Last Pagan Rites/From the Yotvingian Stone

Born in 1932, Bronius Kutavičius is one of the most prominent figures in Lithuanian musical culture. Concerned with the deep layers of Baltic history, his music explores themes of mythical and religious consciousness and delves into the primordial sensibilities of a region that was among the last places in Europe to be Christianised.

This release is of two separate, yet related works: the first an oratorio that imitates the polyphonic singing of the Lithuanian sutartines (songs recognised as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO). Cyclical, shifting vocals blend with rumbling organ and archaic wooden horns in a sensory journey into the past.

The other oratorio here, From the Yotvingian Stone, travels back even further – to the supposed beginnings of music. Some of the most primitive instruments (stones, jaw harps, animal bladders, etc) are combined with spoken vocals in highly rhythmic cycles, and, using minimalist compositional techniques, evoke a sense of shamanic ritual. Much, much more needs to be said about these two monumental works but, in lieu of that, anyone interested in artful interpretations of our ancient past should give this a listen.