Letters

Electroacoustic vocal cycle

Letters is an electroacoustic vocal cycle in 8 parts, during which two soloists in a blackened stage are pointlessly moving towards the end of the piece.

Aim. To produce an image and action on stage bearing no meanings. Two soloists perform parts written for them, where music is music only, stage is stage, Jonas Mekas’ poetry is poetry, and the action onstage is action and nothing else.

Dedication. The piece is dedicated to the illiterate and those who recognise letters, to the talkers and the mute, to Lithuanians and people of other nationalities, to poets and representatives of all other professions.

There are no implications or hidden thoughts in the piece. Letters connect with letters, forming syllables, which turn into words. Soloists use their voices to turn letters into music. Nora is watching Vytautas, Vytautas observes the surroundings. Poems by Jonas Mekas are conveyed letter by letter, syllable by syllable, word by word, not unlike in his books, only with music.

Composer Rita Mačiliūnaitė

Rita gave me the music she wrote after the poems by Jonas Mekas. The piece drew me into its world, abounding in action; its atmosphere was very powerful. While listening to it you get an impression that you are wandering together with music and poetry.

Director Loreta Vaskova
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