Baltik Winter

CLASSICAL GUITAR / SOLO SUITE / 2021

  • From the chalky, frosty landscapes, to the first signs that witness the arrival of spring; Baltik Winter depicts an archetypal transformation. Konstantine Margaritis, in this suite, explores impressionistic forms to create aural representations of nature’s ever-going metamorphosis.

    1. Clear Skies

    2. Frozen Land

    3. Baltik Dance

    4. Out in the Cold

    5. Beneath the Snow

    6. Birds at my Window

  • All music composed by Konstantine Margaritis

    Produced by Konstantine Margaritis

    Engineered and Mastered by Konstantine Margaritis at the Soulstone Studio, Berlin during February 2021

    Artwork by Matthias Jun Wilhelm („Medeine“, from „Equinox" series, 2018)

    Layout by Matthias Gustav Pan & Matthias Jun Wilhelm

    Release: 20 March 2021

i. Clear Skies

From the chalky, frosty landscapes, to the first signs that witness the arrival of spring; in this suite, impressionistic forms create aural representations of nature’s ever-going metamorphosis.

ii. Frozen Land

At night, the surroundings seemed like a movie scenery, still, lifeless; nobody dared to walk outside, even the moon looked as if it was fake. Only a few chimneys were smoking, the only reminder that this place was not totally abandoned. The castle stood proudly, surrounded by the snow; the landscape was stunning. I had a sense that everything, including myself, was part of some Monet painting. Thinking in retrospect, I was fortunate to see this place at that particular time of the year.

I wasn't planning to start composing immediately. My idea was that I would use the first days to learn more about Kražiai, the people and the culture, and then based on that, I would compose my music. But, when I started playing my guitar for the first time in Lithuania, the power of the surroundings, the sound of the halls and the immerse impression that this frozen land has made to me, were hard not to respect and so I gave up.

iii. Baltik Dance

Kražiai is a strange mix of different things, put in the most interesting of ways; from the apparent Soviet residues to an exciting symbiosis of Paganism and Christianism. It is evident that they look at the west to get modernised, but at the same time, they celebrate their archaic heritage. I was fascinated by this unmistakable biformity of the people there. I was pleased to be invited to some of their fests and experience some of their traditions.

While I was thinking about all these, I imagined their ancient ancestors gathering together by the fire and perform an arcane and enchanted dance.

iv. Out in the Cold

One day that the cold seemed to be a bit more mellow, Vygantas proposed to be our guide at an excursion to the hill of the pagan goddess "Medeina". Οur trip on the way there was relatively comfortable, and the scenery was very attractive; the landscape was still covered in a thick layer of snow, and the river that runs through the village was frozen. The old castle and a charming white church stood ever imposing.

It is quite easy to underestimate the climate of the north countries though. Suddenly the sky darkened, then an abnormally cold wind blew and forced us to retreat as quick as possible. It took less than an hour to go back probably, but in my mind, it felt like forever.

v. Beneath the Snow

With a thick layer of snow and a temperature of several Celsius degrees below zero, everything seemed too still, lifeless. But as the days were passing, I kept thinking that nature is getting ready for spring.

vi. Birds at my Window

Just a few days before my return to Berlin, temperatures rose and the snow melted, revealing the bare earth; the Baltik winter was coming to an end. I was focused on practising my suite for my final concert in Kražiai to pay enough attention to the changes that heralded spring. Up until one morning when a flock of birds started dancing and singing at my window.