About the Piece
Chartres
The inspiration of Chartres is an insight into Chartres Cathedral south rose, which depicts the Apocalypse according to Saint John. XIIIth century glass window is dominated by images of old-men holding string instruments. The Chartres key of the epitomized musical material is shaped to mirror the stained glass window and the visual form of the arc of the circle is embodied in the score. The musical parameters of this composition, which constantly follows the system focuses on the medieval proportions of ‘6:8:9:12’. The maximum instrumental divisi sounds for most of the time and expresses different layers, which are gradually joining and contrary to each other. Each of these layers is individual and generates a transformation in the timbre meanwhile each instrument, when entering produces a subtle supplement to the cluster, so creating monumental sonic blocks.
Instrumentation: String Orchestra
About the Composer
Justina Repečkaitė music is compared to a „diamond“ (Ben Lunn) and „drawn with the sharpest pencil“ (Šarūnas Nakas).
After completing her composition Master’s degree in France she studied at the prestigious Cursus IRCAM in Paris. Her Cursus piece Transduced (2020) for percussion and live electronics was presented at the big hall of the Center Pompidou. In Paris Justina Repeckaite (b.1989) was an artist in residence at the Singer-Polignac Foundation, composer in residence with the ensemble Le Balcon conducted by Maxime Pascal and held a scholarship at the International Centre of Nadia and Lili Boulanger. Both her compositions Chartres (2012) for string orchestra and Tapisserie (2015) for chamber ensemble represented Lithuania in World Music Days and International Rostrum of Composers. Since 2015 she is a member of the Lithuanian Composers’ Union which awarded her the Debut of the Year prize.
In 2019 Justina’s music and interview were featured in Composer’s Portrait in Radio France show Création Mondiale for which she wrote a new composition Encierro, performed by saxhorn quartet Opus 333, whose recording was included in the list of the 15 best Lithuanian pieces of 2019. Her newest composition Weaving (2020) was broadcasted by ARTE television from the Grand Theatre of Provence.
Justina’s music is performed by such ensembles as Intercontemporain, Court-Circuit, 2e2m, Spectra, Asko/Schönberg, OSSIA, Platypus, The Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, The Lithuanian Ensemble Network, Ithaca College Contemporary Music Ensemble, SurPlus and recently by BBC Philharmonic orchestra. She is regularly commissioned by Gaida, the biggest contemporary music festival in Baltics, for which she wrote several orchestra pieces.
Justina’s compositions were released in anthology albums like Between Music and Ritual (2020), ZOOM in 12 (2018), Anthology of Lithuanian Art Music in the 21st Century (2017), ZOOM in 10 (2014), 30 Druskomanija Moments (2014) and Contemporary Music Series: Lithuania (2016). In 2021 RAMU Records label is releasing her mixed music in a vinyl.
In 2021 she writes for the Darmstadt Summer Course project Music in the City, and other works to be performed by the ensemble Ars ad hoc in Portugal and by Duo Dubois (sax, perc) during their European concert tour. [from the composer’s website]
Performance Materials
Performance materials are available from the composer:
Score sample