This collector’s edition vinyl marks a historic first for Midsummer Vilnius – the festival’s inaugural physical release. Captured live on the opening night of the 2023 edition, this gala concert brought operatic brilliance to the Grand Courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, featuring internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Violeta Urmana.
Joined by tenor Alfredo Nigro, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, and conductor Modestas Pitrėnas, Urmana performs a wide-ranging program of opera arias, orchestral works, and lyrical gems – from Händel and Gluck to Saint-Saëns, Gruodis, and Lehár.
Beautifully recorded and remastered, this release invites listeners to relive a magical summer evening of music beneath the open sky, where classical elegance meets emotional power.
Side A
GEORG FRIEDRICH HÄNDEL (1685–1759)
– Overture from Serse
– Recitative and aria “Frondi tenere, e belle. Ombra mai fu” from Serse
CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK (1714–1787)
– “Che farò senza Euridice?” from Orfeo ed Euridice
FRANCESCO CILEA (1866–1950)
– “Acerba voluttà, dolce tortura” from Adriana Lecouvreur
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921)
– Bacchanale from Samson et Dalila
Side B
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS
– “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix” from Samson et Dalila
STEFANO DONAUDY (1879–1925)
– “O del mio amato ben” (lyrics by Alberto Donaudy)
JACQUES OFFENBACH (1819–1880)
– “Ah! Quel dîner, je viens de faire!” from La Périchole
JUOZAS GRUODIS (1884–1948)
– Lithuanian folk song “Oi, ant kalno” (“Ulijona”)
FRANZ LEHÁR (1870–1948)
– Duet “Lippen schweigen” (“Valso aidas tyliai sklaidos”) from Die lustige Witwe
VIOLETA URMANA – mezzo-soprano
ALFREDO NIGRO – tenor
Conductor
MODESTAS PITRĖNAS
LITHUANIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA & MEMBERS OF THE LITHUANIAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Džeraldas Bidva, Irma Baksevičienė, Milda Kraujutaitytė, Žilvinas Malikėnas, Ulijona Pugačiukaitė-Mažeikienė, Silvija Maceikaitė, Vilija Breivienė, Artūras Šilalė, Agnė Meilė, Ramunė Grakauskaitė (1st violins);
Dalia Suraudytė-Gotoveckienė, Vilija Pranskienė, Kristijonas Venslovas, Vida Tankevičienė, Algirdas Paukštė, Jonas Tankevičius, Marija Pranskutė, Agata Ursul (2nd violins);
Jurgis Juozapaitis, Tomas Petrikis, Žilvinas Švelnys, Ramūnas Zakaras, Ramunė Lankaitė, Emilija Minkevičiūtė (violas);
Gediminas Derus, Deividas Dumčius, Lukas Čikanavičius, Onutė Svabauskaitė, Dainius Mišinas, Tomas Ramandiūnas (cellos);
Rokas Stunžėnas, Arūnas Kučinskas, Yuriy Markaryan, Vilius Seniūta (double basses);
Raimonda Virvytienė, Lina Baublytė, Ula Čaplikaitė (flutes);
Linas Šalna, Tadas Girčys (oboes);
Andrius Žiūra, Karolis Kolakauskas (clarinets);
Julius Klimavičius, Tadeušas Gotoveckis (bassoons);
Egidijus Stanelis, Vytautas Štrapenskas, Zigmantas Augaitis, Jurgita Jankevičienė (French horns);
Laurynas Lapė, Povilas Stonkus, Vilius Surdokas (trumpets);
Remigijus Gumuliauskas, Rimantas Jagminas, Jovaras Siekštelė (trombones);
Sergijus Kirsenka (tuba);
Zenonas Bagavičius, Tomas Kulikauskas, Sigitas Gailius (percussion);
Joana Daunytė-Savickienė (harp).
Sound Engineer – Vilius Keras
Recorded live at Midsummer Vilnius ’23, Grand Courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
Festival Director – Valdas Petreikis
Released by VšĮ Baleto Teatras
© ℗ 2023
www.midsummervilnius.com
