Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian, one of the most acclaimed voices on the international opera scene, comes to the LAC alongside pianist Lukas Geniušas for a recital dedicated to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s romances. These vocal pieces are complemented by several preludes for solo piano, creating a poetic universe in which voice and instrument share the same lyrical intensity.
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s romances occupy a central place in his body of work and represent one of the most refined expressions of the Russian vocal tradition spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Set to texts by poets such as Alexander Pushkin, Afanasy Fet, Fyodor Tyutchev, and Alfred de Musset, they condense a wide range of emotions into brief forms: from contemplation of nature to love, from melancholy to anticipation.
In this repertoire, the piano does not merely serve as an accompaniment but fully participates in the construction of the musical narrative, engaging in a dialogue with the voice and helping to define its atmosphere, tension, and color. The Preludes included in the program provide a natural instrumental counterpoint, embodying the same harmonic richness and expressive intensity.
Performed by two artists of extraordinary sensitivity, the recital conveys the full poetic power of a repertoire in which words and music achieve a balance of rare depth.