One of the most memorable concerts that I attended in 2009 was the September solo performance of pianist Vestards Šimkus at the Rīga Great Guild. What made this night particularly notable and significant was the fact that Šimkus was performing, for the first time, all four parts of composer Pēteris Vasks’ cycle Gadalaiki (The Seasons).

This was the first time the compositions were performed as a whole, with “Zaļā ainava” (Green Scenery) and “Vasaras vakara mūzika” (Music for a Summer Evening) enjoying their world premiere that night. I wasn’t the only one to be impressed by the concert: The performance was given the “Best Concert Award” as part of the Latvian Great Music Awards.

Due to the historical significance of the evening, it was also recorded for release on compact disc. Produced by the Latvian Concert Agency Latvijas koncerti, the recording of the performance was released in 2010 by the German label Wergo, which has already released a number of Vasks’ works on CD.

Šimkus has already made a worldwide name for himself. In addition to being awarded for performing this cycle, he also received a Latvian Great Music Award in 2002 for his victory at the Franz Liszt competition in Los Angeles, as well as for performances at the Latvian National Opera and at the House of the Blackheads in Rīga.

Vasks, internationally the best-known Latvian composer, was considered to be an “enemy of the state” during Soviet times in Latvia (due to being the son of a Baptist minister and a non-party member) and was forbidden from studying at the Riga Conservatory, though he was able to study in Vilnius, according to the CD booklet.

The first movement to be composed in the Gadalaiki cycle was “Baltā ainava” (White Scenery) in 1980, followed by the second movement, “Rudens mūzika” (Autumn Music), in 1981. Both were composed for his friend Tālivaldis Deksnis, a distinguished Latvian organist.

The third movement, “Pavasara mūzika. Quasi una sonata” (Spring Music), was first performed in Stockholm by pianist Bengt Forsberg in 1996. After hearing Šimkus perform this work in 2004, Vasks was so impressed that he was inspired to compose the final “season” in this cycle, “Zaļā ainava”  (Green Scenery). The final piece in this cycle, “Vasaras vakara mūzika” (Music for a Summer Evening) was composed in 2009.

As with much of Vasks’ compositions, the music itself is designed to evoke imagery through sound, rather than focusing on melodies and harmonies. In fact, all of the pieces except “Zaļā ainava” and “Vasaras vakara mūzika” are metrically free—they do not have time signatures, giving them an almost improvisational feel. This could potentially make these piano works difficult to listen to for some, but I think they provide a very rewarding and enjoyable experience to the listener.

“Baltā ainava” begins with quiet melancholy, a peaceful winter scene, a sense of meditation indicating a new beginning of a year—perhaps even a sense of hibernation, of something preparing to wake up.

That awakening comes in “Pavasara mūzika” (a particularly demanding piece that provides a way for Šimkus to display his technical skills), which depicts the arrival of spring, with a thunderous conclusion.

The first section of “Zaļā ainava” is full of constant activity and energy, which then changes to a slower, more subtle view of the season, with Šimkus effortlessly making the very drastic transition between the energetic opening and the nuanced conclusion.

This then leads into “Rudens mūzika,” which also has a very quiet beginning but then grows into a stormy crescendo, concluding with imagery of snow appearing once again, returning the listener to the landscapes of winter.

Finally, there is “Vasaras vakara mūzika,” initially calm, later emotional, but in all an engrossing portrait of a summer evening.

The CD also includes extensive liner notes on the works, as well as in-depth biographies of both Šimkus and Vasks, by Christopher Schlüren (in both German and English).

On a different note, I must also commend the work of the recording engineers, including recording producer and editor Normunds Šnē and recording engineer Andris Ūze, Having attended the concert myself, I recall that there seemed to be a perpetual maelstrom of coughing fits going on throughout the concert, even in very quiet sections. I was quite astonished that none of that thunderous noise has made it into the recording, at least not that I can hear.

