For pianist Petras Geniušas, the stage has never been merely a place to reproduce what is written in the score—it is a space to explore, take risks, and experience a living encounter with music anew each time.One evening he might immerse himself in the transparency of the music of the genius W. A. Mozart; the next, he might improvise and blend sound with theater, or embark on the most unexpected creative encounters. The ability to rediscover each piece and constantly seek out new perspectives on music has become one of the most striking features of this recipient of the Lithuanian National Culture and Arts Prize’s creative personality.
This time, together with the Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra and concertmaster Atius Bankas, the pianist will present a program that explores various forms of dialogue between the piano and the orchestra. Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major” combines classical elegance, clarity, and a subtle chamber-music dialogue. L. van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7,” in the string orchestra version, pulsates with unceasing rhythmic energy, which led Richard Wagner to call this work “the apotheosis of dance”*. Meanwhile, Henryk Górecki’s “Concerto for Piano and Strings No. 40” transports us to the 20th century, where intensity, meditation, and a unique passage of time intertwine.
* The apotheosis of dance (derived from the Greek apotheōsis—deification) is the solemn, majestic, and celebratory concluding part of a performance or festive concert. In choreography, it marks the greatest emotional climax, during which all the dancers come together in a final, technically complex, and visually stunning climax.
