In honor of the 150^th birthday of Latvian poets Rainis and Aspazija, on September 8 the Bank of Latvia released a silver collector’s coin to celebrate.

The coin, in two detachable parts, features facsimile’s of poetry by Rainis and Aspazija as well as their portraits.

According to the Bank of Latvia website, Rainis (real name Jānis Krišjānis Pliekšāns, 1865–1929) and Aspazija (real name Johanna Emīlija Lizete Rozenberga; as of 1897, Elza Pliekšāne; 1865–1943) “were the most prominent couple in Latvian literature and culture.”

The proof quality coin, with a face value of 5 Euro, has a mintage of 7000 and was minted by UAB Lietuvos monetu kalykla (Lithuania). Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja provided the graphic design and Ligita Franckeviča the plaster model.

For further information, please visit the Bank of Latvia website.

 

A comprehensive history of the early history of Latvian sound recordings has been released. Entitled Latviešu skaņuplašu vēsture (ISBN 978-9934-511-19-6, SIA Vesta-LK, 367 pages), the book was written by historian and collector Atis Gunivaldis Bērtiņš, and presents a thorough and detailed review of Latvian recordings in the pre-World War II era.

Besides providing a near complete discography of all recordings with Latvian artists (including records produced both in Latvian and internationally), the book also provides biographical notes on many of the artists that appear on these records, such as the ‘Latgalian Nightingale’ Helēna Ersa-Kozlovska , humorist Jānis Āre, and the conductor of the Bellacord Electro orchestra Teodors Vējš, among many others.

Besides Bellacord Electro (the major Latvian record label prior to World War II and producer of thousands of records from their factory in Riga), the book mentions many less well known labels such as Lyracord, Zonophone, and Tri-Ergon.

The book provides many historical anecdotes about the artists – for example, how in 1940, 11 of the records by the vocal comedic duo Brāļi Laivinieki were deemed ‘vulgar and of little artistic value’ by the Press division of the Latvian Social Ministry, and were to be taken out of circulation. However, the announcement had little effect, as these offending records were nowhere to be found.

The book is meant as the first volume in a multi-volume series, with the next volume to be about Latvian recordings after World War II.

Latvian composer Pauls Dambis has written a biography of Andrejs Jansons, Latvian American conductor, composer, arranger, oboist, among many other things, entitled Ārkārtējais pilnvarotais latviešu mūzikā (published by VESTA-LK, ISBN 978-9934-511-14-1, 135 pages).

The book traces Jansons’ childhood in Riga, flight to Germany during World War II and life in the DP camp at Esslingen, then arrival in the United States in 1949. Jansons studies oboe at Julliard, and continues his master’s studies in conducting at the Manhattan School of Music.

One of Jansons’ most enduring collaborations is with the New York Latvian Concert Choir, and he begins work with the newly re-founded choir (the choir had been no longer active due to the poor health of conductor Bruno Skulte) in 1975. Jansons, over time, becomes one of the most recognizable and respected conductors not just in the Latvian exile community, but then in Latvia as well, and he received the Latvian Order of the Three Stars in 1996.

Dambis details many of Jansons’ significant achievements – including conducting the premiere of the late Bruno Skulte’s symphonic poem Daugava at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, conducting the US premiere of Alfrēds Kalniņš’ opera Baņuta at Carnegie Hall, and Jansons’ musical theater work – composing songs for performances of Anšlavs Eglītis’ Homo Novus and Anna Brigadere’s Lolitas brīnumputns. Jansons also actively worked with promoting Latvian musicians in the United States, even during the era of Soviet occupation.

Andrejs Jansons returns to the Latvian National Opera on Thursday, October 8, to conduct Bruno Skulte’s opera Vilkaču mantiniece (the only performance of the opera this season).

For more information, please visit New York Latvian Concert Choir and the Vilkaču mantiniece performance page.