The Latvian Radio Choir has long been the premiere interpreter of Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks’ choir music. Their many recordings of Vasks’ songs, both secular (2012’s Plainscapes, 2000’s Māte saule) and sacred (2007’s Pater Noster) have been landmark recordings, not only cementing Vasks’ reputation as one of the premiere living choir music composers, but also the Latvian Radio Choir’s reputation as one of the leading choir music interpreters worldwide.

2017’s Laudate Dominum can now be added to this already venerable discography. The recording is a collection of five sacred works for choir and orchestra, all composed between 2011 and 2016. Joining the Latvian Radio Choir and conductor Sigvards Kļava on the album is the equally talented chamber orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga.

Sinfonietta Rīga also has a long history with Vasks and his music, and have also recorded many noteworthy CDs of Vasks’ orchestral works, such as 2012’s Vox Amoris and 2008’s Viatore. This album is also not their first recording of Vasks’ music with the Latvian Radio Choir, as they also played on the Pater Noster recording.

Much of Vasks’ music, both choral and orchestral, focuses on spiritual and sacred themes, and many of them can be considered prayers, such as ‘Da pacem, Domine’. According to Vasks, this quiet and restrained work was composed to be a ‘cry of desperation for our times’, and the Latvian Radio Choir provide an engrossing and compelling performance of this piece, which is at once both tinged with sadness as well as hope.

‘Mein Herr und mein Gott’ is based on the writings of 15^th century mystic Nicholas of Flüe (also known as Brother Klaus), who, in his later years, had a crisis in spirit and lived as a hermit for twenty years. The prayer, an exhortation to God to bring one closer and remove everything that distances, is deeply personal, and Vasks provides an appropriate musical vision of this prayer, full of piety and veneration.

The choir and orchestra are joined by organist Ilze Reine on ‘Laudate Dominum’, a fifteen minute work where the only sung text are the phrases ‘Laudate Dominum’ and ‘Alleluia’. Alternating between the rich and solemn organ performance and the reverent choir singing, the work slowly builds to a climax before reaching the triumphant, jubilant conclusion with the repeated word ‘Alleluia’.

The record also has two works inspired by the writings of Mother Theresa. The first is simply entitled ‘Prayer’ (subtitled ‘Lord, open our eyes’). Vasks’ works can often be discordant and harsh, and while the music on this collection shies away from that kind of approach, there are elements of this aspect of Vasks’ compositional style in ‘Prayer’. That is quite appropriate, considering that this prayer is to ‘hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed’, and Vasks often clearly and directly articulates suffering and hardship in his music.

The second work inspired by Mother Theresa is ‘The Fruit of Silence’, a work the Latvian Radio Choir has recorded previously (2015’s The Fruit of Silence), that time with choir and piano. This time, the piano (which only played single notes throughout the piece) has been replaced with the orchestra, which adds an additional dimension to the work, particularly at the conclusion of the work, with its placid and harmonious resolution – quite appropriate, considering that the final word in the work is ‘peace’.

Pēteris Vasks’ music is at once personal and universal, and the collaboration between the composer and the Latvian Radio Choir and Sinfonietta Rīga has resulted in the beautifully spiritual Laudate Dominum. This collection of prayers reveals not just the talents of the artists, but also the keen and deep understanding and appreciation of the goals and musical visions of Vasks’ works. Vasks’ music, particularly his sacred music, is often serene and peaceful, with moments both of sorrow and brightness, and the choir and the orchestra, working in tandem under the masterful direction of conductor Sigvards Kļava, have created an excellent document of these works.

For further information, please visit the Latvian Radio Choir website and the Sinfonietta Rīga website.

Laudate Dominum

Latvian Radio Choir and Sinfonietta Riga

Ondine, ODE 1302-2, 2017

Track listing:

1. Da pacem, Domine
2. Mein Herr und mein Gott
3. Laudate Dominum
4. Prayer (Lord, open our eyes)
5. The Fruit of Silence

The instrumental ensemble Dagamba have long been known for their compelling and unusual arrangements, particularly how they combine classical music with popular music. On their albums Recycled (2015) and Seasons (2016), they created musical fusions of many different artists, styles and eras to great effect.

