Performed by mixed choir "Jauna muzika" in 2007, in Vilnius

photo by visual artist Candas Sisman from our project EFF-LUX

Textile 2, for mixed choir

"Dhani", for string quartet, accordion and percussion, a commission of the festival in Wigry in 2009. Performed by string quartet Chordos, Daniel Rozov, accordion and Saulius Astrauskas, percussion.

photo by visual artist Candas Sisman from our project EFF-LUX

Dhani

„Panchami“, for string quartet, commission by festival „Jauna Muzika“, performed „Chordos“ string quartet in 2006.

photo by visual artist Candas Sisman from our project EFF-LUX

Panchami

"Oscillum" for cello solo and tape, commission of the Huddersfield contemporary music festival, UK in 2009.
Performed by cellist Anton Lukoszevieze (UK)

photo by visual artist Candas Sisman from our project EFF-LUX

Oscillum

„Scintilla“, for symphony orchestra, Performed by Lithuanian National symphony orchestra in 2008.

Scintilla

Amithāba is the principal Budhha in Pure Land Buddhism, who is known as Amitāyus. Amithāba means “Infinite Light” or “Infinite Life” in Sanskrit.

The structure of Amithāba is based on a textile weave, where each voice has its own repetition. Throughout the piece, the change of each repetition depends on theimprovisation of singers who can use the “techniques” of the oldest singing style known as Drupha Darbar, which uses sounds and syllables rather than words. I am using the scale of Indian Sāranga raga, which expresses no pathos, but only tenderness. 

Over the course of the work, the role of the interweaving-repetitive patterns is to create the sound of the abstract, which goes beyond boundaries and is limitless.

The work was commissioned by the Melos - New Vocal Music Collective and premiered by the Melos - New Vocal Music Collective (Justina Leinartaitė, Karolina Macytė, Gabrielė Bilevičiūtė, Gabija Adamonytė, Karolina Ramonė, Ūla Marija Barbora Zemeckytė, Augustė Andrijauskaitė, Evita Rudžionytė ir Juta Pranulytė) and the Cello Club (Povilas Jacunskas, Domas Jakštas, Arnas Kmieliauskas, Evaldas Petkus ir Rokas Vaitkevičius) in 2022.

Amithāba

Asāvāri is the North Indian raga performed in the late morning hours, which evokes the moods for anguish, love and melancholy.

I have used textile pattern, based on various repetitions, which could be related to time perception in Indian cosmology. 

According to Indian philosophical tradition, time is cyclical, but not in terms of different Western interpretations. Indian cyclic time doesn’t involve a mechanical repetition of particular. Even cycles are the same in type, but they are not the same in detail.

In order to achieve it, each performer has been encouraged to improvise by changing some details within the framework of the cyclical time. Music unfolds in a process of continuous development and it constantly renewed in performance of cycle inevitably follows cycle.

The World Premiere was performed by Ensemble I’Itineraire: Julie Brunet-Jailly, (flute), Juliette Adam (clarinet), Lucia Peralta (viola) and Manasonics: Benoit Delbecq (piano) and Steve Arguelles (percussions) at Sonic Art Research Centre, on 25 November, Belfast, the Northern Ireland, in 2023.

The work was commissioned by the du Ministère de la Culture/Direction régionale des affaires culturelles d’Île-de-France in 2023.

Asavari

For string chamber orchestra, performed by Ruthless Jubiru string chamber orchestra (Australia / UK), conductor Kelly Lovelady (Australia/UK)

31st of May 2014, in Australia & New Zealand Festival of Literature & Arts, London. 

Sandhi Prakash

AKASHA, written for string chamber orchestra, performed by Klaipeda String Chamber orchestra, conducted by Artistic Director Mindaugas Backus. The world premiere was performed  in the contemporary music festival GAIDA on 26 October in 2015.

The work is dedicated to Anton Lukoszevieze.

ÂKÂSHA

The word ‘Megh’ in Sanskrit means 'cloud' and Megh Malhar is an Indian classical raga whose aim is to produce the effect of approaching thunderstorm and rain. Megh Malhar is also believed to have the power of influencing clouds in time of drought.

My intention was to use this raga in such a way that it might resemble the illusion of sparkling dew, in which each droplet reflects the microscopic world of the rain. Each string player performs various trills in extremely slow tempo in order to maintain this fragile sense of sound.  For me, this music is about the weaving of raindrops or dew into one fragile and transparent pattern.

The work was supported by Sound and Music’s ‘Embedded’ programme. The world premiere was performed on 5 February in 2016 in the Wooden Barn, as a part of the Sound contemporary music festival in Scotland by Quatuor Bozzini.

