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Discovering Garūtas Concerto

This December Élisabeth Pion visited Riga. During her stay, she explored Lūcija Garūta's apartment in Berga Bazārs, immersing herself in the historical and emotional context of the composers music.
The piano concerto written in 1950 and 1951 is one of the most outstanding achievements of Lūcija Garūta’s work. The story behind the creation of the piano concerto is deeply tragic – the youngest sister’s daughter Laila, whose musical talent was clearly manifested in early childhood and whose first music teacher was Lūcija Garūta, suddenly fell ill and died – her unexpected death deeply shocked the composer.
The author’s tragic experiences are reflected in a deep and convincing way in the work written “in memory of my little friend Lailiņa”, but these experiences are not narrowly captured in an individual plate. The composer was able to generalize the musical images of her composition, solving the eternal problem of life and death in a convincing, dialectically correct way. The stormy, protesting power of musical feelings (Part I) combines with a deeply tragic mood of pain (Part II), however, through this diversity of the range of human feelings there is a constant search of a philosophical nature, which finds its fulfillment in the finale, when the composer, rising above personal pain, expresses an unbreakable faith in the unstoppable and never-ending further flow of the light forces of life.”

– Olģerts Grāvītis, “Lūcija Garūta’s Piano Concerto”, 1956.

Preparing for her performances of Garūta’s Piano Concerto in Montreal this January with Orchestre Métropolitain. The experience in Riga wasn’t just about historical discovery. It was about feeling the environment and essence behind Garūta’s compositions. Playing on the very grand piano where the concerto was composed offered Elisabeth a tangible connection to the composer’s creative process.

“Piano Concerto”,
Pianist Élisabeth Pion

This film follows pianist Élisabeth Pion’s visit to Riga, where she explores the life and work of composer Lūcija Garūta. Élisabeth visits Garūta’s apartment, offering insights into the composer’s environment and her creative process.

The highlight is Élisabeth playing on Garūta’s own grand piano, deepening her connection with the music she will perform in Montreal with Orchestre Métropolitain. The film documents this unique preparation and offers a glimpse into the intersection of historical context and musical interpretation.
Élisabeth Pion together with the Kensho Watanabe, and the Orchestre Métropolitain have perfectly understood the composer’s message, and at the concerts we experienced an excellent technical performance and a touching emotional experience, interpreting the “Piano Concerto” of Lūcija Garūta. We feel not only deep gratitude, but also great respect for the artistic contribution. This concert has left an indelible impression on our hearts.

Élisabeth Pion together with the Kensho Watanabe, and the Orchestre Métropolitain have perfectly understood the composer’s message, and at the concerts we experienced an excellent technical performance and a touching emotional experience, interpreting the “Piano Concerto” of Lūcija Garūta. We feel not only deep gratitude, but also great respect for the artistic contribution. This concert has left an indelible impression on our hearts.