Dagamba have continued this path on their latest release – 2017’s #LudwigVanRammstein, which, as the title makes clear, combines the music of composer Ludwig van Beethoven with German industrial rock group Rammstein.

At first glance, it would seem incongruous to combine the music of these two artists, the only similarity seeming to be that both the composer and group are from Germany. However, considering the often intense and stormy nature of the music of both, the links between Beethoven and Rammstein are closer than might initially seem. Some of Rammstein’s songs could even be considered symphonic in nature, with their broad musical and sonic palette.

Dagamba, who call themselves ‘classical music hooligans’, are made up of cellist Valters Pūce, pianist Dainis Tenis, cellist Antons Trocjuks, Hamidreza Rahbaralam on traditional Persian instruments and occasional vocals, and drummer Arturs Jermaks.

The album is not limited to just the works of Rammstein and Beethoven – for example, the opening number ‘Lullaby’, which mixes the Rammstein song ‘Mein Herz Brennt’ with a brief melodic reference to one of composer Raimonds Pauls’ most beloved melodies – ‘Circenīša Ziemassvētki’. The title of the song is perhaps slightly misleading, as it is not the tender bedtime song one might be expecting – after a tense yet quiet introduction, the full band comes crashing in to create a thunderous performance, and Pauls’ gentle melody becomes almost sinister in this context.

Perhaps one of Beethoven’s most somber and sad musical works is the 2^nd movement of his 7^th symphony, and this melody has been used to great effect when combined with the Rammstein song ‘Mutter’ in Dagamba’s ‘Crowd of Very Old Children’. The theme, played with appropriate melancholy on the cello is now combined with drums, and, as a result, is given an almost military-like feel, which is then transferred to the weighty chords of the piano.

The presence of the Iranian Rahbaralam in Dagamba has given their music even more musical and artistic flavors, adding Persian and Middle Eastern elements to the rock and classical themes. Rahbaralam also provides some occasional vocal work, for example on ‘1988. Ramstein’, a song that combines elements from the Rammstein song ‘Sonne’ and the music from one of Beethoven’s most famous piano works ‘Für Elise’ (Bagatelle No. 25). Rahbaralam’s vocal performance adds emotional heft to this tragic song, which, as its title might indicate, references the Ramstein air show disaster in 1988. Still, one does wish that there was more of Rahbaralam on this record, as it is often his contribution that makes a Dagamba song memorable.

Dagamba find inspiration in Latvian folk music as well, such as in the song ‘Polytical Fairytale’, which combines the Rammstein song ‘Amerika’ with the ‘Div’ dūjiņas gaisā skrēja’, a folk song about going off to war. The sorrowful folk song, as performed by cello and piano, provides the introduction for the weighty music to follow.

As their next project, Dagamba have selected to synthesize the works of Tchaikovsky with modern elements, and are planning a number of concerts in 2019, with a large scale concert at Arena Riga in April.

One does not need to be familiar with the songs of Rammstein (or even Beethoven’s compositions) to appreciate Dagamba’s musical mélange, as their ability to weave together melodies from different centuries makes for engrossing listening, even for those who might not be classical music or industrial music fans. It is also worth noting the significant contribution of producer (and percussionist) Rihards Zaļupe, who maintains a crisp clarity in all the songs. Helpfully, Dagamba have identified the Beethoven works and Rammstein songs used in each of the tracks on the album, so those who are familiar with the originals will appreciate these new arrangements even more. #LudwigVanRammstein is indeed a turbulent experience, and Dagamba’s vibrant performances are befitting of the intensity of both the works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Rammstein.

For more information, please visit the Dagamba website.

#LudwigVanRammstein

Dagamba

2017

Track listing:

1. 1. Lullaby (Mein Herz Brennt / R.Pauls Circenīša Ziemassvētki)
   2. Symphony – Du Riechst So Gut (5th Symphony – 1st mov.)
   3. Crowd of very old children (Mutter / 7th Symphony – 2nd mov.)
   4. You ain’t hurt, yo pathetic! (Ich Tu Dir Weh / Piano Sonata No.8 Sonata Pathetique – 2nd mov.)
   5. Polytical Fairytale (Amerika / Latvian folk tune Div’ dūjiņas gaisā skrēja)
   6. Black Moon (Ich Will / Piano Sonata No. 14 Moonlight Sonata – 1st mov.)
   7. 1988.Ramstein (Sonne / Bagatelle No. 25 Für Elise)
   8. Ludwig van Rammstein (Engel / Piano Sonata No. 14 Moonlight Sonata – 3rd mov.)

