Author: Egils Kaljo

Latvian Radio Choir performs classic Latvian choir songs

Egils Kaljo | 

2012 was a year of many CD releases by the renowned Latvian Radio Choir.

Starting off the year with Plainscapes, a collection of choir songs by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, then releasing Jaunā raža, which featured recordings of choir works by modern Latvian composers, the choir released two CDs at the end of 2012 – All-Night Vigil, a recording of the work by Russian composer Rachmaninov, as well as Diena Aust, a collection of classic Latvian choir songs.

All-Night Vigil, released on the Finnish label Ondine (ODE 1206-5), features the work more commonly known as ‘Vespers’. The sacred work, possibly Rachmaninov’s best known choir composition, is for unaccompanied voice and is based on Orthodox texts and chants, as well as Rachmaninov’s own interpretations of Church music. The CD booklet contains notes on the work as well as the Latvian Radio choir in English and in Finnish. Also, the text of the work is presented in phoeneticized Russian with an English translation.

Though the Radio Choir usually focuses on the modern Latvian choir music repertoire, Diena aust, released on the Latvijas Koncerti label (LK-013), contains many well-known compositions of the ‘classic’ era of Latvian choir music (roughly speaking, mainly the first half of the 20th century). Featuring compositions by Latvian composers such as Jāzeps Vītols, Emīls Dārziņš, Pēteris Barisons, among others, the CD contains 19 such works. The booklet contains notes on each composition and composer in Latvian and English.

The Latvian Radio Choir, founded in 1940, has been led since 1992 by artistic director Sigvards Kļava, as well as conductor Kaspars Putniņš.

For further information, please visit the Latvian Radio Choir website at http://www.radiokoris.lv, as well as the Ondine website at www.ondine.net and the Latvijas koncerti website at http://www.latvijaskoncerti.lv.

Diena aust track listing:

1. Diena aust – Jāzeps Vītols

2. Bērzs rudenī – Jāzeps Vītols

3. Saule austrumos – Jāzeps Vītols

4. Rožu lauks – Emilis Melngailis

5. Mēness starus stīgo – Emilis Melngailis

6. Emilis Melngailis – Spēlē jel, spēlmani

7. Ja uz Betlemi es ietu – Emīls Dārziņš

8. Ciānas bērni – Emīls Dārziņš

9. Sapņu tālumā – Emīls Dārzinš

10. Minjona – Emīls Dārziņš

11. Ziedoņa rīts – Alfrēds Kalniņš

12. Šūpļa dziesma – Alfrēds Kalniņš

13. Pavasara jausma – Pēteris Barisons

14. Zilie sapņu kalni – Pēteris Barisons

15. Mūzai – Pēteris Barisons

16. Kad nakts – Jānis Zālītis

17. Birztaliņa – Jānis Zālītis

18. Vasaras vakars – Jāzeps Mediņš

19. Jānīts kalnā; Jānīts lejā – Jānis Kalniņš

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Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area . Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.

Egils Siliņš performs lieder on latest album

Egils Kaljo | 

Famed Latvian bass-baritone Egils Siliņš has released his latest album, Schubert und Strauss Lieder, featuring solo performances of songs by Franz Schubert and Richard Strauss, accompanied on piano by Helmut Deutsch.

The performance, recorded live at the Baltais flīģelis concert hall in Sigulda on December 20, 2011, also includes two Latvian songs, ‘Glāsts’ by Jānis Mediņš and ‘Brīnos es’ by Alfrēds Kalniņš.

Siliņš, perhaps the best known Latvian opera singer, was the first singer from the Latvian Opera to perform at La Scala in Milan, the Vienna Staatsoper, and at the New York Metropolitan Opera House. Siliņš repertoire includes more than 90 roles, and he has performed in opera houses all over the world. He will be performing the role of Wotan in the Wagner operas Das Rheingold and Die Walküre at the Opéra National de Paris in February and March.

