Invariations

Vilnius: Sema Edition, 1994
CD Lithuanian Music in Context II. Landscapes of Minimalism. - Vilnius, Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre LMIPCCD067-068, 2011
CD 30 Druskomanijos akimirkų. - Vilnius, Lithuanian Composers' Union LKSCD006-009, 2014

The work of Ričardas Kabelis is distinguished for a consistent deployment of rational ideas and mathematical precision. He tends to bare structures and reduce the material to the maximum, so that the listener would be absolutely sure why the composer chose one or another idea.

Invariations is a heterogeneous work where a ‘vignette,’ played homorhythmically by the whole ensemble, frames a succession of solo episodes. It is a juxtaposition of objectified monotony and personal monologue; these contrasting sections alternate intermittently, retaining somewhat ‘childish’ simplicity in the first half of the piece. Towards the end, gentle and ‘innocent’ sounds gain increasingly dissonant and aggressive undertones. Thus the listener-observer is not fatigued by a continuous monotony – the principle of contrast is preserved throughout. But the musical material being so sparse and the rests playing such an important structural role, there is no apparent difficulty to grasp the whole instantly and take time to contemplate every detail, as if listening to a truly repetitive piece.

Rūta Gaidamavičiūtė