Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla: Back to Nature: Čiurlionis & Gražinis 1LP

This album marks the 150th anniversary of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911), Lithuanian composer and painter whose work continues to shape the country’s artistic identity. Led by internationally acclaimed conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Back to Nature brings together the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, pianist Onutė Gražinytė, conductor Romualdas Gražinis, the AIDIJA Chamber Choir, and the Upper School Choir of the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art—uniting generations of artists, including a family of musicians, in a shared exploration of nature and cultural heritage. The program features Čiurlionis’ two major symphonic poems—Jūra (The Sea) and Miške (In the Forest)—both works inspired by nature and Lithuanian myth. Also included are his choral piece Ruduo (Autumn), Lakštingala (The Nightingale) and Prelude in A Minor, both performed by Onutė Gražinytė, Mirga’s sister. The album also features Sutartinė, a new composition by Mirga’s father Romualdas Gražinis, rooted in traditional Lithuanian polyphony.

Tracklist:
Side A
1. Čiurlionis: I. Exposition, Main Theme [Jūra, MKČ 102]
2. Čiurlionis: II. Exposition, Secondary Theme [Jūra, MKČ 102]
3. Čiurlionis: III. Development [Jūra, MKČ 102]
4. Čiurlionis: IV. Development, Storm [Jūra, MKČ 102]
5. Čiurlionis: V. Recapitulation [Jūra, MKČ 102]
6. Čiurlionis: VI. Inner Recapitulation [Jūra, MKČ 102]
7. Čiurlionis: VII. Coda [Jūra, MKČ 102]

Side B
1. Čiurlionis: I. Exposition, Main Theme. Lento assai [Miške, MKČ 101]
2. Čiurlionis: II. Exposition, Bridge Passage [Miške, MKČ 101]
3. Čiurlionis: III. Exposition, Secondary Theme. Andante espressivo e cantabile [Miške, MKČ 101]
4. Čiurlionis: IV. Development, a tempo I [Miške, MKČ 101]
5. Čiurlionis: V. Reversed Recapitulation, Bridge Passage [Miške, MKČ 101]
6. Čiurlionis: VI. Recapitulation, Main Theme a tempo I [Miške, MKČ 101]
7. Gražinis: Sutartinė
8. Čiurlionis: Lakštingala, MKČ 466
9. Čiurlionis: Ruduo, MKČ 462
10. Čiurlionis: Preliudas in F Major / A Minor, MKČ 437