Helmut Deutsch has worked with dozens of renowned singers throughout his career and is currently a professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München.
For further information, please visit Egils Siliņš’ website at http://www.silins.eu and the website of the Baltais flīģelis concert hall at http://www.baltaisfligelis.lv

Track listing:

1. Die Taubenpost – Franz Schubert

2. Der Wanderer – Franz Schubert

3. Das Fischermädchen – Franz Schubert

4. Nachstück Gedicht – Franz Schubert

5. Der Strom – Franz Schubert

6. Der Wanderer an den Mond – Franz Schubert

7. Der Tod un das Mädchen – Franz Schubert

8. Prometheus – Franz Schubert

9. Am Bach im Frühling – Franz Schubert

10. Litanei – Franz Schubert

11. Liebesbotschaft – Franz Schubert

12. Sei mir gegrüsst – Franz Schubert

13. Erlkönig – Franz Schubert

14. Heimliche Aufforderung – Richard Strauss

15. Zueignung – Richard Strauss

16. Ach wen mir, uglückhaftem Mann – Richard Strauss

17. Ich liebe dich – Richard Strauss

18. Glāsts – Jānis Mediņš

19. Brīnos es – Alfrēds Kalniņš

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Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area . Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.

Attiecību putra new title by Swedish-Latvian group Alis P

Egils Kaljo | 

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After the comeback album Uz priekšu, released in 2009, Swedish Latvian group Alis P has released their third album, Attiecību putra. Alis P, led throughout its more than two decades of existence by Gundars Rullis, provide another meaty platter of heavy rock and bluesy grooves.

Uz priekšu was a welcome antidote to the often over-produced and occasionally soulless music that appears at times in music in Latvia (and elsewhere), and Attiecību putra is a worthy successor in that effort.

Joining Rullis, who sings and plays guitar, are Edgars Rubenis (bass) and Edgars Āboliņš (drums). Though there are only three musicians, this power trio has a big sound that can be heard throughout all the songs on the album.

Rullis, whose distinctive, slightly nasally voice might remind some of composer Juris Kulakovs of Pērkons, sings about various types of travelers on the album’s opening track ‘Ceļotāji’, which also features the thundering bass of Rubenis.

The melodic rocker ‘ZiemeļLauma’ offers a more mellow and romantic side of Alis P, with Rullis singing ‘naktīs dalīsim sapņus’ (we’ll share our dreams at night), and is one of the more tender songs on the album.

The dirty blues return in the rough-edged title track ‘Attiecību putra’, which again features the heavy bass of Rubenis, which gives the song a funk-like mood, appropriate for a song about the ‘porridge’ of relationships, with Rullis singing ‘tu esi kā inde’ (you are like poison).

Āboliņš’ drumming is the highlight of the song ‘Jaunas PaAudzes’, another funky number that reminds one slightly of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and over dueling distorted guitar and bass, Rullis ominously intones ‘es tevi redzu, es tevi dzirdu, tevī skatos, klausos’ (I see you, I hear you, I watch you and listen).

The album closes with the dreamy ‘Pacietīšos…’, with Rullis cryptically reciting the digits ‘0850360’ at the beginning of the song. The song, the longest on the album at almost six minutes and thirty seconds, has an almost Dire Straits-like feel to it, what with its lengthy, meandering outro. This mellow song brings the album to a satisfying close.

The only minor criticism about the album is that Rullis’ vocals are sometimes a bit lost in the mix – and, at times, there is a seemingly unnecessary over-reliance on vocal effects. Otherwise the performance of all the musicians involved is exemplary, particularly Rullis’ guitar work, which gives the entire album a solid foundation in rock and blues.

Currently the album is only available as a digital download via the http://www.bandcamp.com website, though a vinyl pressing of the album may appear in the near future.

A new Alis P album is always a reason to celebrate, since few other Latvian rock ensembles (and, it is also worth noting, the number of Latvian rock ensembles seems to decrease with each passing year) offer such enjoyably raw and rough melodies. Attiecību putra has a punchiness that was not as evident on Uz priekšu (though Uz priekšu did present slightly more variety – like the slow blues of ‘No Tapešu ielas’). A refreshing rollicking romp throughout its nine songs (which certainly leaves one wanting more), Attiecību putra is yet another worthy entry in the Latvian rock canon from Alis P.

Alis P website – http://www.alispudelis.lv
Alis P on Bandcamp – http://alisp.bandcamp.com

 

Details

Attiecību putra

Alis P

2012

Track listing:

1. Ceļotāji

2. Sapņu Tēls

3. Jauns Gads

4. ZiemeļLauma

5. Ej Tu Nost

6. Attiecību Putra

7. kas Bija, kas Būs…

8. Jaunas PaAudzes

9.Pacietīšos…

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Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area . Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.