Vladas Jakubėnas (1904–78)
The Song of the Exiles and The Deportees and Other Choral Songs
Toccata Classics TOCC0028

Vilnius Municipal Choir Jauna Muzika
Jurgita Mintautiene, soprano
Gintautas Skliutas, tenor
Dainius Jozenas, piano
Vaclovas Augustinas, conductor
1 January 2016

 

The Lithuanian Vladas Jakubėnas (1904–78) is one of a lost generation of Baltic composers.
A student of Schreker in Berlin, he returned home to help build the musical culture of his country.
But the Nazi invasion and Soviet occupation drove him into exile and, after five years in refugee camps in Germany, he settled in Chicago, playing an important role in the Lithuanian diaspora in North America.
These choral songs show the deep identification of his late-Romantic style with the folk-music of the land he was forced to leave behind.

The Latvian refugee camps in Germany also comprised 152 singers, 197 instrument players, 71 composers and conductors.
Under the management of Bruno Skulte the Oldenburg Opera was founded and the “Latvian Ballet” under the management of Osvalds Lēmanis.
The string quartet of Arvīds Norītis with its 121 concerts and the famous men’s double quartet “Tēvija” gained outstanding success.
48 mixed and men’s choirs and 14 vocal ensembles were established.
In the summer of 1946, the first exile song festival (song days) was held in Fischbach, Bayreuth, Ansberg and elsewhere.

  1. O I Would Go 3:24
  2. The Song of the Exiles and the Deportees (Poem by Bernardas Brazdžionis) 4:22
  3. Our Mother’s Tongue 5:11
  4. At Evening Prayer 5:10
  5. Many Lovers Have I Had 3:20
  6. Hush, Little Sister 1:17
  7. Jesus, Thou art my Life 3:44
  8. O, If I Only Could See Him 2:47
  9. Here I Am, O King of Glory 2:13
  10. In Silence Thou art Celebrated 1:38
  11. Over the Seas, Beyond the Nemunas River 1:49
  12. Oh, Father is Giving His Dear Daughter Away 3:16
  13. I Used to Walk in my Garden 2:19
  14. Oh. A Girl is Growing, Growing 3:18
  15. Mother Raised Her Daughter 1:52
  16. High Hills, Level Meadows 1:55
  17. A Little Bird is Sitting, Perched 2:26
  18. Across the Seas