a chemistry student at the university. Mindaugas hopes to discover some new medicine which would cure some incurable illnesses in the future using his chemistry skills. For a long time he struggled to play this piece without stopping in public although when he practiced on his own it was fine. Last night he wrote a few words about his feelings during this concert which you may find inspiring: "This year for the first time in my life I've been playing a large-scale work which was written in the key with 4 accidentals. When I first started learning it, I felt scared because some variations are more difficult than others I was afraid I will not be able to master them. But during our concert I played the whole piece from the beginning until the end and I'm very happy about it and actually quite proud, although some mistakes were still audible. I'm very grateful to the leaders of our studio for showing me the right way in learning the piece, for their patience and encouragement which was so necessary during these critical moments. Thanks!" Vidas and I can only say we're extremely proud of Mindaugas' progress and hope he will not stop here. When was the first time when you played a difficult piece in public without stopping?  Last Friday our student from Vilnius University organ studio "Unda Maris", Arnoldas Leleika substituted me in the diploma ceremonies at the Vilnius University St. John's church. He had to play the opening march, student's anthem "Gaudeamus igitur" and the postlude at the end. In the evening I asked him to answer briefly these 3 questions: 1. Why did you enjoy playing today? 2. What was the most challenging thing for you? 3. What would you like to learn in the future? His answer is too inspiring of not to share (I'm translating from Lithuanian): "It was the most memorable day in my musical life because I wielded myself, without any help, the largest mechanical organ in Lithuania. It's extremely exciting to discover for yourself the beauty of the stops and to hear the majestic organ sounds which could be enjoyed not only by myself but also by hundreds of people. This was one of the most important days in their lives - the graduation day." "The most difficult thing for me was not to lose the place in musical text because I also needed to play pedals together with the keyboards and keep tracking the timing of when to stop playing. It seems like multitasking is possible after all!" "In the future I would like to perfect my pedal playing - what kind of an organist would I be who can't play the pedals? Also after learning a certain program I would like to participate in the organist competition which would give me some new experiences for my playing technique. As they say, there isn't really boundaries for perfection and while seeking it a person discovers an inner joy..." If you want, you can enjoy Arnoldas' playing in this video where he plays the fragment of Marche Pontificale by Charles Gounod (thanks to Mindaugas for doing the recording). Let's congratulate Arnoldas and wish him a lot of creativity, persistence and bravery!  By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here)
Last Sunday, October 9, Vilnius University organ studio "Unda Maris" went to Salakas (about 145 km north east of Vilnius) for a concert in the impressive neo-gothic church (2 manual organ by Bruno Goebel from 1914). Here are some things we learned: 1. It's pointless to worry about the swell pedal when your pedal technique needs brushing up. 2. Laugh while you can when the combination system is stuck. 3. 16' in the manual isn't a good idea for accompanying women's voices. 4. Pentatonic mode can still scare people. 5. Pneumatic action slows everything down, if you let it. 6. Pedal Posaune is the best stop. 7. One should learn some basic chords and their inversions. 8. We want to slow down too much in cadences. 9. If I could learn to read music in a week, I'd do it. 10. How hard is it to keep a steady pulse? 11. Hanon exercises can be helpful. 12. Never try to correct you mistakes when playing organ in public. BONUS: Rain and more rain the whole day will not ruin your experience. We had an awesome time. Every 10 concerts you get a little break-through as you learn more and more about yourself, your music, and your instrument. I hope yours is coming up soon.  By Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene (get free updates of new posts here)
Yesterday Vilnius University organ studio "Unda Maris" met for the first time this year. It's the start of the 6th season. We had 8 new members joining in - 5 of them were students and 2 - alumni, and one - member of the staff of the university. The range of majors was diverse - from filology to history, from law students to future mathematicians, from chemistry department to medics. In the beginning we introduced ourselves, then Vidas gave a brief intro about this organ. Then everyone got to play the largest pipe organ in Lithuania with their hands and feet. Some of the students could read music, some of them couldn't. But all of them were excited. Those who haven't played the instrument before, improvised, those who knew some piano pieces, tried to play their versions on the organ. I explained to everyone when do we use toes in pedal playing and when - the heels. We heard some very interesting improvisations, Vidas remarked he will steal some of their ideas in his upcoming improvisations.. At the end I took a group picture. That's why you don't see me in the above photo. Vidas gave everyone his usual assignement - to choose 4 pitches and improvise something interesting for 10 minutes usuing any octave, any texture, any rhythm, any stop combination in the hands and pedals. Now that Vidas and I know the abilities of our new members we will discuss some new repertoire and exercise possibilities for them next week. It's going to be an exciting year!  This Saturday the members of my Unda Maris organ studio from Vilnius University will play a concert "Ave Maris Stella" at Vilnius University St. John's church. I founded Unda Maris 5 years ago. The pinnacle of the program will consist of the works of Antonio de Cabezon (1510-1566). This year we celebrate 450th anniversary from the death of this important Spanish Renaissance composer and blind organist. Recently I have asked some of the members of the studio to share a few ideas what they find challenging on the organ and what they would like to learn in the future. Mindaugas, the student from the Chemistry department who is dreaming on discovering the 147th element of the periodic table told me that he is working on the Caballero variations by Cabezon. The most challenging thing for him is to effectively articulate and adjust to the large acoustics of the church as well as when middle parts migrate from one hand to another. "I like this piece because there isn't any single, continuous mood. In the entire cycle you can feel contrasts of moods but the piece remains unified nonetheless. I'd like to learn Bach's "In dir ist Freude", BWV 615." - shared the organ enthusiast. Our endocrinologist Edita started playing organ only a few months ago and currently is working on one of Cabezon's "Ave Maris Stella" versets and finds it really challenging to play not entirely legato on the organ and to focus. "I'm so glad to be able to touch the organ. I like the melodic nature of the piece. During my practice I learned that you can play beautiful melodies on this instrument. I wish to improve myself step by step and to learn a new melodic composition." - shared the medic. Ruta, Lithuania's foremost expert on allergies and immunology also plays one of the "Ave Maris Stella" versets and says that the organ isn't particularly challenging to her at this stage. She loves the beauty of this instrument and would like to learn something to play with pedals within the next 3-6 months. Gina from Vilnius University administration will play two of the duos by Cabezon and finds reaching fast tempo as well playing rhythmically particularly hard. She believes her piece is especially beautiful even though it looks simple. In the near future she would like to surpass the two-part texture and start playing trios as well. Vytautas, a docent from the Physics department and an expert on radio electronics says that the most difficult challenges for him in his piece are several places with inconvenient fingering, focusing on articulation throughout the performance and quickly adapting from piano to the organ. "I will play Cabezon's Gallard. It has quite a solemn character. I haven't played anything solemn like this either on piano nor on the organ before. That's why I love it so much. In the future I would like to finish learning Bach's D minor Toccata and Fugue, BWV 656 but I doubt that in a few months I will succeed in completing it because this requires an organ with a pedalboard." - shared the physicist. |
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Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. 
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