Juozas Gruodis: Piano Music
The music and teaching of Juozas Gruodis (1884–1948) laid the foundations for a national school of composition in Lithuania in the first half of the twentieth century, with his style absorbing influences from both east and west – Rachmaninov, Skryabin, Chopin, Debussy, Reger, Strauss – and from Lithuanian folk-music. Though the piano works heard here were composed within a span of only eight years, they show considerable variety, from the poised to the passionate and powerful, all expressed with full-bodied late-Romantic virtuosity and verve.
Daumantas Kirilauskas, piano
Listen To This Recording:
Piano Sonata No. 1 in C sharp minor, Patetico (23:23)
- I. Allegro moderato (7:42)
- II. Adagio espressivo (7:19)
- III. Scherzo. Vivace, energico (3:39)
- IV. Finale. Allegro con fuoco (4:43)
- Morning Song (6:02)
Piano Sonata No. 2 in F minor (15:44)
- I. Allegro moderato (8:12)
- II. Adagio (4:53)
- III. Finale. Allegro (2:39)
- Bells (3:37)
Variations in B flat major* (19:34)
- Thema. Andante (0:57)
- Var. 1 Moderato (1:05)
- Var. 2 Allegro (0:43)
- Var. 3 Allegro agitato (0:39)
- Var. 4 Andante (1:08)
- Var. 5 Largo (1:55)
- Var. 6 Adagio (2:44)
- Var. 7 Tempo di Mazurka (0:54)
- Var. 8 Lento (1:24)
- Var. 9 Allegro moderato (0:52)
- Var. 10 Allegro (1:22)
- Var. 11 Vivace (0:51)
- Var. 12 Alla polacca (0:34)
- Var. 13 Allegro non troppo, energico (1:06)
- Fuga (3:20)
*First Recording
Scherzo :
‘Atractivo recital dedicado al legado pianístico —un capítulo muy importante de su catálogo— del llamado “padre de la música lituana”. Entre las piezas aquí reunidas sobresalen la densa y apasionada Sonata nº 1 (1919), el tiempo lento de la Segunda (1921), basado en una canción popular, y Campanas (1927). Sólo Birute Vainiunaite, en un registro de 2014 con tres obras comunes, puede hacerle competencia.’
—Juan Manuel Scherzo, March 2025
American Record Guide :
‘Performances sound accurate and confident. Toccata’s resonant sound enhances the music. Per normal with Toccata, good notes by Professor Edwardas Saumila. ‘
—Don O’Connor, American Record Guide, February 2025