Perhaps the most well known of Latvian symphonic works, and certainly one of the most popular, is “Symphony No. 4” by composer Imants Kalniņš. It is a composition that has been nicknamed by some as the “Rock” symphony, as it combines classical motifs with elements of rock to form a groundbreaking work.

The recording company Upe tuviem un tāliem last year released both compact disc and LP versions of the symphony performed by the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra conducted by Imants Resnis.

Originally composed in 1973, “Symphony No. 4” was an immediate hit. However, at the time Soviet authorities forbade the performance of the symphony’s fourth movement (which features a soprano solo, the text of which is made up of selections from the poetry of American poet Kelly Cherry, which in turn quotes from poetry by Robert Browning). The original movement was only allowed to be restored much later.

Though there have been multiple recordings of the symphony (particularly notable is the 1998 release by MICREC, which featured a live performance by the Liepāja orchestra), this new release is the first studio recording to include the original fourth movement.

The elements of classical and rock can be immediately heard in the first movement of the work, with its driving beat and its sense of tension rising as the movement progresses, reaching a thunderous climax. The performance features the percussion performance of distinguished rock drummer Vilnis Krieviņš (who has played with a number of groups, most notably Līvi). Though the climax arrives early in the movement, the tension and drive is relentless, with the percussion providing the rhythmic foundation.

The second movement, in a rather abrupt change from the first, is musically far more relaxed and tender. Here one can hear more “Latvian” elements, giving some of the melodies an almost folk song-like quality.

The fourth and final movement, the one that caused the Soviet authorities grief in the early 1970s, is also a departure from the previous movements. The solo (on this recording, performed by mezzosoprano Ieva Parša) is brought forward as the orchestra stays in the background for most of the movement. The angst-filled poetry of Cherry returns the tension of the first movement, and Parša deftly adapts to the emotional changes necessary, as the words rapidly move between love, anger and sorrow.

I am extremely reluctant to even mention this, but, unfortunately, there are a few spots where the English diction is not as good as it could be. Though Parša is certainly one of the leading Latvian mezzosopranos (listen to her solo CD, Skaņu labirints, which feature modern vocal works by Latvian composers), there are a handful of spots where it is difficult to determine what she is singing. With the words—and, correspondingly, feelings and emotions—being so important in the fourth movement, diction is critical.

To be very honest, I slightly prefer the original 1998 recording of the work. Perhaps, since it was a live recording, there was a higher sense of tension in the recording, which adds to the dramatic effect of the symphony, particularly in the first movement. Additionally on that release, the solo vocal in the fourth movement was performed by American soprano Patti Cohenour, who is better able to express the nuances of the text than someone whose native language is not English.

The CD packaging includes the poetic text by Cherry, along with Latvian translation. It would have been helpful to have a bit of background of the work itself, perhaps commentary from the composer himself, if not some musicologists, as to what made this work so significant and beloved at the same time.

Make no mistake, this recording is highly enjoyable, reminding the listener of why this symphony is one of the key works in Latvian classical music. Though the symphony is almost 40 years old, it still sounds as vital as ever, and its dramatic effect is still as gripping as when it was first performed.

With choir music and choir performance being so popular in Latvia, not to mention a part of the national heritage, it was inevitable that a reality series based around choir singing would appear. The show “Koru kari” (Choir Wars), produced by television channel TV3, was quite a sensation in Latvia. Seven choirs—each from a different city in Latvia, each led by a popular singer, and each given a unique color to identify themselves—competed for victory.

As on other performance-based reality shows, judges would give their opinions on the choirs’ performances, viewers could call in and vote for their favorite choir, and periodically one of the choirs would be voted off until only one choir was left and was declared the winner. The highlights of the first season of the show were collected on the DVD Labākais no labākā.

The seven choirs participating were Ieva Akuratere (solo singer and singer for the rock group Pērkons) and the White Riga Choir, Olga Rajecka (solo singer and singer with Latvian groups such as Turaidas roze and Eolika) and the Violet Lielvārde Choir, Dzintars Čīča (solo singer) and the Blue Talsi Choir, Atis Auzāns (solo singer) and the Orange Daugavpils Choir, Chilli (solo singer) and the Red Liepāja Choir, Miervaldis Jenčs (one of the Latvian Three Tenors) and the Green Sigulda Choir, and Arnis Mednis (solo singer) and the Yellow Rīga Choir.

Having not ever seen the show while it was running, but having heard much about it, I figured I should check out what all the fuss was about, since many in Latvia were captivated by the show, discussing who had the best performance, who should be eliminated, who was unfairly eliminated, and the regular discussions that accompany these types of shows.

On the DVD, the first thing that becomes obvious is that these were not choirs in the traditional Latvian sense. For the most part, the choirs perform popular songs and not Latvian choral classics. Also, the performances do not really strike me as true choir performances. They are more “star and a bunch of backing vocalists” performances. Four-part harmonies are minimal. Of course, with this being a television show, the visual aspect is also important. In addition to singing, we get choreography and the occasional costume.

The songs performed are pretty much as one would expect, with not much deviation from the original. This is a bit of a shame, as the highlights of the DVD are the songs that give a new spin to existing songs and manage to surprise you. Unfortunately, there are too few of those kinds of performances. Rajecka and the Lievārde Violet Choir, the eventual second-place finishers, provide two of the better moments of the show. One is their hip-hop reinterpretation of the Latvian folk song “Rikšiem bērīt es palaidu” (goofy dancing notwithstanding). The other is their rearrangement of a slightly more obscure Čikāgas piecīši tune “Bitītes,” which makes a rather surprising segue into the Mission: Impossible theme.

