Since its founding in 1997, the Kremerata Baltica string chamber orchestra, led by its namesake, Latvian born violin maestro Gidon Kremer, has become one of the premiere string ensembles worldwide. Bringing together the finest talents from the Baltic States, the group has toured throughout the world and won numerous awards.

Throughout its quarter century of performance, Kremer and Kremerata Baltica have also championed the works of Baltic composers. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, and to also celebrate the work of Latvian composers, the ensemble released the album ppp in 2022, collecting works by Latvian composers whose last name ends in ‘P’ –  Pēteris Plakidis, Kristaps Pētersons, and Georgs Pelēcis.

Another interpretation of the album’s title – ppp – would be the musical term pianississimo, or, ‘very, very quiet’, and while there are many quiet moments on the album, there is still much energy and fire (and volume) in the performances. Plakidis, who passed away in 2017, provides the “Little Concerto for two violins” for this collection. While not truly a ‘concerto’ – only Kremer and violinist Madara Pētersone perform this work, the interplay between the two violins gives the work an orchestral feel. The melancholic second movement – “Vakara mūzika” (Evening Music) displays Plakidis’ skill with melody, as well as Kremer’s and Pētersone’s talents in revealing the aching emotion and sadness in the work. The third movement – “Ceļš” (Road) – has more tension, but concludes in a celebratory atmosphere, with the two violins creating vivacious fanfares.

The next composer to be spotlighted on the album is Kristaps Pētersons, who has contributed three compositions to this collection. The first is “Ground” for double bass solo, performed by the composer himself. The slow, deliberate and very quiet performance is punctuated by sudden percussive sonic effects (which sound like the performer striking the instrument with his bow), giving the work an ominous, uneasy atmosphere. This is followed up by the mathematical “π = 3,14” for two double basses (Pētersons is joined by Iurii Gavrilyuk also on double bass, as well as Andrei Pushkarev on vibraphone). Perhaps inspired by the mysterious, unending sequence of decimal places of π, the work is full of mystery, perhaps it is a search for something that cannot be found. Pushkarev’s vibraphone adds an additional enigmatic layer to the work, adding to the captivating mood.

Pētersons also provides the three movement “Music for a Large Ensemble”, which is performed by the new ensemble Kremerata Lettonica (formed during the pandemic, and made up of musicians from Latvia). The brief first movement begins with ominous rumbling,  while the second is built upon a pulsating, repeating string motif, while the other instruments circle around in a meditative ascension. The first two movements are also characterized by sonic explorations, and even the composer himself comments that these movements are “monotonous dead ends of sounds”. The harsher third movement, featuring an uneasy electric guitar performance by Pētersons, builds up the tension only to dissipate with a plaintive squeal of strings. The musicians of Kremerata Lettonica skillfully reveal the many nuances and layers in Pētersons’ complex work.

With his beautiful and melancholy works, composer Georgs Pelēcis has made a name for himself worldwide, and his popularity continues to grow, aided by his fruitful, long-term collaboration with Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica. On this album, the ensemble presents Pelēcis’ ‘Three pieces from Fiori Musicali’, which displays many of the elements that have distinguished Pelēcis, particularly his Baroque-inspired melodic lines and emotionally rich atmospheres. The work is directly inspired by music of that era, as per the CD booklet, the composer “named this blooming garden Fiori Musicali after Girolamo Frescobaldi’s collection of liturgical organ music from the 17th century.” Kremerata Baltica capture the tender essence and melancholic beauty of Pelēcis’ music, resulting in a moving and soul-stirring performance.

In the hands of singularly talented musicians such as Gidon Kremer and the musicians of Kremerata Baltica, these works by Plakidis, Pētersons and Pelēcis are elevated to a lofty musical perch. Though the music and styles of the three composers are markedly different, the ensemble reveals the many unique facets of each of the works, and, at the same time, displaying the creative talents of these composers. ppp is both a testament to the creative skills of these three composers as well as to the instrumental talent of Gidon Kremer and the musicians of Kremerata Baltica.

