Latvian piano star Vestards Šimkus (known as Vestard Shimkus internationally) has released his latest solo compact disc, entitled Interview with Beethoven.

The CD contains three works: Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano sonatas number 2 and 29 (the extremely difficult “Hammerklavier”), as well as Šimkus’ own “EU Variations,” which are variations on the theme from “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Interview with Beethoven was released in May by German music label Ars Produktion (ARS 38 099). The works were recorded at the Steinway-Haus in Dusseldorf.

Šimkus, who began playing piano at the age of 5, has become internationally renowned for his skill and interpretations. He was honored with the Latvian Great Music Award in 2002 and 2009. Šimkus also received accolades for his performance of Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks’ “The Seasons” solo piano cycle, which was released on CD by the German music label Wergo in 2010.

As shown on this release, Šimkus is also an active composer. His “Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra” received its world premiere in July 2008.

Tracks on the CD include:

1. Vestards Šimkus, EU Variations on a Theme of Beethoven
2. Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate op. 2 Nr. 3, Allegro con brio
3. Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate op. 2 Nr. 3, Adagio
4. Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate op. 2 Nr. 3, Scherzo: Allegro
5. Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate op. 2 Nr. 3, Allegro assai
6. Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate op. 106 Hammerklavier: Allegro
7. Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate op. 106 Hammerklavier: Scherzo: Assai vivace
8. Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate op. 106 Hammerklavier: Adagio sostenuto
9. Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviersonate op. 106 Hammerklavier: Introduzione: Largo – Fuga: Allegro risoluto

The CD booklet features essays on Beethoven and his works in both German and in English, as well as a brief biography of Šimkus and a brief essay by him. The disc is a Super Audio CD (SACD), which means it can be played on DVD players utilizing 5.1 channel output, if available.

More information about Šimkus is available on his website, www.vestard-shimkus.com.

The Latvian Youth Choir Kamēr…, led by artistic director Māris Sirmais, has released their latest compact disc, O Salutaris, containing works by Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds.

The CD collects a number of recordings, some previously released, some new.

Ešenvalds, who in recent years has become one of the best known and popular Latvian composers, in October became a fellow commoner in creative arts at Trinity College, Cambridge, in England. He will hold that position for two years.

Ešenvalds and Kamēr… have a long history together, as the choir has premiered a number of his works, and Ešenvalds for many years has sung in the Latvian State Choir Latvija, also conducted by Sirmais.

His popular compositions include an arrangement of the traditional spiritual “Amazing Grace,” “A Drop in the Ocean” (dedicated to Mother Teresa), “Aizej, lietiņ!” (based on Latvian folk songs), as well as “Tāls ceļš” and “Mazā bilžu rāmītī” (his arrangement of the song by Prāta vētra lead singer Renārs Kaupers, with lyrics by famed Latvian poet Imants Ziedonis). All of these songs are included on O Salutaris.

The CD also contains fragments from Ešenvalds’ “Ziemassvētku leġenda,” a Christmas themed performance that features popular Latvian performers such as Kaupers and ethnomusicologist Valdis Muktupāvels.

Kamēr… has plucked laurels worldwide, performing everywhere from the United States to China, with one of their greatest achievements in recent years being the World Sun Songs project.

For further information on Kamēr…, visit www.kamer.lv. For more on composer Ešenvalds, visit www.eriksesenvalds.com.

If Facebook can serve as an indication of the popularity of historical figures, then former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin has some catching up to do.

Stalin’s presence is not a beyond-the-grave experience, but an example of a Facebook “Community Page.”

Introduced in April 2010, “Community Pages are a new type of Facebook Page dedicated to a topic or experience that is owned collectively by the community connected to it,” the company’s Alex Li reported in Facebook’s blog. “Just like official Pages for businesses, organizations and public figures, Community Pages let you connect with others who share similar interests and experiences.”

The pages often provide basic information about the topic gleaned from Wikipedia, and also show posts from Facebook members interested in the topic.

On his Facebook page, Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin is listed as an author. When we checked on Nov. 11, he had 24,129 “likes”—far more than Stalin, who had 16,680.

Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet foreign minister who signed the pact with Nazi Germany to split control of Europe—giving the Baltic states to the U.S.S.R.—had only 54 “likes.” His German counterpart, Joachim von Ribbentrop, scored higher with 83.

Andrey Vyshinsky, who spearheaded the effort that led to Latvia’s illegal incorporation in the Soviet Union in 1940, had 81 “likes.”

Later Soviet leaders and their Facebook “likes” include:

• Nikita Khrushchev, who took over as first secretary of the Communist Party after Stalin’s death and ran the U.S.S.R. from 1953-1964, with 752.
• Khrushchev’s successor Leonid Brezhnev, in power from 1964-1982, with 274.
• Yuri Andropov, who followed Brezhnev from 1982-1984, with just 75.
• Andropov’s successor Konstantin Chernenko, in power from 1984-1985, with 123.
• Andrei Gromyko, head of state from 1985-1988, with just 18.
• Mikhail Gorbachev, who rule from 1988 until the breakup of the U.S.S.R. in 1991, with 3,715.

Socialist philosopher Karl Marx, whose ideas helped inspire the Russian Revolution, is immensely popular compared to the others: He had 83,790 “likes.”