Baltic Music at the Frankfurt Music Fair

Music from the Baltic countries is fairly well-known on the international music market, and is most often associated with names like the Estonian composers Arvo Pärt and Erkki-Sven Tüür, or the Latvian Pēteris Vasks. It is in fact their work which creates the image of Baltic music as being clear, uncomplicated and emotional, and having often a distinctive religious aspect. These established boundaries of perception and evaluation are of no help, however, when one encounters a somewhat different soundscape emerging from the Baltics – structurally complex, dynamic, saturated with music events - as well as a different attitude towards creativity.

This year at the Frankfurt Music Fair, March 31 to April 3, a joint stand (Hall 3.1/ Stand No. B21) entitled "Baltische Musik / Baltic Music" will find Lithuanian and Latvian music information centres offering visitors a more indepth introduction to the traditions and history of music from the Baltic countries, to their schools of composition and their creative mentalities, as well as an opportunity to discover new names, or to rediscover ones already well known.

The Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre holds the largest library of performance material of Lithuanian music, and encompasses over 30 years of composers' manuscripts across diverse genres - works by Onutė Narbutaitė, Bronius Kutavičius, Anatolijus Šenderovas, Vytautas Barkauskas, and many others. Performance material from this resource can be made available to performers, programmers, producers and publishers.

The centre is also interested in exploring third party related ventures and projects, devoted to dissemination of Lithuanian repertoire. Presented at the Frankfurt Music Fair will be the catalogues of Lithuanian music, scores, latest CDs, a Guide to Contemporary Music in Lithuania, as well as a brief overview "Litauische Musik: Vergangenheit und Gegenwart", written by Linas Paulauskis and published by the Centre.

The "Baltische Musik / Baltic Music" stand will be officially presented on April 2 at 4 p.m.

Lithuanian Music Link No. 8