Latvian pianist Vestards Šimkus (known internationally as Vestard Shimkus) has released his latest album, a collection entitled Rachmaninoff, collecting solo piano works of the Russian composer. The album, released by the French record label Artalinna, was recorded at the Historischer Reitstadel, Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz.

Among Šimkus’ many accomplishments are first prize at the Maria Canals Competition in Barcelona (2009) as well as a 1st-prize-winner winner of Bad Kissingen KlavierOlympiade (2007). He has received the Estonian “White Star” order and the Golden Order of Poland for his contribution to the concert series in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederic Chopin.

Šimkus celebrated the release of this CD with performances in the Riga Great Guild on October 15, the Vidzeme Concert Hall in Cēsis on October 17, and the Gors concert halle in Rēzekne on October 19.

The CD booklet also features liner notes by Pierre-Yves Lascar in English, French, German and Spanish.

For more information, please visit the pianist’s website or the Artalinna website (in French).

 

To celebrate their 15th anniversary, the mixed choir Sõla, of the Latvian Academy of Culture, commissioned new compositions from a number of distinguished Latvian composers to be performed at their anniversary concert in December of 2013. The theme of the compositions was the four elements – earth, water, air and fire.

Sõla, led by artistic director Kaspars Ādamsons, and assisted by conductors Rūdolfs Bacāns and Jēkabs Jančevskis  (also a composer), then proceeded to record these compositions and present them on their 2014 CD Stihiju spēles.

As a bonus, the choir recorded a second work by Jančevskis – ‘Adveniat Regnum’ – to represent the fifth element – the spirit.

This is now Sõla’s third CD, after 2008’s Pūra dziesmas, and 2014’s Jānim Cimzem – 200.

The choir Sõla, which, along with the youth choir Kamēr…, shared the Grand Prix Award at the 2013 Song Festival mixed choir competition, also represented Latvia at the Europe Sings choir festival in Vienna in May of 2014, which was broadcast to audiences all over Europe.

For more information, please visit Sola’s website.

Track listing

1. Mārtiņš Brauns / Knuts Skujenieks – “Kaut kāda melna uguns”
2. Arturs Maskats / Monta Kroma – “Ir vēsas lūpas”
3. Evija Skuķe – Vēja vocalize
4. Jēkabs Jančevskis / Latvian folk song texts – “Atsalums”
5. Andris Dzenītis / Dorothy Walters – “A Cloth of Fine Gold”
6. Andris Dzenītis / William Butler Yeats – “Everlasting Voices”
7. Indra Riše / Māra Cielēna – “Saule, vējš un pārējie”
8. Indra Riše / Māra Cielēna – “Lūgšana par mūsu zemi”
9. Indra Riše / Māra Cielēna – “Īsta princese”
10. Santa Ratniece / Inga Ābele – “Pēc vēja”
11. Selga Mence / Rainer Maria Rilke – “Herbst”
12. Jēkabs Jančevskis / Liturgical texts – “Adveniat Regnum”

Famed Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča has released her latest album entitled Meditation (Deutsche Grammophon, DG 479 2071). Featuring works of a more spiritual and meditative nature, Garanča is joined by Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken and the Latvian Radio Choir, conducted by Karel Mark Chichon.

The collection also features works by Latvian composers – a new arrangement of Uģis Prauliņš’ ‘Dievaines’, and Pēteris Vasks’ ‘Dusi dusi’ and ‘Paldies tev vēlā saule’.

Garanča will perform works from this album on tour in Europe in October 2014, and returns to Carmen at the New York Metropolitan Opera in 2015.

For more information, please visit Elīna Garanča’s website and her biography on the Deutsche Grammophon site.

See the music video for ‘Dievaines’ here.