On June 27, at the Birštonas Kurhaus, the Pažaislis Music Festival invites listeners to enjoy an evening fairy tale for adults—Johannes Brahms’s vocal cycle *Magelone*, Op. 33, based on a medieval knight’s tale, will be performed—a work rarely heard in Lithuania! The work will be brought to life by an international team of four talented performers—baritone Giedrius Prunskus, pianist Jonė Punytė-Svigarienė, narrator Vytautas Rumšas Sr., and illustrator Barbara Steinitz.
This concert offers an original presentation of one of the most mature vocal cycles in the entire history of the Lied genre, integrating the cycle’s songs into a narrative that explains the story. J. Brahms’s vocal cycle “Magelone,” Op. 33, consisting of fifteen songs and based on poems by the 18th-century German writer Ludwig Tieck, is performed extremely rarely in Lithuania. The fairy tale written by the same author is an adaptation of a 15th-century chivalric romance by an unknown French author. The text of the medieval knightly tale, read during the concert, naturally explains the logical progression of the cycle to the listener, creating a romantic atmosphere rich in symbols characteristic of that era, and once the lyrical hero reaches a certain emotional state, the reading is replaced by songs by J. Brahms, which further emphasize the rapidly shifting range of emotions in the cycle. The story tells of the love story between Peter, Count of Provence, and the beautiful Princess Magelone of Naples, recounting the birth of love, its blossoming, the pain of separation, moments of confusion, lost hopes, and a reunion that illuminates everything.
The performers of this song cycle are well-known Lithuanian musicians. Both studied the subtleties of the lied genre in its homeland—Germany. J. Punytė-Svigarienė, a Doctor of Arts and pianist, studied the song genre in Stuttgart, while G. Prunskus, a Bachelor of Arts and baritone, studied in Leipzig. The creative journey of this duo, spanning nearly two decades, is marked by notable Lieder projects: “Woman, Music, and Nietzsche,” “Under the Star of David,” and others.
Actor V. Rumšas Sr., who reads the fairy tale text, is widely known to the Lithuanian public. His roles in theater, film, and television series speak for themselves. His voice, full of extraordinary expressiveness and artistic flair, is instantly recognizable and distinctive.
Berlin-based illustrator B. Steinitz studied communication design and illustration in Saarbrücken and Barcelona. Inspired by puppet theater, she collaborates with various performers to create etudes with live music that have garnered international acclaim. Her illustrated books, published by renowned publishers, have won numerous awards. The paper puppet theater scenes for the vocal cycle “Magelonė,” featuring tenor Ralph Peter and pianist Thomas Layes, were first performed in 2019 at the “Saarbrücker Sommermusik” festival.