The winners, the Daugavpils Orange Choir led by Auzāns, provide a memorable moment with their performance of the Latgallian folk song “Kur gaismeņa.” Čīča, himself of Roma descent, and his choir perform the Roma song “Jelem, jelem.” Perhaps one of the only actual choir songs to get a performance is Song Festival favorite “Saule, Pērkons, Daugava” (composer Mārtiņš Brauns, lyrics by Rainis), performed by Akuratere and the White Riga Choir.

The DVD also has occasional “pop up” notes on the show, such as the fact that an impressive 1.39 million viewers watched the first season. While interesting, there are too few of them, and they get repeated over and over again. Additionally, it would have been helpful to maybe have a brief documentary about the show and how it works. No mention is made of the judges, for example. Also potentially interesting would have been to find out how the choirs chose their songs, or maybe comments from the leaders of the choirs on the whole ordeal and their thoughts on it.

For those interested in further exploration, both Auzans and Rajecka and their respective choirs have released compact discs of their choir performances

I guess I was expecting more than just the slightly rearranged pop songs that make up the bulk of this collection, and not many surprises along the way. Of course, since this is television, the visual element becomes almost more important than the musical element. The choirs all sing great, and there are a few interesting tunes in the set, but the choirs could have been utilized in a better way, rather than simply being used as backing vocalists. The show was still a big hit. The second season, from what I have heard, was even more of a spectacle than the first season. But in the end, I could not quite figure out what all the fuss was about.

The folk song, though it may have a simple melody and lyrics, has been a source of inspiration not just for listeners, but for musicians as well. Most every Latvian composer has written a folk song arrangement for choir, orchestra, solo instrument or for some sort of ensemble. Although the songs may be hundreds of years old, these arrangements more often than not sound fresh and compelling.

A case in point is the compact disc Dziesmiņās remdējos (Soothed by Songs). It is a collaborative effort among some of the most prominent Latvian musicians. The recording gathers countertenor Sergejs Jēgers, composer Raimonds Tiguls and the orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga, conducted by Māris Sirmais. The album features orchestral versions of Latvian folk songs, arranged by Tiguls. Also participating on the disc are pipe player Andis Klučenieks, Ieva Šablovska and Valdis Muktupāvels playing the kokle, and bagpipe and drum ensemble Auļi.

When I first heard about this CD and that it would feature arrangements by Tiguls, I was slightly apprehensive. Tiguls is best known for his slightly New Age and ambient instrumental arrangements. The albums Moonlight Sound Design and Bay Lounge were heavy on the keyboards and neither was particularly my cup of tea. However, my assumption was incorrect. These are beautiful arrangements that stay very close to the spirit of the original melodies, and the Sinfonietta Rīga orchestra is very prominent in the music.

Credit must go to Jēgers for being the key element of this project, as his soaring voice brings a poignant beauty to many of the songs, and a celebratory exultation to others. For example, in the folk song “Trīcēj’ kalni, skanēj’ meži,” the joyous vocals of Jēgers—with the swelling power of the orchestra alongside—bring a vibrancy to this Latvian ode to singing.

Jēgers also brings a deep tenderness to songs such as “Tumsa, tumsa, kas par tumsu,” a particularly delicate song about a man who is not worried about riding on a particularly dark night, as his bride has made him a blanket of stars. This is also exhibited in what is perhaps the most heartbreaking of Latvian folk songs, the orphan’s song “Tek saulīte tecēdama.” Jēgers emotionally sings the words, pleading with the sun to send warm wishes to the orphan’s recently departed mother.

That the arrangements are by Tiguls is still very much clear from the music, particularly in the arrangement of beloved folk song “Tumša nakte, zaļa zāle,” as well as “Aiz ezera augsti kalni,” which begins with an ambient musical introduction, and ends with an extended outro featuring an electric guitar solo.

A number of popular folk songs are performed here, including old favorites like “Rīga dimd” and “Aiz kalniņa dūmi kūpa,” with its interplaying trumpets, clarinets and drums, with the brass sound in particular giving the song an almost march-like feel. “Rīga dimd” also features slightly different lyrics than traditionally sung. Usually the song is about three brothers making a frightful racket in Rīga when forging a dowry chest for their sister, but now there are five brothers, so the din must be even louder! However, one moment in the song sounds slightly out of place: the brief bassoon burst at about the 3:07 mark is rather jarring.

Conductor Sirmais is also an integral part of the success of this CD. Though normally a choir conductor (conducting both the professional Latvian State Choir Latvija and the amateur choir Kamēr…) his talents for conducting, not too surprisingly, extend to orchestral conducting. This can be heard in the performance of the tender folk song “Pie Dieviņa gari galdi,” with its beautiful string performance in the introduction. Sirmais and Sinfonietta Rīga give Jēgers a foundation to make this song a particularly memorable one on the album.

The CD contains pictures of the musicians, and a very brief essay by Nora Ikstena. All text is also translated to English. However, it would have been nice to have the lyrics to the folk songs as well.

Jēgers, Tiguls, Sinfonietta Rīga and Sirmais have come together to create a memorable recording—one of the best collections of Latvian folk songs to be released. Unlike some other arrangements, which at times dilute their original beauty and simplicity, these celebrate and praise the folk songs. The album also gives these timeless melodies a modern sound, making this CD a joy to listen to and one of my favorites of 2009.