The more I learn about music, the less I realize I know. I used to think that the male voice was generally divided into three groups: tenor, baritone and bass. It turns out I missed an important one—the countertenor, such as Sergejs Jēgers, whose first compact disc Ave Musica was released earlier this year.

The countertenor sings in a register higher than a tenor. I am an average tenor and struggle to hit a high G in my natural voice, but a countertenor easily reaches it, as well as many notes above.

Countertenors are rare. Apart from being popular during the Baroque period of classical music, they haven’t had much opportunity to shine. However, countertenors have recently returned to the spotlight, and one of the leaders of the renaissance is Latvia’s own Jēgers.

I first heard Jēgers sing at a concert in the Small Guild Hall in Rīga. At that point, I had no idea what a countertenor was, or even who Jēgers was. I was rather surprised at the way he sang, in an upper range that far surpassed anything I had heard. To be honest, had I only heard and not seen him, I would have automatically assumed that it was a woman who was singing, such was the upper range. That took a bit of getting used to, but when I did I had a much greater appreciation for the work of Jēgers and countertenors in general, and a greater respect for what he has accomplished in the Latvian classical music scene.

On Ave Musica, Jēgers sings many classic songs from the Baroque period, selected not just because most works for countertenor are from that period of time, but also because the era is especially dear to Jēgers. The songs were recorded in the Rīga Anglican Church. Jēgers is accompanied by the Baroque Orchestra of Latvia, conducted by Andris Veismanis.

Because almost all the works are from the Baroque era, the themes of many of the songs are of a religious nature, including two arias from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah”:  “But Who May Abide” and “He Was Despised.” Though Baroque music can be considered “simpler” than later music, it is no easy feat to sing it well. The singer also needs to convey the gravity of the text, as these are works of sacred music, and Jēgers is certainly up to the challenge, conveying the somber weight of these Biblical passages.

A great number of arias by Handel are included on this disc. Besides the arias from the “Messiah”, the disc also has arias from the operas “Xerxes,” “Rinaldo” and “Alcina.” The Classical era also is represented, with an early W.A. Mozart piece, Pharnace’s aria “Venga” from the opera “Mitridate.” Also, on the disc you will find two arias from Christoph Gluck’s opera “Orpheus and Euridice.”

The disc closes with one of the most beautiful melodies of the late Renaissance and early Baroque period, Giulio Caccini’s “Ave Maria.” This melody has been performed by many famous singers, including Latvia’s Inese Galante and the internationally renowned Andrea Bocelli. Jēgers joins this elite group with his performance of this sacred song, a fitting entry into the select group who can truly perform this work with the beauty that it requires.

The packaging of the disc is excellent. The liner notes by Orests Silabriedis, which also are translated into English, explain the countertenor (noting that some countertenors sing in falsetto, some in their natural voice, but not actually saying to which group Jēgers belongs!). The notes also contain Jēgers’ biography, as well as song texts for all the arias, and a brief description of each opera or oratorio from which the song is taken. The information is very helpful, and leads to a better understanding of the works and greater enjoyment of Jēgers talents.

It is clear from the recording the immense respect Jēgers has for the music of the Baroque period. It is precise, earnest and spiritual. Certainly, the sound of a countertenor is unusual, but once the listener gets used to it, the realization becomes clearer that Jēgers truly has a unique talent and is an excellent singer. I would recommend Ave Musica for all fans of Baroque music. Even though many of the arias approach 300 years of age, they are still timeless and able to captivate the listener. Jēgers seems poised for bigger and better things, perhaps even on the world stage, and this CD is a great introduction to one of Latvia’s brightest young stars.

Zvani skan, zvani skan, Ziemassvētki brauc… (Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas is coming…). Christmas is just around the corner, so it’s time for a quick look at Latvian Christmas-related Web sites. Every year we hope to find at least one new place on the Web that will inform about the uniquely Latvian way of marking this season. We’re yet to find one site that has everything, from the winter solstice to recipes for gingerbread to the Latvian take on the origins of the Christmas tree.

Let’s start with events associated with Christmas in Rīga. If you’re planning to spend the festive season in Latvia, the Rīgas Domes Kultūras Pārvalde (Department of Culture of the Rīga City Council) or Notikumi.lv can help with information on concerts and other events in the capital.