The traditional Latvian folk ensemble Skandinieki has a long and rich history. Founded in 1976, for more than forty years the group has been playing and singing not just Latvian folk songs, but also Liv folk songs – the Stalts family, the core of Skandinieki for its entire existence, are of Liv descent. Today, Skandinieki is led by Julgī Stalte.

Their most recent recording is of wedding songs from the Selonia (Sēlija) region of Latvia (today, the eastern section of the Zemgale administrative district, around the city of Jēkabpils). Though the Selonian language may have died out, the songs have not, and, recognizing the cultural wealth from that area, Skandinieki released the album Kāzas sēļu zemēs in 2018. The songs on the album are arranged somewhat chronologically – from songs about the couples meeting, then the wedding itself, and then concluding with songs about the wedding night.

A lot of work was put into reproducing the Selonian dialect, and the group enlisted the help of linguist Maija Poiša to make the recordings as authentic as possible. There are some comments from Poiša in the CD booklet about this challenge. Reproducing Selonian was particularly difficult, as this comparatively rarely spoken dialect had, depending on which town you were in, different pronunciations for different words.

There is a touch of the mystical in the song ‘Àiz upeites’, a young girl’s song about her journey across a river – a symbolic travel that leaves her past on one side (her family remains crying on one side) and her future awaits on the other side. Accompanied by the kokle, the women of Skandinieki provide an enchanting performance of this song about a young girl coming of age. The men of Skandinieki follow that up with the lively ‘Ogri müni goíļi dziéd(i)’, a story of sailors travelling to Prussian lands to find brides.

An important part of any Latvian wedding is mičošana, or traditions and rituals performed late in the evening to celebrate the union of the pair. ‘Mi:čuošänas dziésma’ is about this ritual, and includes wisdom from the older, married women, and also mentions the symbolic change of the bride’s headwear – from the unmarried girl’s vainags (crown) to the married woman’s galvas rota (head ornament).

There are more mystical elements in the vigorous ‘Nätìšām(i) as ìegàju’, a prayer to the Latvian goddess Laima to bless the marriage and protect the newly married couple, and the album concludes with the quiet, single-voiced ‘Gulāt ìrbe, gulāt sluóka’, the song of the grandmother as she leads the newlyweds to their bed.

As with many releases from the Lauska record label, the CD booklet is full of information about the songs and the performers. Each song features notes for the melody, as well as a brief explanation of the song in Latvian and English. There are also Selonian folk beliefs, such as the belief from the town of Birzgale, where if the bride and groom have similar noses, they will be a good match for each other.

Besides being a well performed and enjoyable listen, Kāzas sēļu zemēs is also a valuable folklore document, as comparatively little from the Selonia region has been recorded or released. Though the region is small, it still has a great wealth of folklore and folk songs, and, on Kāzas sēļu zemēs, Skandinieki have provided authentic and engaging performances of these wedding songs.

For more information, please visit the Skandinieki Facebook page.

Kāzas sēļu zemēs

Skandinieki

Lauska, CD077, 2018

Track listing:

1. 1. Àiz upeites
   2. Ogri müni goíļi dziéd(i)
   3. So:rkonais duábùeliņč
   4. Ķìrveleíc
   5. Iétan mu:n goàjējam
   6. Ziéduošana
   7. Kùodeļa spreslìca
   8. Jaúnas mäítas
   9. Malni vērši, bòlti rogi
   10. Mi:čuošänas dziésma
   11. Nätìšām(i) as ìegàju
   12. Pùra dancs
   13. Gùoda dziésma
   14. Valberģu polka
   15. Sēlpils bukurags
   16. Àisskrējä vanädzìņč
   17. Treís mäítiņ’s doàrzā
   18. Gulāt ìrbe, gulāt sluóka