Venerable Latvian drum and bagpipe ensemble Auļi have, for almost two decades now, entertained listeners with their powerful and energetic performances. Though mostly performing instrumental arrangements inspired by Latvian folk songs and folklore, the group often collaborates with vocalists to add an additional dimension to their already layered instrumentation.

Expanding the scope of their collaboration rather dramatically, Auļi released their sixth album – Senču balsis (or Voices of the Ancients) in 2019, which features a varied group of singers performing vocals in their own, native style. Guest vocalists include Batzorig Vaanchig from Mongolia, Kai Somby from Norway, Edgars Lipors from Latvia and Albin Paulus from Austria. Highlighting the distinctive vocal talents of each singer, Senču balsis proves to be one of the most diverse Auļi albums yet, displaying the various ways the human voice can be used to sing.

Batzorig Vaanchig performs in the khoomei or ‘throat singing’ style, and also writes his own songs, such as ‘Hunnu guren’, a war song about the Hun Empire. Vaanchig’s khoomei singing, which sounds like a deep growl, but still rhythmic and melodic, fused together with the driving drums and bagpipes of Auļi, creates, gives a cinematic quality to this song about the Hun army setting forth to conquer Asia. Vaanchig also lends his talents to ‘Chinggis Khaan’ (also known as Genghis Khan), an ode to the Mongolian ruler of the 13^th century. This epic tale, which also features Vaanchig performing the morin khuur, a traditional Mongolian stringed instrument, creates a music tribute to the fearsome (and often brutal) conqueror.

As a somewhat jarring contrast to Mongolian throat singing, Albin Paulus, an accomplished yodeler, provides a rousing performance of the Austrian folksong ‘Almerlied Huidirdio’, a song about churning butter and then bringing it to market. The joyous song, which concludes on the positive note of making a lot of money at market, displays not just Paulus’ talents, but also the seamless flow between Auļi and this traditional Alpine vocal style. Paulus is also a songwriter, and one of his original works, the rapid and almost frenetic ‘Maijodler’, features him rapidly yodeling over the pulsating beat of Auļi.

Representing the Sami joik singing tradition, Kai Somby sings in a dramatic, wordless manner on songs like ‘Orbina’. Joiking is described as ‘an expression of a person’s feelings without words’, and this becomes clear on the weighty, fateful ‘Orbina’ (or ‘Orphan’), a traditional Sami joik, with the drums and bagpipes of Auļi accenting the tragic sadness of the performance. Somby also performs on the brief, yet expansive ‘Eallin’ (or ‘Life’), which, as the title indicates, is a joik about all the stages of a person’s life, from birth to old age. Though it has a subdued beginning, the sections of the joik are bridged with pounding, almost sudden interludes by Auļi.

The Latvian singing style is represented by Edgars Lipors, who is also known from his work with the men’s folk group Vilki. Lipors has spent most of his life immersed in Latvian folk songs and folklore, and his deep reverence and appreciation for the music can be heard on songs like ‘Bērītim, kumeļam’, a wedding song which also features all the other guest vocalists on the album, creating a memorable and fascinating pastiche of the varied singing styles. The incantation ‘Dzelzs vārdi’, a song about preparing for war, provides for a memorable conclusion to this collection.

The CD booklet has extensive details on not just all the guest singers but also notes on each individual’s singing styles as well. It also notes that Auļi journeyed to the homelands of all the vocalists, to ensure an authentic and immersive listening experience. Bringing together varied singing styles, with the drums and bagpipes of Auļi providing the foundation, Senču balsis creates a vivid musical journey.

For further information, please visit the Auļi website.

Senču balsis

Auļi

Lauska, CD090, 2019

Track listing:

1. Bērītim, kumeļam
2. Hunnu guren
3. Almerlied Huidirdio
4. Orbina
5. Tēva bites
6. Tavan Hasag
7. Auerhahnjodler
8. Uhcavieljaš
9. Chinggis Khaan
10. Maijodler
11. Eallin
12. Dzelzs vārdi

The cello, with its rich, melancholic sound and tones, has long been a beloved instrument among musicians and listeners. Adapting through the centuries to varied styles and environments – from Johann Sebastian Bach’s cello suites in the 18^th century, to more recent arrangements of rock songs by groups like Apocalyptica and Latvia’s Melo-M, the sound of the cello has always been timeless.