For further information, please visit the Kremerata Baltica website and the Skani website.

ppp

Kremerata Baltica

LMIC/SKANi 139, 2022

Track listing:

Pēteris Plakidis

Mazs koncerts divām vijolēm / Little Concerto for two violins

1 I. Sadziedāšanās / Singing Together

2 II. Vakara mūzika / Evening Music

3 III. Ceļš / The Road

Kristaps Pētersons

4 Ground kontrabasam solo / for double bass solo

5 π = 3,14 diviem kontrabasiem, sitaminstrumentiem un ierakstam / for two double basses, percussion, and recording

Mūzika lielam ansamblim / Music for a Large Ensemble

6 I. ♪ = 124

7 II. ♪ = 82

8 III. ♪ = 124

Georgs Pelēcis

Trīs skaņdarbi no krājuma Fiori Musicali / Three pieces from Fiori Musicali

9 Vientuļā kalla / The Lone Calla

10 Peoniju deja / Dance of the Peonies

11 Kosmejas skumjas / Cosmea Melancholy

My Century by Kristaps Keggi M.D., 2022, 360 pages

Of the many remarkable American Latvian success stories, the life and career of Kristaps Keggi M.D. is one of the most exceptional. A child fleeing war and Soviet terror departs Latvia, spends time in refugee camps, then arrives in the United States with his family, not much to his name, but grows up to become one of the most respected orthopedic surgeons in the world.

Now nearly 90 years in age, his storied career took him all over the world – from the United States, to Vietnam, throughout Russia, as well as back to Latvia. Dr. Keggi has collected his many experiences and, in 2022, published a memoir entitled My Century, subtitled “A memoir of war, peace and pioneering in the operating room”. At times terrifying, other times humorous, it even has some unexpected intrigue, particularly in Keggi’s travels in the former Soviet Union. Keggi also writes about his experience being a surgeon during the Vietnam War. Keggi is also blessed with an exceptional memory, and he shares many detailed anecdotes about the people who he has met throughout his life, even if briefly – the stories are often touching, occasionally tragic.

Keggi writes in a brisk, matter of fact style, even laconic at times. Perhaps befitting a surgeon, the writing is crisp and to the point, without unnecessary flowery adornments (for example, one chapter is simply entitled ‘Other Russian People and Places’). He also helpfully provides historical background for many of the events in his life, such as Latvian history, which may not be familiar to all readers. He also goes into medical detail about his many innovations in orthopedic surgery, particularly hip procedures. Keggi also writes extensively about his teaching and his sharing of knowledge with medical professionals all over the world, as well as his extensive charitable work. Keggi also has a droll sense of humor, amusingly using medical terminology in sentences like this about a Playboy Playmate visiting Vietnam – ‘They had to settle for a view of her deltoids, having hoped for bared gluteus maximus muscles which … would have been worth visualization.’

Anecdotes that Keggi shares include the shocking story of the time he was a person of interest in a murder investigation (the still unsolved murder of Dr. Mary Sherman of New Orleans, who Keggi was supposed to meet while traveling through the area), as well his work and friendship with Aleksey Stepanovich Shindjajev – the #2 man in the KGB, with whom Keggi worked with extensively, and Keggi details many adventures that could even be considered Cold War thrillers.

The most harrowing and poignant section of the memoir is Dr. Keggi’s experiences as a surgeon in Vietnam during the war. Life and death situations, difficult decisions, and the near constant presence of death and terror fill Keggi’s time in Vietnam, including the story of being part of a “lost hospital”, a surgical hospital that was the scene of a chaotic withdrawal, leaving the surgical team members abandoned near the Cambodian border.

Though Dr. Keggi has had an amazing, successful life, he does concede that there has been quite a bit of good luck and fortune that has helped him throughout his life. From the Soviet army pausing before their assault on Riga at the end of World War II (which gave Keggi’s family time to escape) or surviving a fire in a burning tent full of explosive medical materials in Vietnam, and even enduring the mental breakdown of a soldier with a loaded rifle that luckily jammed, also in Vietnam.

Keggi’s memoir is also timely, having been released not long after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Though Keggi does make a case for the benefits of the United States having a positive relationship with Russia, particularly due to the many positive relationships and friendships he has had with Russians throughout his career, he added a postscript to the memoir about a colleague Olafs Libermanis from Latvia who immediately traveled to the war zone in Ukraine to help, and Keggi is there with him in spirit.

My Century by Kristaps Keggi M.D. is an amazing story of war, medicine, and the many noteworthy people who have passed through Keggi’s life. It makes for engaging and informative reading for Latvians, medical students and professionals, or anyone interested in history. Dr. Keggi’s story is an inspiration, and his attention to detail imbues his memoir with vivid images and scenes, making for a remarkable and memorable life story.

