LEGACY COLLECTIONS is proud to present the re-release of PASAKŲ SAKALAS, a collection of Art Songs written by Lithuanian composers and poets from the late 19th century to the late 20th century. The collection of these works were performed by Aldona Stempužis, Mezzosoprano, and accompanied by Pianist, Barbara Klonowski, originally recorded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1984. Aldona Stempužis is the recognized 20th century premiere vocal artist of the Lithuanian Community worldwide. She is a singer with rare versatility who brings her keen sense of style, expression and drama to each song, combined with a stunningly rich vocal timbre. Her voice, which often modulates between a mezzo and contralto range brings a unique warmth and richness to her performances. She performs opera, archaic Lithuanian folk music, standard art songs, and contemporary music with equal mastery. Art Songs are fusion pieces of music and poetry. Poets were the cultural rock stars of their time and provided words and ideas that made a connection with people. It was a tradition that composers occasionally wrote music to the poets' words that created a new form of art. Aldona Stempužis reached back to her Lithuanian culture and has given a voice to these songs. Many of the songs in this collection were written by expatriate Lithuanian composers and poets living in the west during the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. The songs are based on their memories of Lithuanian culture and folk traditions. This CD takes a further step in the idea of an Art Song by using original cover art by the esteemed Lithuanian artist Nijole Palubunkas' work titled Panorama. Panorama is a landscape piece of the countryside where Nijole Palubinskas and Aldona Stempužis grew up as little girls and evokes the memories of a happy childhood in Lithuania before the war as well as connecting with the romantic memories of the land and Lithuanian folklore that so many Lithuanian poets and composers write about.