The cello has also inspired many composers, and the cello repertoire has a particularly rich array of solo compositions. To present a few selections from this repertoire, notable Latvian cellist Gunta Ābele recorded an album of three solo cello works. Entitled Magnificello, the album was released by the Latvian national record label Skani in 2019.

Ābele’s album is truly a solo album – the three works included, by Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, Latvian Pēteris Vasks, and Catalan Gaspar Cassadó, are for solo cello – no other instrument is to be heard on these recordings. Such is the magic of the cello, that even when performed solo, the sounds and images conjured by the performances by Ābele would make any other instrument superfluous.

Kodály’s work Sonata for Solo Cello op. 8, composed in 1915, unites both classical elements as well as Hungarian folk songs and dances. The majestic first movement, which makes dramatic tonal leaps, also has a mysterious element to it, with quick bursts of melody followed by subdued, somber sounds, all the while being dramatic and expressive. The slower second movement, with its long, mournful tones, brings forth a darker mood, perhaps influenced by the upheaval in Europe at that time. The third movement, perhaps the most overtly Hungarian of the three, is an almost frenetic dance, and Ābele’s performance is both energetic and nuanced.

In the Latvian repertoire, Pēteris Vasks’ “Grāmata” (or “Book”) for cello is a well known and beloved entry. Its two movements, being polar opposites (the first movement being fortissimo and the second being pianissimo), reveal a kind of duality, a kind of balance that only the sound of the cello could provide. Due to the work being so popular (it has been recorded many times by cellists around the world), it is a particular challenge to have one’s performance stand out, but Ābele is certainly up for it. From its tense, almost screaming beginnings, the first movement is at times tense, other times almost terrifying. Though composed in 1978, long before any faint hopes for Latvian freedom from Soviet occupation could be felt, Vasks perhaps expresses the pain and suffering of the oppressive regime in his music. The second movement, resigned and disconsolate, seems to project little hope or positivity. The cello is enhanced by Ābele singing a soft, wordless melody, giving the work an eerie, ghostly quality. Ābele’s performance of this work is both memorable and moving, confirming again why this is one of Vasks’ most affecting and poignant works.

Cassadó’s three movement Suite for Solo Cello, composed in the mid-1920s, a golden age of Spanish culture (the era of Dalí and Lorca, among many others), also synthesizes various cultural elements. Beginning with the Preludio-Fantasia, which seems to call to J. S. Bach’s Cello Suites, though also imbued with more modern elements, which then leads into the joyous dance of the second movement – Sardana. The suite concludes with the melodic Intermezzo e Danza Finale, an almost playful and festive performance, allowing Ābele to display her abilities in interpreting a multi-faceted work like this.

The three distinctive, 20^th century cello works on Magnificello highlight Gunta Ābele’s skill and talent with the solo cello repertoire in its many diferent forms. All three of the works, expressive and multi-layered in their own distinctive ways, confirm not just Ābele’s abilities, but also the versatility and lyrical power of the cello.

For further information, please visit Gunta Ābele’s website and the Skani website.

Magnificello

Gunta Ābele

LMIC/SKANI 073, 2019

Track listing:

ZOLTÁN KODÁLY

Sonata for Solo Cello op. 8 (1915)

1. Allegro maestoso ma appassionato

2. Adagio (con grand’ espressione)

3. Allegro molto vivace

PĒTERIS VASKS

Grāmata čellam (1978)

(“The Book” for Solo Cello)

4. Fortissimo

5. Pianissimo

GASPAR CASSADÓ

Suite for Solo Cello

6. Preludio-Fantasia

7. Sardana

8. Intermezzo e Danza Finale

Latvian pianist Reinis Zariņš was the ‘artist in residence’ at Latvian Radio Klasika in 2018, which, among other benefits to the artist, provides a regular opportunity to not just perform, but to also have a significant say in repertoire. A multiple winner of the Latvian Great Music Award, Zariņš, who has performed throughout Europe and the United States, also works closely with Latvian composers and presents new works.