Distinguished, award-winning Latvian pianist Dzintra Erliha has, throughout her career, premiered and championed the works of women composers. To celebrate the contribution of women composers to the field of solo piano music, Erliha recorded the album Serena, which is a collection of works by Latvian and American women composers, all of which were composed in the 21^st century. The album was released in 2023 on the Prima Classic label.

The works collected on Serena are emotionally deep, plumbing the depths of the psyche and the soul, and this is exhibited on the uneasy, brittle Ballads Nos. 1 and 2 by American composer Sharon Farber. In the CD booklet, Farber notes that the work was inspired by a friend who was struggling with her mental health, and envisioned herself as a free spirit, flying above the earth. Erliha’s nuanced performance captures both the difficult struggle and inner turmoil, as well as the glimmers of hope, that are interwoven in Farber’s work.

Erliha displays her technical skill when performing the challenging ‘Variations’ by American composer Leanna Primiani, as the work makes sudden changes in tempo and mood, quiet and playful at one moment, then contemplative, and surging to a thunderous conclusion, and Erliha’s adept performance reveals the nuances and intricacies of this composition.

Many of the works on the album are dedicated to Erliha, including ‘Hope’ by Latvian American composer Lolita Ritmanis, who has won many awards for her music for television and film, and among her credits is the soundtrack to the Latvian film Dvēseļu putenis. ‘Hope’ is sonorous and meditative, and allows Erliha the opportunity to display her talents with melody, as she imbues Ritmanis’ sweeping work with a tonal richness.

Erliha frequently collaborates with Latvian American composer Dace Aperāne, and this close relationship has led to many fruitful works, including the three part ‘Pastorāles’ included on Serena. According to the CD booklet, Aperāne was inspired by works of art by the Latvian painter-symbolist Pēteris Krastiņš. Erliha performs the gentle, contemplative ‘New Moon’ with a light touch, giving the work an almost fragile atmosphere, while ‘Clouds’ is dramatic and mysterious, and ‘Small Forest’ is a tender, bucolic work, partly inspired by bird calls, and Erliha conjures an enveloping pastoral atmosphere with her graceful and delicate performance.

Nature also inspires Latvian composer Mārīte Dombrovska, and her work ‘Serena’ was born of time spent in the countryside. Though initially quiet and reserved, the work builds in intensity to a storm of turmoil, then quietly dissipates at the conclusion. The work seems to tell a story (the composer notes the ‘serena’ is a song of forbidden love performed by the troubadours of Provence), and Erliha brings forth the emotional depth of this work.

Latvian composer Sabīne Ķezbere’s notes that her composition ‘Divine Feminine’ “has nothing to do with feminism” but was more to create a “fragile, sensitive and at the same time strong musical character.”” The work is quiet and introspective, and, though the work is reserved, Erliha’s playing displays the inner strength and power in this composition.

The album concludes with the four part ‘Porcelain Sonata’ by Latvian composer Ilona Breģe. Inspired by the Riga Porcelain Factory, which was famous worldwide for the quality of its porcelain products. The vivacious and energetic ‘Morning Tea Cup’ leads to the more somber ‘Sugar Bowl without a Lid’, a work composed only for left hand, which results in a work full of rich bass notes, though imbued with a sense of loss. ‘Hand Painted Flower Vase’ is rich with colors and textures, while ‘Gilded Coffee Set for the Evening’ is resonant and resplendent, and Erliha’s playing is animated and bright, musically displaying the beauty and fragility of these porcelain inspired compositions.

Pianist Dzintra Erliha’s album Serena reveals a wide panorama of sounds and images created by many distinguished American and Latvian women composers. Each work has its own personality and story, and Erliha’s adept and skilled performances reveal the many emotional layers and sonic facets of all these diverse and varied works.

Dzintra Erliha will be performing in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Friday, February 9, 2024.

For further information, please visit Dzintra Erliha’s website.

Serena

Dzintra Erliha

Prima Classic PRIMA020, 2023

Track listing:

Sharon Farber

1. Ballad No.1
2. Ballad No.2

Leanna Primiani

• Variations

Lolita Ritmanis

• Hope

Dace Aperāne

Pastorales

•  New Moon
• Clouds
• Small Forest

Mārīte Dombrovska

• Serena

Sabīne Ķezbere

• Divine Feminine

Ilona Breģe

Porcelain Sonata

1. Morning Tea Cup
2. Sugar Bowl without a Lid
3. Hand Painted Flower Vase
4. Gilded Coffee Set for the Evening