Vidmantas Bartulis’ music, distinguished by a diversity of styles, genres, manners and moods, covers a wide range of musical genres – from chamber miniatures to opera and large orchestral works, from arrangements of folk songs to monumental Requiem. In almost all of his compositions, Bartulis looked back to the beloved music of the past. Quoting or imitating the works of his favourite composers, his opuses were meetings with Vivaldi, Bach, Haydn, Chopin, Dvořák, Puccini and others. His series of musical dedications I like… is akin to an admiration of the past, of the great music masters. Perhaps the most popular of Bartulis I like… is dedicated to Franz Schubert. The work was composed in 1998 for the St. Christopher Orchestra, commissioned by Maestro Donatas Katkus. The second movement, Adagio, of the Austrian romanticist’s Quintet in C major, Op. 163 is the target of Bartulis’ reflection. According to the composer, “It so happens that all my I like… series, using the original “details”, was constructed as if it were “new” music… And in this case, it can be said that the “notes” are Schubert’s, and the “music” is mine…”.

Bartulis’ expressive composition is performed by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra’s string section, the violin solo is featuring the orchestra’s concertmaster Rasa Vosyliūtė, conducted by Modestas Pitrėnas.