When Latvian composer Emilis Melngailis died in 1954, he left behind a sizable contribution to Latvian music – choir arrangements, chamber music, and solo songs. Much of what Melngailis wrote and arranged was influenced by Latvian folk songs, particularly musical and harmony elements.

Though Melngailis’ choir works and arrangements might be better known, his solo songs, though much fewer in number than his choir works, are also treasures of Latvian music. Recognizing this, two distinguished Latvian talents – mezzo-soprano Ieva Parša and pianist Andrejs Osokins have recorded an album of Melngailis’ solo songs. Entitled i bērzs, i smilgas…, the album was released in 2022. In addition to works by Melngailis, the album also includes solo songs by modern Latvian composer Kristaps Pētersons.

Melngailis is considered a romantic composer, and this is evidenced by the emotionally deep and musically rich works presented on this collection. The poem by Rūdolfs Blaumanis ‘Nebij’ mēnesnīcas, nebij’ ziedu’ is somewhat unromantic – in that it is a more matter-of-fact expression of love. Lines like ‘Nekritu es tavā priekšā ceļos’ (I did not get down on one knee) and ‘Tad ēdu, dzēru, jo es visu rītu salcis biju’ (Then I ate and took a drink, for I had been hungry all morning) seemingly would not lend themselves to a romantic song, but the music of Melngailis reveals the inner beauty of this otherwise ordinary scene.

Composer Emīls Dārziņš was a contemporary of Melngailis, and though perhaps Dārziņš’ solo songs are more well known, Melngailis’ songs stand on equal footing. Both composers wrote music for the Blaumanis poem ‘Kā zagšus’, and the stealth of the title is accentuated by Parša’s tender and sonorous singing, backed by Osokins’ delicate piano performance.

Melngailis’ appreciation of Latvian folk texts is woven throughout the lively, celebratory ‘Ganiņš’, a song of spring and summer, and Parša gives an emotive and stirring performance. Melngailis’ works also have a childlike innocence and playfulness, such as the dreamy ‘Pasaciņa’ and the animated ‘Pār ceļu zaķītis pārskrēja’

The inclusion of recent works by Kaspars Pētersons is curious artistic choice, as Pētersons’ songs and compositions are dramatically different in style and sound than Melngailis’ works. The transition from the works from one composer to the other can be quite jarring, but perhaps that is the idea – while the listener is reminiscing with the music of Melngailis, reflecting on an earlier, perhaps simpler time, the music of Pētersons returns us to the present day, reminding us of the occasional harshness and hardships of today. This can be observed in the somber, even ominous ‘Music for Piano’, a solo performance by Osokins that allows the pianist to demonstrate his talent for expressive and dramatic piano performance.

Parša also provides a solo performance in Pētersons’ haunting ‘Smilgas’, which combines Parša whistling, singing and whispering, and the only text in the work is the works ‘smilgas’ (blades of grass) and ‘ilgas’ (longings).  Paršas performance gives the work an eerie atmosphere, perhaps to suggest the fragility of nature.

In the hands of two accomplished and talented musicians like mezzo-soprano Ieva Parša and pianist Andrejs Osokins, the songs of Emilis Melngailis and Kristaps Pētersons collected on i berzs, i smilgas… become picturesque and resplendent, vividly displaying colors and emotions. Parša’s rich voice and Osokins expressive playing combine to bring out the many facets and layers in these songs, adeptly bridging the century between these two composers.

