Ziedonis’ ideas live on in charity fund Viegli second album

Egils Kaljo | 

The charity fund Viegli, created to aid the realization of the ideas of Latvian poet Imants Ziedonis, who passed away in 2013, has released a second album of songs with words by Ziedonis, entitled Vakars. Pietura. Jasmīns.

The first album, simply entitled Viegli, was released in 2011, and featured a number of different Latvian musicians.

Musicians who appear on Vakars. Pietura. Jasmīns. include Jānis Holšteins – Upmanis (Goran Gora), Māra Upmane – Holšteine (of Astro-n-out), Renārs Kaupers (of Prāta vētra), Jānis Strapcāns, Raimonds Gusarevs (El Mars) and Jānis Šipkēvics (of Instrumenti).

The profits from the album will go to the upkeep of Ziedonis’ summer home Dzirnakmeņi.

The fund, founded in 2010, also organized a competition to determine the design of a new Latvian stamp featuring Ziedonis, which will appear in January 2014.

For more information about the album and the fund, please visit http://www.fondsviegli.lv  (in Latvian)

Track listing:
1. Gods Dievam augstībā
2. Tepat
3. Labā sirds
4. Desmit pāri kedu
5. Pēkšņi
6. Pilni zižņu mani mati
7. Pavēli tai rokai
8. Panāc pretī
9. Ceļa sentiments
10. Es Tevi gribu
11. Vakars. Pietura. Jasmīns.

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Postage stamp featuring Ziedonis, to be released in January 2014.

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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.

New Latvian pianist Aurēlija Šimkus releases first CD

Egils Kaljo | 

Latvian pianist Aurēlija Šimkus (known internationally as Aurelia Shimkus), younger sister of pianist Vestards Šimkus, has released her first CD entitled Scherzo. Containing renditions of works by Schumann, Beethoven, and Liszt, the CD was released by the German music label Ars Produktion (ARS 38 140).

Though Šimkus is only 16 years old, she began playing piano at age four and already was finding success at the age of 9 (1st prize at the Latvian National Young Pianists’ Competition), and then her first major recital at the age of 11 at the Kaunas International Chamber Music Festival.

The CD also features extensive liner notes on the compositions, as well as on Šimkus, in both German and English.

Works contained on the CD: Schumann – Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 22, Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 18 Op. 31 and Liszt – Scherzo and March

For more information, please visit Šimkus’ website at http://aurelia-shimkus.com/

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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.

Garanča’s career highlights compiled on one CD

Egils Kaljo | 

Record label Deutsche Grammophon has released a collection featuring the greatest recordings by famed Latvian mezzo soprano, Elīna Garanča.

Entitled simply The Best of Elīna Garanča (DG 479 2241), the CD collects recordings from Garanča’s many previous Grammophon releases.

Garanča, who the International Record Review called ‘one of the plushest, most evenly produced and alluring mezzo-sopranos of our time’, has become one of the best known mezzo sopranos in the world in the decade since her first performance at the Salzburg Festival, and has had four solo albums on the Deutsche Grammophon label. The role of Carmen has become one of her signature roles.

The CD booklet features an interview with Garanča, and is in English, French, and German.

For further information, please visit http://www.elinagaranca.com or http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4792241

Track listing:

1. Bizet: Séguedille et Duo: “Près des remparts de Séville”

2. Bizet: Chanson: “Les tringles des sistres tintaient”

3. Bizet: “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Havanaise)

4. Delibes: Viens, Mallika, … Dôme épais (Flower Duet)

5. Saint‐Saëns: “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix”

6. Offenbach: Barcarolle

7. Villa‐Lobos: Aria (Cantilena)

8. Chapi Y Lorente: Carceleras

9. Falla: 5. Nana

10. Mozart: “Parto, ma tu ben mio”

11. Donizetti: Oh! Mon Fernand

12. Bellini: Dopo l’oscuro nembo

13. Bellini: Lieto del dolce incarno ‐ La tremenda ultirce spada

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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.