Among the compositions that have been dedicated to Zariņš is ‘Astoņstūris. Epizodes un sonāte’ (Octagon: Episodes and Sonata), a solo 8 movement piano cycle by Andris Dzenītis. Zariņš has placed this new cycle alongside another well-known 8 movement piano cycle – ‘’Kreisleriana’ by Robert Schumann. Zariņš recorded both cycles and released an album of them in 2019 entitled Kreisleriana. Octagon.

At first glance, besides each composition having 8 parts, there is very little similar between Dzenītis’ modern cycle and Schumann’s Romantic era cycle. Zariņš himself admits he ‘can’t precisely point out’ what links the two, beyond each series being a very personal composition and Dzenītis’ work having some Romantic elements in it.

Zariņš proves to be an adept interpreter of the tortured Schumann’s work. The Kreisleriana series goes through some rather dramatic and abrupt mood swings, from the nearly frantic first in the series ‘Äußerst bewegt’, and then in the much slower, resigned sixth section ‘Sehr langsam’. The final section, the playful ‘Schnell und spielend’ makes for a very dynamic showcase of Zariņš’ interpretive talents,

According to the liner notes, ‘Kreisleriana’ is based on the E. T. A. Hoffman character Kreisler, but with Schumann possibly drawing autobiographical parallels with him. One can sense that this work is a personal favorite of Zariņš’, considering the energy and fire he brings to the performance, Zariņš truly turns this into a kind of story. It is a work that Zariņš has performed many times throughout his life, and his familiarity and respect for the composition results in a highly satisfying performance.

The shift to Dzenītis’ ‘Octogon’ is a bit jarring, considering the centuries between the composition of these works. However, the first piece in the ‘Octogon’ series, the subdued and wispy ‘Elpot’ (or ‘Breathe’) is perhaps more of a prelude for the others, as its title would indicate, it provides a moment to take a breath, before the shrill, uneasy second piece – ‘Cikāžu roks’ awakens the listener with its bursts of sounds and moments of tense silence.

Dzenītis, much like one of his instructors, composer Pēteris Vasks, often includes themes of nature in his compositions, and ‘Octogon’ is full of them, such as in the brief ‘Dzeņa atbalss’ (Woodpecker Echo), where Zariņš goes as far as to tap on the piano itself, replicating the sound of the woodpecker.

Perhaps the most ‘traditional’ piece in the cycle is the melodic ‘Latviešu romance’ (Latvian Romance), where Dzenītis weaves together elements of dreams and sorrow to create a very tender, melancholic atmosphere, and Zariņš performance of the work is filled with nuance and emotional depth.

Dzenītis’ cycle ends with the longer piece ‘Triptihs-ikona’. The cycle is, per the composer, also inspired by travels in Greece, and this piece reflects ‘monasteries perched on the cliffs of ancient Meteora’, among other sacred elements, and brings the work to a meditative, peaceful conclusion.

With this pair of rather disparate solo piano cycles, Zariņš shows his skill in interpreting both well known Romantic works of another era such as Robert Schumann’s ‘Kreisleriana’ as well as more modern and abstract work such as Andris Dzenītis’ ‘Octagon’. Equally at home in both the classic and the modern, Zariņš, a truly gifted pianist, presents both works vividly and memorably.

For further information, please visit Reinis Zariņš website and the Skani website

Reinis Zariņš, piano

Kreisleriana. Octagon.

LMIC/SKANI 071, 2019

Track listing:

ROBERT SCHUMANN, KREISLERIANA, OP. 16

1. Äußerst bewegt

2. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch

3. Sehr aufgeregt

4. Sehr langsam

5. Sehr lebhaft

6. Sehr langsam

7. Sehr rasch

8. Schnell und spielend

ANDRIS DZENĪTIS, OCTAGON. EPISODI E SONATA

9. Elpot

10. Cikāžu roks

11. Zaļās ēnas

12. Dzeņa atbalss

13. Sv. mehānika

14. Latviešu romance

15. Sonāte

16. Triptihs-ikona