For further information, please visit the Skani website.

i bērzs, i smilgas…

Ieva Parša – mezzo-soprano, Andrejs Osokins – piano

LMIC/SKANI 136, 2022

Track listing

Emilis Melngailis

1. Nebij mēnesnīcas, nebij ziedu

2. Kā zagšus

3. Ganiņš

4. Jaunā gaisma

5. Pirmais marts

Kristaps Pētersons

6. Mūzika klavierēm

Emilis Melngailis

7. Pasaciņa

8. Pār ceļu zaķītis pārskrēja

9. Uz rīta pusi

10. Zeltītas lapas

Kristaps Pētersons

11. Dziesma ar Eduarda Veidenbauma dzeju

Emilis Melngailis

12. Man mirdzēja zvaigzne

13. Kā diena bez saules

14. Vientulība no cikla klavierēm Mazie meti

Kristaps Pētersons

15. Smilgas

Emilis Melngailis

16. Rauduves balss

17. Bērzs i varavīksna

18. Divas mazas rociņas

19. Alpu kvēles

Throughout the years, many superlatives have been used to describe nature and the natural objects in Latvia. Latvian nature has inspired artists and art of all kinds – paintings, stories, poems, and also many pieces of music.

Recognizing this, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Guntis Kuzma, selected several symphonic works that were, directly or indirectly, inspired by Latvian nature. The works selected are from throughout the history of Latvian symphonic music (nearly a century and a half) and were released in 2022 on the album Flowering Jasmine (or Plaukstošais jasmīns).

The collection spotlights both well-known names and works by composers that are heard less often these days, presenting a variety of styles, displaying some of the trends and evolution of Latvian symphonic music over the last century. Most of the works included here, regardless of when they were written, could be characterized as being in a romantic (or romantic inspired) style – even though some of the works were written a century apart, the collection flows almost naturally – no jarring or harsh selections here.

Ādolfs Skulte’s celebratory ‘Uvertīra’ (or ‘Overture’) opens this collection. Full of sweeping orchestra flourishes and almost playful melodies, the work exhibits Skulte’s mastery of the symphonic form (he has nine symphonies, among many other symphonic works, to his credit).

No Latvian symphonic music compilation would be complete without a selection from perhaps Latvia’s greatest symphonist – Jānis Ivanovs. On Flowering Jasmine, that is ‘Varavīksne’ (Rainbow). Ivanovs often was inspired by nature (particularly the nature of the Latgale region), and often looked for the relationships between colors and sounds, which is displayed brightly in this work.

Alfrēds Kalniņš’ ‘Pie Staburaga’ is a tribute to the limestone cliff on the Daugava River. Written before the sinking of the cliff (in 1966, when building the Pļaviņas hydroelectric plant, that section of the river was flooded, leaving Staburags underwater), the reverent work paints a dramatic picture of the cliff, which was not just a major natural Latvian monument, but a place steeped in mysticism and folklore.

The works of Georgs Pelēcis have become popular throughout the world, perhaps due to the composer’s deceptively simple style, skill with melody, and, most of all, the pure beauty of his music. The work ‘Plaukstošais jasmīns’ with its tender, almost fragile string melodies, is enhanced by the haunting melody of the vibraphone, played here by Marta Kauliņa.

The collection also includes works by Jānis Porietis (the melancholic, affecting ‘Rīts’), Jānis Ķepītis (the reserved, gently flowing ‘Liriskā balāde’), Ādolfs Ābele (‘Meditācija’ – full of introspection and richly emotional), Agris Engelmanis (‘Zīmējums sēpijas tonī’  – pulsating and in a state of near constant motion), and Ēriks Ešenvalds (‘Noktirne’ – mysterious and intriguing, and inspired, like many of his works, by the poet Sara Teasdale, featuring the orchestra whispering lines from her poem ‘Twilight’).

The CD booklet offers not just details on the compositions, but also offers interesting, even humorous anecdotes and details about the composers themselves. For example, Ādolfs Skulte was an adept repairman, and was able to fix the gearbox on his Volga car himself, Jānis Ķepītis was also a skilled beekeeper, and that Ādolfs Ābele never used an ashtray when he smoked (which regularly resulted in ash on both his shirts and his piano).

