Latvian composer Rihards Dubra, has, in the past decade, established himself as one of the premiere composers of sacred music in Latvia. Finding inspiration in his Catholic faith, as well as the music of composers like Arvo Part and John Taverner, Dubra has composed extensively in the choral music genre, and his large-scale choral work ‘Te Deum’ won the Latvian Great Music Award in 2003.

Besides his works for choir, Dubra has also composed several symphonic works. Recognizing Dubra’s contribution to the field of Latvian symphonic music, the Latvian national record label Skani, in 2020, released a CD of two symphonic works – Symphony No. 2 and ‘Mystery of His Birth’. The recordings, made in 2015, were performed by the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and conductor Atvars Lakstīgala.

A mournful tolling of a bell can be heard at the beginning of the first movement of Symphony No. 2 (subtitled ‘Visio’), which is then joined by a solemn melody performed in the brass section, which gradually expands and swells, then suddenly turns into a tense, rapid performance in the strings, punctuated by brief bursts of sound from the brasses. The bursts of sound continue, with a kind of an echo from the percussion. The turmoil goes on, but then suddenly changes into a serene, quiet melody in the middle of the movement. This then gradually builds to a crescendo near the end of the movement, as the turbulence returns, and the movement closes out with a dramatic, lengthy tonal descent.

The subtitle for the second movement is ‘Cantus’, and the music is meant to evoke a sacred choral song. A solemn, slow melody begins the movement, performed reverently by the orchestra. The performance is atmospheric and mysterious, and it retains its choral character until the very end, when there is a slight crescendo, and all the orchestra’s instruments come together like voices in a choir, elevating the performance. The movement concludes much as it began, with a quiet, reserved melody, in an almost tender performance.

The Book of Revelations provides inspiration for the third and final movement, entitled ‘Et vidi…’, and is by far the most dramatic section of the Symphony. Dubra himself calls the movement ‘apocalyptic’, and the intense, deliberate brass sounds accent the ominous nature of this section. Discordance, and an uneasy trepidation are woven throughout, and the intensity of the music continues until the conclusion. Still, even considering the apocalyptic nature of the music, the Symphony ends on a positive, bright note, with a flourish in the orchestra. A gong crash concludes the work, as perhaps a final warning.

“Mystery of his Birth”, a musical account of the events of Christmas Eve, features cello soloist Ēriks Kiršfelds, who, through the sounds of the cello, brings forth the mysticism and wonder of the work. The celebratory nature of the piece is accentuated by bells, as well as the rising melody in the brass instruments. The work ends rather suddenly, with an ascending melody in the cello supplemented by bells.

The CD booklet includes an extensive interview with the composer, where he gives insights into his influences and compositional style. Interesting tidbits include his interest in art rock, groups such as Yes and Gentle Giant, and that he also includes Gregorian themes in his compositions. Still, one would have liked to read more about the works themselves.

At times dramatic and ominous, at other times uplifting and positive, the symphonic music of Rihards Dubra distinguishes itself with both its intensity, as well as its deep spirituality. In the booklet notes, Dubra says he will “be happy if this music helps someone to persevere and overcome, to gain peace of mind”, revealing the personal and spiritual nature of his work – that music can be comforting and reassuring. The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, along with conductor Atvars Lakstīgala, bring forth the many facets of Dubra’s music, confirming the singular talents of the composer and the many layers of his symphonic works.

For further information, please visit the composer’s page at the Latvian Music Information Center, and the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra website.

Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, conductor Atvars Lakstīgala

Rihards Dubra – Symphony No. 2 / The Mystery of His Birth

LMIC 080, 2020

Track listing:

Symphony No. 2

1. Visio
2. 2. Cantus
3. 3. Et vidi…

4. Mystery of His Birth

The Latvian folk ensemble Ceiruleits has now been playing and performing since 1990. Based out of the town of Līvāni, the group performs folk songs from the Latgale region of Latvia in a traditional manner. The group released their most recent album – Skaņu balseņu palaidu – in 2021.

The large ensemble – the CD booklet lists seventeen participants (and almost all of them provide vocals) – is led by Anna Kārkle. With such a large number of vocalists and instrumentalists, the songs have a very rich and textured sound, and the arrangements make extensive use of vocal harmonies, such as on ‘Kyukoj pūru dzagyuzeite’ and the song ‘Skaņu balseņu palaidu’, where the soaring female voices are used to great effect.

The album is full of cheery, joyous songs, such as ‘Ļusteigu munu prōteņu’, a song about forgetting one’s troubles, and ‘Sazīdēja gaiļa pīši’, a wedding dance song, a tribute to the occasionally raucous and multi-day affairs that are Latgalian weddings. Ceiruleits provide a similarly exuberant performance of ‘Es nagōju krustobōs’, a christening song, and the guests wish the young child a hundred cows, bulls and horses.

Some of the most beautiful folk songs come from the Latgale region, and one such example is ‘Zynu, zynu tāva sātu’, a song about being always able to remember one’s father’s homestead, as a bride returns after being away for a long time, and Ceiruleits accent the longing in the wistful interpretation of this song.

Though most of the songs on the album are brief (two minutes or shorter), ‘Nadūd, Dīvs, veitūlam’ lasts for more than seven minutes. A song in a minor key (comparatively rare in Latvian folk songs overall, but a bit more common in songs from Latgale), the song, about a drunkard and his bride, tells of the travails and sadness of the bride. The bride waits all night for her drunkard to return home, but then eventually shuts the drunkard out of the house and makes him sleep on the road. The ironic refrain – which would indicate happiness in any other song – ‘I will wed the most beautiful girl and live happily ever after’ – compounds the tragedy of the song, and Ceiruleits give a memorable interpretation of the song.

