For their debut recording, Romantic Duets, two gifted and young singers, soprano Sonora Vaice of the Latvian National Opera, and tenor Warren Mok, frequent guest artist of the LNO, have recorded eight duets from six renowned Italian operas: Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and L’elisir d’amore, Verdi’s Rigoletto and La Traviata, as well as Puccini’s La Boheme and Madame Butterfly.

The tone color of Vaice’s bright yet passionate voice is elegantly matched by Mok’s clear and ardent singing. The excellent sonics have a vibrant quality well-suited to the soloists’ separate and combined vocal textures, which while easily encompassing both dramatic and lyrical operatic styles, in most of the tracks on this disc, tend to emphasize the former. Under the fine direction of maestro Normunds Vaicis, the Latvian National Opera Symphony Orchestra performs with great finesse, creating a pleasing dynamic balance with the timbre of the singers’ voices.

First on the disc are the three Donizetti duets: “Lucia, perdona…Sulla tomba che rinserra,” “Una parola, o Adina…Chiedi all’aura lusinghiera” and “Caro, Elisir, sei mio?…Esulti pur la barbara.” All make a striking impression, with both singers performing their virtuoso parts with dazzling ease and fervor.

My favorite performances on this release were those of the Verdi duets: “Signor ne principe…E il sol dell’ anima,” “Libiamo, libiamo ne’lieti calici” and “Amato Alfredo…Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo…Ah non piu…a un tempio…,” since in all three the singers’ phrasing has a very natural and appealing flow. It should be noted that in 1992, Vaice made her operatic debut with the LNO as Gilda in Rigoletto. As heard on this disc, the interpretation of Gilda and Duca’s duet is dynamically and emotionally engaging, while Alfredo and Violeta’s duet from Act 1 is especially memorable for its lyricism.

To their performances of Puccini’s supremely masterful duets: “O soave fanciulla” and “Vieni la sera,” Vaice and Mok bring a fresh interpretation that is often technically and emotionally electrifying.

After listening to this recording, it is easy to understand why Christa Ludwig has described Vaice as “a great musician” and why, in writing about one of Warren Mok’s performances, the English Guardian newspaper has written: “His technique is rock solid, with beautiful, even timbre…”

To my knowledge, the particular compilation of duets chosen for this recording has not been reproduced on recent operatic releases, and so provides a welcome complement to the collections of operatic duets currently available. This charming recording, produced by the notable Latvian recording company, UPE, is certain to make a valuable addition to all opera lovers’ libraries.

(Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on SVEIKS.com.)

Listening to Numbvision by The Hobos, a new Rīga pop-rock foursome, you might not think you’re hearing a Latvian band at all. Here are 12 tracks, all in English, that could well have been the work of a young but solid Middle American band.

That must be the charm and appeal of The Hobos, led by singer and lyricist Rolands Ūdris. Songs like “Christian (I’m Gonna Be)” and “She Sounds Like a Little Child” rose quickly in the Latvian radio charts when the album was released late last year.

But why? Put up against other bands that can be heard on the radio, The Hobos are nothing special. Despite the characterization of Ūdris as a poet, the lyrics on many of these songs are not all that outstanding. The musicianship is fine, but again not out of the ordinary. Then why was this album flying off store shelves at Christmas and why does the band continue to be a favorite for concerts? Perhaps because The Hobos prove that even in Rīga you can get good homemade North American pop.

Much of the credit here must go to Ūdris, who has spent some time on this side of the Atlantic, as you’ll quickly tell from his voice, which lacks the usual Eastern European twists on English pronunciation. But it’s also evident in the lyrics, which frequently feel like they’re written from an American sensibility, rather than from anything Latvian. Even the name of the band, The Hobos, makes allusion to a distinctly American character in a distinctly American era. (And, yes, we did check several dictionaries, all of which say the origins of the word “hobo” are unknown.)

Besides Ūdris, the members of The Hobos include Mārtins Burkevics on bass and background vocals, Egons Kronbergs on guitars and Vilnis Krieviņš on drums.

Of the dozen songs on this album, there are several standouts. “Christian (I’m Gonna Be)”—a song not about being born again—laughs at the facility with which some people change their convictions. “Reminiscence of a Funny Face” has a clown searching for greater meaning in his life. “Lululu,” another of those songs about the simplicity of love, is simply wonderful. And “Surrender,” featuring Alexander Sircov on a speaker-rattling bass, is a great tune even if the lyrics might be lost on some listeners.

In interviews in Latvian media, Ūdris and other band members have talked about the art of their songs. We have to agree that Numbvision is not just about being able to do a solid English-language album. These songs do have their pensive aspects, but we also believe that Ūdris could have applied himself a bit more to the craft of his poetry. The metaphors and similes used—for example, “she sounds like a little child,” the clown in the circus, “feeling like a hobo”—often seem too facile. Perhaps that’s because English is not his native tongue (we weren’t overly thrilled with the license he took in translating some of Renārs Kaupers’ lyrics on the English version of Prāta Vētra’s Starp divām saulēm album).

For a debut album, however, we also have to tell The Hobos, “Cepuri nost!,” for their efforts on this project. Earlier this year, Ūdris told the youth magazine S that artistic achievement is more important to the band than commercial success. These guys have the potential for both.

(Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on the SVEIKS.com site.)