Revealing not just the richness of Latvian nature, but also the richness of Latvian symphonic music, the collection of nine symphonic poems and miniatures found on Flowering Jasmine presents works from more than a century of Latvian music. Vividly performed by the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and conductor Guntis Kuzma, this collection offers both a broad, engaging panorama of music and an enveloping, absorbing journey through the nature of Latvia.

For further information, please visit the Skani website and the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra website.

Flowering Jasmine

Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, conductor Guntis Kuzma

LMIC/SKANI 127, 2022

Track listing:

1. Ādolfs SKULTE Uvertīra / Ouverture

2. Jānis IVANOVS Varavīksne / Rainbow

3. Alfrēds KALNIŅŠ Pie Staburaga / At Staburags

4. Georgs PELĒCIS Plaukstošais jasmīns / Flowering Jasmine

5. Jānis PORIETIS Rīts / Morning

6. Jānis ĶEPĪTIS Liriska balāde / Lyrical Ballad

7. Ādolfs ĀBELE Meditācija (Vientulībā) / Meditation (In Solitude)

8. Agris ENGELMANIS Zīmējums sēpijas tonī / Illustration in Sepia

9. Ēriks EŠENVALDS (1977) Noktirne / Nocturne

Latvian folk ensemble Trejasmens perform songs from and about the Ropaži parish (in the Vidzeme region, east of Riga) in Latvia. Combining songs and stories, their albums reveal the extensive cultural and historical richness of this region.

Their latest album – Mežā un ciemā – was released in 2022, and, as per the group, this collection is dedicated to the ‘cultural and historical monuments, historical events and natural treasures’ of Ropaži.

Trejasmens, who have been performing together since the early 2000s, combine many different styles into their performances – from more traditional, even ancient styles to songs in a more modern style with electric instruments. The Latvian kokle provides the foundation for the somber ‘Divi dienas mežā gāju’, while ‘Kas redzejēa Auseklīti’, a song about going off to war, is infused with the sounds of Renaissance-era music.

The initial calmness on the album is broken by the sounds of electric guitars on ‘Ogļdeģi’, a song that would also fit in with the repertoire of Latvian metal ensemble Skyforger, ‘Juglas bērni’ is only vocals and electric guitar, but no less intense or powerful.

As on their previous album – 2018’s No Ropažnieku dzīves – the songs are interwoven with spoken stories. On Mežā un ciemā these include ‘Kūpošie Uzkalniņi’, a story about burning trees and the resulting charcoals (there are approximately 4000 such charcoal piles), as well as ‘Mazās Juglas Kaujas’ – Latvian rifleman Kārlis Baltgailis’ harrowing memories of the battle of the Mazā Jugla River during World War I.

Though most of the performances on the album are somber and serious, with mainly folk song texts, the album takes an unexpected turn at the end, concluding with the almost ‘indie rock’ style of ‘Skolas diena’, a bouncy song about the first day of school.

The CD booklet supplements these stories (in Latvian and English) with additional historical notes – like the venerable old oaks of Ropaži,  the unique geological formations of the ‘Lielie Kangari’ nature reserve, and the Endzeliņi Tavern, a place that often resulted in supernatural occurrences for visitors.

Blending both ancient and modern instruments, Trejasmens present the cultural wealth of the Ropaži Parish on Mežā un ciemā. The group is deeply studied in history and archeology, and the knowledge they have gained adds to the authenticity of the performances on the album.

For further information, please visit the Lauska website.

Mežā un ciemā

Trejasmens

Lauska CD099, 2022

Track listing:

1. Divi dienas mežā gāju
2. Kas redzēja Auseklīti
3. Vēlā vakarā Kangaros
4. Ropalniekam trīs dēliņi
5. Kūpošie uzkalniņi
6. Ogļdeģi
7. Lielā Jugla – pavasara ceļš
8. Juglas bērni
9. Gadījumi Mācītājmuižā
10. Mazās Juglas kaujas (Strēlnieka Kārļa Baltgaiļa atmiņas)
11. Kad ar uzvaru
12. Naudas māte
13. Skolas diena