 Recording engineer - Nicolas Godmaire

Megh Malhar

The piece is divided into 8 sections, which each time extends followed by a number sequence: 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, and 2. In this case, the last section becomes twice longer than the previous one, representing the effect of longing, which means Pratiksha in Indian language. The harmony is based on the chromatic transposition down of the chord of three pitches until it supplement the first chord (upper tetrachord) to the full Indian raga scale.
Also, I was inspired by gamaka’s definition that they are basically connective forces and the manner of travel from one note to another. There are 32 ways of gamaka’s, which are mainly responsible for the aesthetic enjoyments in the entire performance, differing from each artist. My intention not to represent gamaka's, but use them in such a way, that they could transform into microtonal ornamentation of the melodic cycles.
The work is commissioned by the Wigmore Hall with the support of André Hoffmann, President of the Fondation Hoffmann, a Swiss grant-making foundation. The world is dedicated to the ensemble Apartment House. 

Recording engineer  - Simon Reynell

Pratiksha

The meaning of Chaandanee (or चांदनी in Hindi)is“moonlight”. Throughout the piece, I used the North Indian raga Mālakosha of five notes: C, Eb, F, Ab, and Bb. It is usually performed at midnight, expressing deep, peaceful and sublime emotion. This became a source of inspiration, leading me to explore various continuous rhythmical patterns, which are based on different structures in order to interweave sonic entities of gradually changing timbre. These are based on textile patterns. The work is dedicated to Xenia Pestova. 

The world premiere was performed by Xenia Pestova, on 13th of February at Cafe Oto, London, United Kingdom, 2017.

Sound by Sam Ziajka samuelziajka.com

Chaandanee

The piece is dedicated to John Michael Tresh.

Performed by Voce Chamber Choir (United Kingdom) and conducted by  Edward Watkins.  Recording by Linas Paulauskis

Nunc Dimittis

The word “Sattva” has forty-eight different meanings in Sanskrit language symbolizing various connotations, for example: spirit, essence, demon, monster, vital breath, matter, creature, wisdom and etc. Number forty-eight served as a basic number for creating the structure of the piece and textile pattern. The piece develops from the motives of six measures, where each new motive is proportionally augmented until 24 measures. Throughout the piece, dynamics grows from ppp to ff until motives weave into monolith soundscape. Harmony and tonal range is very limited, starting on note D, which slowly descends into tutti C.

The work was supported by the electronic music festival “Jauna Muzika”, which is organized by Lithuanian Composers’ Union. The world premiere was performed on 24 April in 2018 in the electronic music festival “Jauna Muzika in Vilnius, performed by Lithuanian accordionist Raimondas Sviackevičius.

Special thanks to a Lithuanian philosopher, orientalist, translator Audrius Beinorius, who helped me with Sanskrit language.

Sattva

Pianists Xenia Pestova and Pascal Meyer at contemporary music festival Ars Musica, Brussels, Belgium, 2018.

Textile 1 (2006) for two pianos came into being when Egidija Medeksaite discovered the technique of mapping the patterns she was using in her textile work onto musical structures. The initial formula for a composition is fixed in the form of a geometrical textile pattern; the white and black elements of the grid convey musical microformations of the same nature but in opposition (for example, the ascending or descending directions of the movement of sounds), as if they were warp and weft of a textile. What is important for pianist here is to achieve the smooth, flowing, encompassing flow of sounds, as if they were the play and sparkle of small crystals. 

Linas Paulauskis, Music Information Centre Lithuania

Textile_1

The work was commissioned by the international contemporary music festival ARS MUSICA (Belgium) and premiered by ENSEMBLE 21, conducted by Marc Collect on 29 November, Brussels.

The work is dedicated to Ensemble 21.

The structure of Malakosha is based on a repetitive textile weave which, on each repetition, is proportionally augmented until it is 24 measures long. Melodic patterns and change within these patterns also follow the structure of the weaving pattern. The work takes its title from the pentatonic Indian raga on which the harmony and tonal range of the music is based. Each section expands by adding more notes to the repetitive melodic patterns. Over the course of the work the role of the Intonarumori instruments develops: initially they are in the background and then gradually become part of a louder soundscape with the live instruments.

Malakosha_Ensemble 21 and Intonarumori

The structure of Malakosha is based on a repetitive textile weave which, on each repetition, is proportionally augmented until it is 24 measures long. Melodic patterns and change within these patterns also follow the structure of the weaving pattern. The work takes its title from the pentatonic Indian raga on which the harmony and tonal range of the music is based. Each section expands by adding more notes to the repetitive melodic patterns. Over the course of the work the role of the "noisy patterns"  develops: initially they are in the background and then gradually become part of a louder soundscape with the live instruments.

2 April 2019,  Decibel ensemble, conductor Daniele Rosina, Composer / Artistic Director / Electronics Ed Bennett, The Lab, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

The piece was originally commissioned by an annual contemporary music international festival ARS Musica, Belgium, Brussels, 2018.