Besides being a historically significant release, it is an impressive memento of that memorable evening in September 2009 at the Rīga Great Guild. With the able hands of one of Latvia’s brightest young piano talents, guided by the prowess of the distinguished Vasks, this CD captures some of the finest works in the composer’s oeuvre and makes for very rewarding and captivating listening.

While other Latvian-American ensembles of the late 20th century performed popular and traditional tunes, Kolibri made its mark by performing Latvian folk songs, often with its own arrangements.

Though the ensemble has long since ceased active performance, it certainly has not been forgotten. A collection of Kolibri’s folk song arrangements and performances entitled Kolibri atskatās / Kolibri Reminisces was released in November 2009.

Formed in Boston in 1976 and most active through the 1980s, the ensemble made a name for itself with its professionalism, its unique arrangements of folk songs, and for raising the profile of Latvian music in not just the United States, but also worldwide. Kolibri made a number of appearances on American radio, articles about the ensemble appeared in the press, and it even performed at Carnegie Hall. Kolibri’s career, which included four albums, came to an end in the early 1990s.

The ensemble featured a number of distinguished Latvian-American composers. Some of the ensemble’s songs even became popular Latvian choir material. The best example is Anita Kuprisa’s arrangement of the folk song “Ģērbies saule, sudrabota,” which remains a staple of the Latvian choir music repertoire and frequently is heard in song festivals (and is a piece most all choir singers can sing by heart).

Other composers in the ensemble include brothers Mārtiņš and Pēteris Aldiņš, as well as Imants Mežaraups. The group also performed arrangements by noted composer Andrejs Jansons. A number of artists performed with the ensemble through its existence, including Līga Aldiņa, Juris Broks, Pamela Ambrose, Lalita Saliņa, Laura Padega-Zāmura, Pēteris Sils, Jānis Ozols and Ruta Dambis-Ruice.

What I particularly like about the arrangements on Kolibri atskatās / Kolibri Reminisces is that many of them are of folk songs that are heard less often, even obscure. Kolibri shines new light on these long-forgotten melodies. For example, the album opener, the Latgallian “Malni muni kumeleņi” (a song originally written down by composer Emils Melngailis), is a rousing tune with some beautiful kokles work arranged by Pēteris Aldiņš.

Kolibri’s use of flute and percussion give many of the songs an almost Renaissance music feel to them, such as on “Šūpļa dziesma” by Pēteris Aldiņš and “Tu māsiņa, es māsiņa” by Mežaraups.

It is also a treat to hear the original version of Kurprisa’s arrangement of “Ģērbies, saule, sudrabota.” The song also has a non-traditional beat—5/8—something not often encountered in Latvian folk songs!

Though most of the arrangements on this record are on the shorter side, there are a few “long form” works, for example the nearly 11-minute-long “Vedat mani dziedādami!,” which is actually an arrangement of multiple Latvian funeral songs.

The album closes with three different interpretations of the folk song “Sidrabiņa lietiņš lija,” by Pēteris Aldiņš, Kuprisa and Mārtiņš Aldiņš, respectively, with each composer offering their own unique interpretation of the winter solstice song.

In addition to the great music contained on the compact disc, there is also a wealth of information on the ensemble and the songs, in both Latvian and English. There are biographies of the group and its members, as well as some notes on each song, which are particularly interesting to read as they give an insight into the composition and arrangement process.

In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a rebirth of interest in Latvian folk song interpretations not just in Latvia, but also in the diaspora. One of the ensembles at the forefront of this movement was Kolibri. Kolibri atskatās is a particularly significant and enjoyable document of the period.

With the wealth of talent offered by members of the ensemble, it is actually not much of a surprise that they were able to make such great music together. Providing a fresh look at these ancient melodies, Kolibri made a name for itself as one of the definitive folk song interpreters in not just the United States, but worldwide. Taking its place among other Latvian folk song performers such as Iļģi and Skandinieki, Kolibri is one of the most important Latvian-American ensembles, and Kolibri atskatās is a particularly satisfying collection of the group’s arrangements, with many beautiful and memorable performances.