The post-folklore group Dārdi, an ensemble of eight musicians that offer both arrangements of Latvian folk songs as well as their own original songs, was formed in 2011, and released their first album – Stipri vārdi ­– in 2019. The title of the album, which means ‘Powerful words’, is meant to represent the strength that Latvians have found in their folk songs throughout the centuries, especially considering the often unhappy history of the Latvian people and nation. Through all the trials, Latvians kept singing and found strength and solace from their thousands of folk songs.

The word ‘powerful’ does not necessarily have to be interpreted as ‘loud’, or even ‘fast’, many of the songs on the album are actually quite reserved and quiet (though there are plenty of energetic and lively moments), especially considering that the group has eight musicians (of which seven are also vocalists). One example is the sparse arrangement of the song ‘Aiz Daugavas vara dārzi’, which is sung in an almost chanting way, underscored by a rhythmic cello performance.

The Latvian kokle is used to great effect in Dārdi’s performance of the song ‘Rāmi, rāmi’ (or ‘Calmly, calmly’). The repeated word ‘rāmi’ gives this interpretation a meditative atmosphere, as if repeating a mantra.

The percussive ‘Lai bij’ vārdi’, with its rhythmic, precise sound, combines vocal harmonies and percussion to create a hypnotic performance, almost like a song of conjuring. Many of the songs have elements from Latvian pagan mythology, such as ‘Sajāja bramaņi’, a song about a pagan priest ritual. The priests hang swords from a tree, perhaps as a request for a blessing.

The group also perform their own songs, inspired both by Latvian folklore, as well as world cultures. The song ‘Austošās saules dziesma’, with words by band member Aisma Valtera, uses a Native American text as its refrain. The song, which is about finding strength in the rising sun, reveals a deep spirituality and oneness with nature.

The album concludes with the appropriately dreamy ‘Šūpuļdziesma cilvēkam’, another original song with words by Valtera. The lullaby, with its delicate accompaniment of kokle and cello, provides for a lovely conclusion to this collection of songs of strength.

Stipri vārdi by Dārdi proves that there is still much power in ancient Latvian folk songs, power that flows through the songs and their words to the people of Latvia. Though the arrangements are at times sparse and the performances reserved, this brings the words of the folk songs to the forefront, revealing the strength and power behind them.

For more information, please visit the Dārdi Facebook page

Stipri vārdi

Dārdi

Lauska CD091, 2019

Track listing:

1. Aiz Daugavas vara dārzi
2. Lai bij’ vārdi
3. Gauži raud saulīte
4. Rāmi, rāmi
5. Aiz upītes sētiņā
6. Dziedati, meitas
7. Sajāj tautas, sarīb zeme
8. Tautumeita purvu brida
9. Tumsā gāju vakarā
10. Sajāja bramaņi
11. Divi dienas mežā gāju
12. Austošās saules dziesma
13. Šūpuļdziesma cilvēkam

The Latvian folklore ensemble Tarkšķi, based out of Iecava, released an album for younger listeners entitled Sadziedam? in late 2020. Featuring the youngest members of the ensemble, the digital only album collects performances of children’s folk songs. The album includes such popular children’s songs as ‘Aiz kalniņa dūmi kūpa’, ‘Kur tad tu nu biji’ and ‘Kur tu teci’, among many others. The album also includes instrumental-only versions of the songs.

The songs were arranged by the ensemble’s director Kristīne Karele, and feature instruments such as the Latvian kokle, mandolin, violin, and others. The group includes children from 2 to 18 years of age.

The recording was made in the Lauska studio, with producer Kaspars Bārbals, and the American Latvian Association helped finance the recording.

The album can be heard via multiple streaming services.