Malakosha_Decibel ensemble

The title of the piece is the same as Indian raga Shrî, which signifies lethargy, melancholy, tenderness, love, spirituality, and is also a call for evening prayer. The harmony is based on the same raga scale. The rhythm is based on a change of timbre and pitch by creating different layers of pulse, dynamics, and micro-changes rather than structured rhythmical patterns. The electronics support the score in such a way that it creates smooth, almost imperceptible transformations from one timbral layer to another. Throughout the piece, the harmony expands by pizzicato notes that create new timbral/pitch layers. These disappear or merge from one layer to another until it grows into one soundscape.
The work was commissioned by the Thames festival Trust. The World premiere was performed by ensemble Apartment House on 18 September, in Tower Bridge, London, in 2019.
The work is dedicated to Apartment House.
Violin I - Gordon Mackay
Violinn II - Mira Benjamin
Viola -  Bridget Carey
Violoncello - Anton Lukoszevieze,

Shrî_Apartment House

BhUtadhAtrI in Sanskrit language means “sleep, earth and supporter of being”.

This composition uses two different systems: the first is based on a dense textile weave that determines a strict, logical structure, moving from the highest note to the lowest of the trumpet; the second is based on the harmonics and overtones of the changing chords produced by the first system. The harmony is based on perfect intervals – perfect fourth, fifth, octaves – that are de-tuned by overlapping microtones, resembling the drones of Indian music. The two systems are woven together into a monolithic soundscape that develops from quiet to loud, overlapping different patterns as the music grows from a few notes into an enormous chord.

The work is commissioned by the contemporary music festival “Gaida” and Lithuanian Composer’s Union.

The world premiere was performed on 19 October in 2018 by the Lithuanian Ensemble Network, conducted by Vykintas Baltakas. Trumpets: Laurynas Lapė, Aurimas Jankevicius, Andrius Stankevicius, Linas Rupšplaukis, and Vilius Surdokas.

BhUtadhatrI

The structure of Malakosha is based on a repetitive textile weave which, on each repetition, is proportionally augmented until it is 24 measures long. Melodic patterns and change within these patterns also follow the structure of the weaving pattern. The work takes its title from the pentatonic Indian raga on which the harmony and tonal range of the music is based. Each section expands by adding more notes to the repetitive melodic patterns. Over the course of the work the role of the "noisy patterns" develops: initially they are in the background and then gradually become part of a louder soundscape with the live instruments.

Performed by Royal Northern Sinfonia, conducted by James Weeks at  CoMA Festival of Contemporary Music for All on 6 March, 2020 at Sage Gateshead, Newcastle, UK.

Recorded by BBC Radio 3:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_three

The work was commissioned by the international contemporary music festival ARS MUSICA (Belgium) and premiered by ENSEMBLE 21, conducted by Marc Collect on 29 November, Brussels.

Malakosha_Royal Northern Sinfonia (The Excerpt)

ÂKÂSHA, for string chamber orchestra performed by Ensemble Allegria on 18 September, 2020, in Oslo, Norway. Recording by Wolden Lyd.

The meaning of Âkâsha derives from a description that I found in the book Raja-Yoga And Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms written by Swami Vivekananda in 2012:

“The whole universe was composed of two materials, one of which is called Akasha. It is the omnipresent, all-penetrating existence. Everything that has form, everything that is the result of combination, is evolved out if this Akasha. It is the Akasha that becomes the air, that become the liquids, that becomes the solids; it is the Akasha that becomes the sun, the earth, the moon, the stars the comets; it is the Akasha that becomes the human body, the animal body, the plants, every form that we see, everything that can be sensed, everything that exits; it can not be perceived, it is so subtle that it is beyond all ordinary perception; it can only be seen when it has become gross, has taken from. At the beginning of creation there is only this Akasha. At the end of the cycle the solids, the liquids, and the gases all melt into the Akasha again, and the next creation similarly proceeds out if this Akasha”.

This became a source of inspiration for a new work, exploring continuous interwoven sonic entities of gradually changing timbre based on textile patterns. My intention was to create distinct patterns of timbre, which develop from one noisy material into seven independent timbral layers, later transforming into one monolithic soundscape.

The work is dedicated to Anton Lukoszevieze.

ÂKÂSHA_Ensemble Allegria

Profile photo by © Martynas Aleksa

Each composition is based on the transformation of the various textile patterns or weaves into musical language. The methodology of mapping is concluded in PhD thesis at Durham University.  Textile patterns reflects distinct motions and atmosphere due its different structure and description. Indian ragas serves for the structure of harmony in order to construct a close relationship between sounds and textile patterns. Every Indian ragas has its own time, duration, specific mode of pitches as the textile patterns, which reflect various cultures and weaving methods.

Egidija Medeksaite

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