DE PROFUNDIS for string orchestra (1998)
Raminta Šerkšnytė’s ‘De profundis’ is the calling card of Baltic music.
Gidon Kremer, violinist
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PROGRAMME NOTE:
This dramatic music, full of contrasts, reflects a certain world-view of a young person (this is my the first orchestral composition, which was written as the Bachelor’s graduation work). At a young age the life is admitted in an extreme, “severe” way, where euphoria quickly changes to disappointment. One searches for the extraordinary, transcendental experience both in life as well as in art, believing in the profound power of the art sacredness. Therefore the opus was named “from the depths” (Latin –“de profundis”), though making no reckoning of the historical “De profundis” tradition.
Raminta Šerkšnytė
YEAR OF COMPOSITION: 1998
INSTRUMENTATION:
string orchestra: 6.5.4.3.2 (possible to perform by larger string sections)
DURATION: ca. 13′
COPYRIGHT: Raminta Šerkšnytė
SCORE (manuscript): please contact raminta.serksnyte@gmail.com
PERFORMING RIGHTS: please contact Mr. Stefan Fragner: fragner@rbartists.at
RELEASES:
CD Gidon Kremer – De Profundis. Nonesuch 287228-2, 2010
CD Vortex. Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre LMIPCCD049, 2007
BROADCASTS:
(about Raminta Šerkšnytė’s De profundis)
Christian Jost | NDR Kultur | 03 Mar 2026| 59:00 Min
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Mezzo Live TV | Classical:
Royal Concertgebouw, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Gabriela Montero: Šerkšnytė, Tchaikovsky, Weinberg
REVIEWS:
Jay Nordlinger | The New Criterion Vol. 42, No.4 | Dec 2023
SERKSNYTE Orchestral and Choral Works
Richard Whitehouse | Gramophone Vol.97, No.1184 | Feb 2020
Claire Jackson | BBC Music Magazine | 23 Jan 2020
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Gidon Kremer und Komponistin Raminta Serksnyte in München
Helmut Mauró | Süddeutche Zeitung | 23 Jan 2009
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‘De Profundis’ in de muziek: 10 opmerkelijke composities
Piet De Loof| Kerknet | 23 Nov 2019
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een relaxte Tsjaikovski en overrompelende Weinberg bij het Concertgebouworkest
Frederike Berntsen | Het Parool | 24 Apr 2023
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FACTS:
De profundis for string orchestra (1998) is the first orchestral composition (written as the Bachelor’s graduation work) of Raminta Šerkšnytė, composed when she was just twenty-two years of age.
It is one of the most popular and performed Lithuanian compositions across the world. Till now this composition was performed more than 350 times by more than 50 orchestras. Among the performers: Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, st. Christopher Chamber Orchestra and numerous other.
Maestro Gidon Kremer described De profundis as “the calling card of Baltic music”.
PERFORMERS:
Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, Ensemble Resonanz, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Bruckner Orchester Linz, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta Riga, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra and many others.
Conductors: Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Giedrė Šlekytė, Modestas Pitrėnas, Donatas Katkus, Modestas Barkauskas, Martynas Stakionis, Richard Tognetti, Matthias Foremny, René Gulikers, Anton Holmer, Lucie Leguay and others.
RECENT PERFORMANCES:
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Richard Tognetti
Program “Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody” 5 – 18 February 2026
John Luther Adams Horizon* (World Premiere)
Igor Stravinsky Concerto in D “Basle”
Raminta Šerkšnytė De Profundis (Australian Premiere)
Sergei Rachmaninoff (arr. piano, percussion and strings) Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43
Thursday 5 February 2026 Newcastle City Hall, NSW, Australia
Saturday 7 February 2026, Melbourne Recital Centre, VIC, Australia
Sunday 8 February 2026, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Monday 9 February 2026, Melbourne Recital Centre, VIC, Australia
Tuesday 10 February 2026, City Recital Hall Sydney, NSW, Australia
Wednesday 11 February 2026, City Recital Hall Sydney, NSW, Australia
Thursday 12 February 2026, Wollongong Town Hall, NSW, Australia
Saturday 14 February 2026, City Recital Hall Sydney, NSW, Australia
Sunday 15 February 2026, Sydney Opera House, NSW, Australia
Monday 16 February 2026, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Wednesday 18 February 2026, Llewellyn Hall, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
The Staatsorchester Kassel
Cond. Ainārs Rubiķis,
Kasseler Musiktage 2025, Staatstheater, Kassel (DE)
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Ensemble Resonanz
Arvo Pärt Festival
Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg (DE)
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Kanazawa orchestra
Ishikawa Ongakudo Koryu Hall, Kanazawa (JP)
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Sinfonietta Riga
Cond. Guntis Kuzma
Vilnius Spring Festival
National Gallery of Art, Vilnius (LT)
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Philharmonishes Orchester Heidelberg,
Cond. Lucie Leguay
Heidelberg Congress Center, Heidelberg (DE)
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Thu 18 Apr 2024 | 7:00 p.m.
Latvian National Symphony Orchestra,
Cond. Modestas Pitrėnas
Great Guild Hall, Riga (LV)
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Staatskapelle Berlin
Cond. Giedrė Šlekytė
Staatsoper Berlin, Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin (DE)
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Wed -Sat 11&12&13&14 Oct 2023 | 8:00 p.m.
The New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Cond. Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center
New York, NY (US)
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Wed -Fri 19 Apr, 20 Apr, 21 Apr 2023 | 8:15 p.m.
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,
Cond. Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla
The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam (NL)
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St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra,
Cond. Modestas Barkauskas
Town Hall, Vilnius (LT)
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02 Dec 2022 | 7:00 p.m.|& 03 Dec 2022 | 8:00 p.m.
The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra,
Cond. Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla
Isarphilharmonie, Munich (DE)
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The Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra,
Cond. Daniel Cohen
Helsingborg Konserthus, Helsingborg (SE)
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Sun 02 Oct 2022 | 7:00 p.m.
Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra
Kurhaus, Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal, Wiesbaden (DE)
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Sat 01 Oct 2022 | 7:00 p.m.
Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra
Südwerk Bürgerzentrum, Karlsruhe (DE)
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Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra
Liszt Academy, Budapest (HU)
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Sun 24 Apr 2022 | 6:00 p.m.
Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra
Cond. Martynas Stakionis
Lithuanian National Philhamonic Hall, Vilnius (LT)
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Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra
Concert jubilate: Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica -100
The Latvian National Opera and Ballet Theatre , Riga (LV)
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Sun 17 Apr 2022 | 5:00 p.m.
Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra
Concert jubilate: Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica -100
The Embassy of Latgale GORS, Rezekne (LV)
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Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra
Concert jubilate: Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica -100
The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre , Tallinn (EE)
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The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Cond. Anton Holmer
Sjöhistoriska museet (Maritime Museum), Stockholm (SE)
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