Reversio

What could the Lithuanian birbynė / reed-pipe (an original Lithuanian woodwind instrument) and Renaissance and Baroque music of Western Europe have in common? The answer lies in this specially composed chamber music ensemble Reversio (founded by Darius Klišys in 2004) which features birbynė players accompanied by organ/harpsichord and viola da gamba.

The idea behind the ensemble - to play early European music using authentic Lithuanian instruments - became their mark of originality: the expressive and contrasting sounds of the birbynė are surprisingly similar to early wind instruments such as the cornett, recorder, oboe, and chalumeau. Performing the early music, the birbynė reveals nuances and colours unheard, highlights the flexibility of compositions, and offers a new look at the early music as well as other musical genres, be it classical or contemporary. Musicians of the Reversio ensemble change according to the programmes, from three to seven musicians playing together. The main repertoire of the ensembles covers those written in the 16th and 17th centuries in Lithuanian and Polish territories. There is also a strong focus on early Italian Baroque.