The CD booklet contains the song lyrics, but it would have been interesting to read more about the ensemble and why some of the songs were chosen. The booklet could also have benefited from English translations (or brief explanations of what the songs are about), for those listeners not familiar with Latvian or Latgalian.

With their authentic performances, rich harmonies, and enthusiastic singing and playing, Ceiruleits have recorded a memorable album of Latgalian folk songs on Skaņu balseņu palaidu. Covering many aspects of life in Latgale – birth, christenings, weddings, working hard, and, most of all, enjoying life, the songs and performances reveal the many treasures that are Latgalian folk songs.

For further information, please visit the Ceiruleits Facebook page

Skaņu balseņu palaidu

Ceiruleits

SKU C 01, 2021

Track listing:

1. Zynu, zynu tāva sātu
2. Ceļ, mameņa, gūvu gani
3. Kyukoj pūru dzagyuzeite
4. Jura polka
5. Tolka lela, tolka moza
6. Jau sauleite aizalaide
7. Zīdi, zīdi ōru pļova
8. Gaismeņa ause
9. Sazīdēja gaiļa pīši
10. Aiz azara malni meži
11. Oi, Dīveņ(i), soldons ols
12. Nadūd, Dīvs, veitūlam
13. Vysu mežu izstaigōju
14. Es nagōju krustobōs
15. Skaņu balseņu palaidu

Throughout the centuries, composition has been an almost exclusively male dominated profession. Only in the 20^th century did women’s contributions to composition become actively encouraged and recognized. In many ways, Latvia has been a leader in the field of women’s composition – in the last half century, several women composers have risen to prominence, and young women composers have been making their mark in recent decades.

To celebrate the contribution of these composers to Latvian academic music, the Latvian national record label released the album The Glittering Wind in 2020, which features symphonic works by five female Latvian composers, performed by the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and conductors Atvars Lakstīgala and Gintaras Rinkevičius.

The ambitious Liepāja Concerti project, where a dozen Latvian composers were invited to compose a concerto with the city of Liepāja as an inspiration, has, up until now, only had one contribution by a female composer. Liepāja Concerto No. 7 for piano and orchestra, by Santa Ratniece, is a five-movement work that features pianist Vestards Šimkus. Šimkus described the work as being inspired by the ‘Himalayan mountains’, and themes of spirituality and Eastern mysticism are interwoven throughout the work. The first movement, fragile and almost dainty, has a dreamlike character, like a kind of deep meditation, with Šimkus’ piano performance giving an ethereal quality to the work. Piano arpeggios punctuate the brief second movement, both rising and falling, almost like flight, which then leads into the mystical third movement, a contemplative journey using Eastern instruments and sounds. The work concludes in the stormy, almost stressful fifth movement, with Šimkus’ piano sounding like an alarm, alongside ominous percussion from the orchestra. Conductor Atvars Lakstīgala leads the orchestra to the work’s reflective and subdued conclusion, as brief bursts of sound intermingle with silence as the work slowly dissipates.

The other five compositions on the album are miniatures, and Ratniece also provides ‘Aureola’, a musical representation of light around the moon. On this and the other miniatures, conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius helps conjure the visual and sonic representation of this imaginative work.

Composer Marina Gribinčika also finds inspiration in elements of nature in her work “Kolkas raga viļņi” (The Waves of Cape Kolka), about the northern point of the Kurzeme region in Latvia where the waves of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Rīga meet, and, on windy days, crash into each other. The ebb and flow of these two bodies of water is captured in the sound of the orchestra and reveals the unique natural beauty of this area.

The poetry of Aspazija provides inspiration for Maija Einfelde’s somber “Un pār visu spīd saule trejkrāsaina…” (And a Tricolour Sun Shines on Everything…) Einfelde’s music is often tense, even harsh, and there are elements of sadness and melancholy throughout the work, such as bells tolling, and the orchestra provides a vivid interpretation of the varied resplendent colors of the sun.

Gundega Šmite’s “Vēja mirdzums” (The Glittering Wind) uses varied sonic textures and effects to achieve the representation of the wind, full of pollen from meadows. The swirling sound of the wind instruments, and the tinkling of bells, generates an enveloping atmosphere, where the listener can imagine standing in a field while the wind blows in all directions.

Selga Mence interweaves Latvian folk melodies with memories of her childhood in “Viļņu spēles” (Games of the Waves). A slightly sentimental tone can be heard throughout, perhaps viewing the waves through a child’s eyes, beholding and marveling at the beauty of the sea. The work leads to a stormy climax, with the rising and falling strings, as well as percussion, vividly portraying a tumultuous moment by the water. The work concludes with a fragment of the Latvian folk song ‘Es redzēju jūriņā’, a song about the Sea Mother, as perhaps a display of reverence for the power and beauty of the sea.

These symphonic works display the broad range and colorful palette of female Latvian composers. Each has her own unique, individual style, creating multicolored, layered works. The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, and conductors Atvars Lakstīgala and Gintaras Rinkevičius reveal the many complexities and nuances of these symphonic works.

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

The Glittering Wind

The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra

Skani LMIC 079, 2020

Track listing:

Santa Ratniece – Liepāja Concerto No. 7 for piano and orchestra

1. I. 4:44
2. 2. II. 2:17
3. 3. III. 11:49
4. 4. IV. 2:36
5. 5. V. 4:12

• Marina Gribinčika – “Kolkas raga viļņi” / The Waves of Cape Kolka
• Maija Einfelde – “Un pār visu spīd saule trejkrāsaina…” / And a Tricolour Sun Shines on Everything…
• Gundega Šmite – “Vēja mirdzums” / The Glittering Wind
• Santa Ratniece – “Aureola”
• Selga Mence – “Viļņu spēles” / Games of the Waves