PORT TOWNSEND — Dainius Vaičekonis will perform Godowski’s Java and Tirakontameron suites for solo piano at 3 p.m. Saturday.
The concert, the second performance in the Art and Our Schimmel Grand series, will be in the sanctuary at Grace Lutheran Church of Port Townsend, 1120 Walker St.
The concert series is designed to highlight the sound of the church’s Schimmel grand piano that was purchased with a bequest from late congregation member and music lover George Hanson.
A donation of $20 per person is suggested.
Vaičekonis is an associate professor and the head of keyboard studies at Seattle Pacific University. He holds degrees from the Lithuanian Academy of Music; the Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg, Germany; Bowling Green State University, Ohio; and the University of Washington.
Vaičekonis has performed as a guest soloist with many symphonic orchestras, including the Lithuanian National Philharmonic, the University of Washington, Seattle Pacific University, Federal Way, Butte, Mont., Bremerton, Port Angeles, Skagit and Mukilteo orchestras and well as the with the Vilnius String Quartet.
In February 2020, Vaičekonis organized the Godowsky Festival, a series of concerts and lectures in Seattle to celebrate the composer’s 150th birthday. During the festival, Vaičekonis performed a solo recital of Godowsky’s suite Triakontameron. He also released a CD of the suite earlier this year.
Saturday’s program will begin with Godowsky’s arrangement of the Tango in D by Isaac Albeniz followed by Godowsky’s “Java Suite.” The 12-part suite was written in 1925 following a trip by Godowsky to Indonesia and is influenced by the gamelan music of Java.
Vaičekonis will perform six movements from the suite, including Gamelan, Chattering Monkeys at the Sacred Lake of Wendit, Boro Budur in Moonlight, The Bromo Volcano and the Sand Sea at the Daybreak, The Gardens of Buitenzorg and In the Streets of Old Batavia.
The “Triakontameron,” roughly translated as 30 moods and scenes in triple measure, is a suite of 30 pieces for piano, all written in three-four time.
Godowsky composed most of the suite in Seattle during August 1919, writing one piece each day for 20 days.
The last 10 were written in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York over the following four months.
Vaičekonis will perform 17 of the suite’s 30 movements during the second half of the concert.
Rachelle McCabe will perform on April 6 to finish up the three-concert series.
For more information, call the church at 360-385-1595 or email gracelutheranpt@gmail.com.