For more information, please visit the Tarkšķi Facebook page

Track listing:

1. Baltu pupu iestādīju
2. Cielava, baltgalve
3. Kur, pelīte, tu tecēji
4. Mēs bijāmi trīs māsiņas
5. Kur tad tu nu biji?
6. Maza, maza meitenīte
7. Kumeliņi, kumeliņi
8. Adiet, bērni, ko adieti
9. Dievs nolaida bumbul’ zemē
10. Aiz kalniņa dūmi kūpa
11. Aijā, žūžū
12. Kur tu teci

The choir works of Latvian choral composer Ēriks Ešenvalds have been sung and heard all over the world. Even if a listener does not understand the language of the text, Ešenvalds’ skills with melody and harmony allow him to speak clearly and personally to an audience.

Many choirs internationally have actively championed Ešenvalds’ works, among them being the Portland State Chamber Choir, conducted by Ethan Sperry, who released an album of Ešenvalds’ choir compositions, entitled The Doors of Heaven, in 2017. The choir has followed that recording up with Translations, released in 2020, which contains seven of Ešenvalds’ compositions.

One of Ešenvalds’ most popular choir works is the spiritually moving ‘O salutaris hostia’, a prayer for peace. The piece features many of Ešēnvalds’ trademark compositional approaches, such as the rich harmonies of the choir, spiritual longing, and beautiful textures. Combined with the performance of the soaring soprano soloists Kate Ledington and Maeve Stier, whose duet elevates this work to a truly heavenly level, this work has rightfully become one of the most performed of the composer’s choir songs.

Scored for a quartet of soloists, as well as a background choir quintet, the work ‘Translation’, with poetry by Paulann Petersen, is a reserved, meditative work. The soloists, whose voices flow together as if in a deep meditation, are enhanced by the wordless background vocalists, as well as the performance of handbells, which gives the work an otherworldly sound – appropriate, considering Petersen’s text referencing the moon.

Ešenvalds often presents stories in his music, allowing a choir to become a storyteller or a narrator, and one such legend presented on this CD is the story of Vineta, a mythical city on the Baltic Sea that was lost in a flood, due to its excessive ways. For the text, Ešenvalds used the poetry of German poet Wilhelm Müller. The choir creates an immersive performance – at times fearful, other times mystical, expressing a longing for this lost city. Bells are often heard throughout the work, perhaps to represent the tolling of the church bells of Vineta.

The tragic ‘Legend of the Walled-In Woman’, based on an Albanian folksong about a young maiden Rozafa, who, to ensure the castle remained standing, was sacrificed by being walled in in the walls of the castle that bears her name. A vocal quintet tells the tale in Albanian, in a Balkan singing style, with grief and woe expressed vividly in the performance. In a somewhat disconcerting moment, the choir (in a different key) joins in, giving the song an almost unearthly atmosphere. The song concludes with the English translation of a text by Albanian poet Martin Camaj, which, through the voice of the soprano soloist, emphasizes the sorrow and sadness of the legend.

The collection concludes with the epic ‘In Paradisum’, which begins with the mournful sounds of the cello, and a wordless vocalize sung by the choir about this journey into Paradise. The work builds into a crescendo as the choir sings the text of the Catholic liturgy, which leads into a seemingly random burst of sound from the strings as the choir’s voices soar higher. The powerful and reverent performance then slowly dissipates, as the strings play a gentle, tender melody to conclude the work.

The Portland State Chamber Choir and conductor Ethan Sperry, who have been performing the choir works of Ēriks Ešenvalds for more than a decade, have, with their intimate familiarity with the composer and his works, again displayed their skill on Translations. The choir and Sperry reveal the many nuances and layers of Ešenvalds’ works, confirming his status as one of the premiere living choir composers. Filled with moments of both breathtaking beauty, as well as spiritual richness, Translations confirms Ešenvalds’ ability to move audiences worldwide with his music.

For further information, please visit Ēriks Ešenvalds’ website, and the Portland State Chamber Choir website.

Ēriks Ešenvalds – Translations

Portland State Chamber Choir, Ethan Sperry conductor

Naxos 8.574124, 2020

Track listing

1. O salutaris hostia
2. The Heavens’ Flock
3. Translation
4. My Thoughts
5. Vineta
6. Legend of the Walled-In Woman
7. In paradisum