To save time and send your Christmas greetings to Latvian friends via e-mail why not try E-cards.lv, which has a wide range of seasonal cards to choose from.

To find out more about the traditional Latvian way of celebrating Ziemassvētki read the following articles on Latvians Online:

• Latvian winter festival marks shortest day
• British yule, Latvian blukis have similar roots
• Why Latvians should love fir

If you’re intrigued and want to find out more about Christmas, Latvian-style, the Latvian Institute site has a concise and informative write-up on Latvian seasonal holidays. Latvian folk songs, or four-liner pantiņi, about Christmas can be gleaned from the Krišjāņa Barona Dainu skapis, while more information about traditions is found in the folkore section of the Latvijas Izglītības informatizācijas sistēma (Latvian Education Informatization System). You’ll need to have a basic knowledge of Latvian to read these.

According to an article that appeared on the Apollo portal, Christmas is the season that is the dearest to most Latvians’ hearts, followed by Jāņi (summer solstice) and Mārtiņi.

We can’t forget that Latvia has a Christian tradition and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is primary during this season. The nondenominational Zvans portal has a thought-provoking compilation of Advent- and Christmas-related articles by journalists and clergy, as well as opinions of the average Latvian “person on the street.”

Christmas for many is a time of reflection on the year and on spiritual topics that often get neglected during our hectic day-to-day routine. It is a time of generosity of spirit, expressed in part by the desire to help those in the homeland. Relatives often come first, but if you’re looking for Latvian charities to donate money to, a good starting point is Ziedot.lv. The site, set up in conjunction with Hansabanka, has a team of professionals thoroughly check the projects before they are added to the site, so you can be sure your money won’t end up in a middleman’s pocket.

Last but not least important is Latvian festive fare. What would Christmas be without piparkūkas, pīrāgi and the traditional roast? For discussions on these essential ingredients for a truly Latvian-scented Christmas, look at the Latvians Online Forum for piparkūkas recipes and hints for baking Receptes.lv and Cāļa virtuve. Happy baking!

Reiz bija… (A long, long time ago…), a new compact disc on the market in Latvia, is the soundtrack to a recent children’s musical in Rīga. The play itself is a typical folk tale, where the heroes go on a journey to find a special object or knowledge that will solve a problem. Along the way they meet both good and bad people and animals, who either help or hinder them in fulfilling their goal. In the end, the heroes return home with the required object or knowledge, solve the problem, and everyone lives happily ever after.

The heroes in Reiz bija… are a young brother and sister on a mission to find out how the world was formed. Their journey is based on motifs from Latvian folk songs and folk tales—for example, two yellow horses emerging from the sea, a sunken castle, Jumis, and the mythic river Daugava—and intertwined with folk tales about stars, birds, mountains and hedgehogs. The goal of the producers was to show present-day Latvians that even today we can tap into the knowledge and traditions of past generations and gather strength from them, and that we do not need to give up our traditions in order to “make it” in the modern world. Whether the project achieved its patriotic goal or not, reviews were for the most part good. My elementary school-aged children sat on the edges of their seats for the whole show and liked it very much.

As would be expected, most of the songs in Reiz bija… are traditional folk melodies and use traditional dainas texts. The rest are compositions by Ilga Reizniece, Gatis Gaujinieks and Dace Micāne-Zālīte. The accompaniments are clearly contemporary, as opposed to folk, but the style is not forced. Thankfully, the children’s singing is also natural. Adults sing only two of the songs: a warrior’s song of protection and a song by the “complainers,” annoying caricatures who humorously plead to God for justice and didn’t really seem to fit into the play. It’s nice to hear that many of the children’s songs have mythological themes. Here children are finally deemed capable of more serious subject matter, rather than just cute animals. The young singers are from RīBēJa MuTe, which is an acronym for Rīgas bērnu un jauniešu muzikālais teātris (the Rīga Children’s and Youths’ Musical Theater).

The liner notes provide texts to all of the songs. That’s so that you can sing along karaoke-style to tracks 17-30, which provide just the accompaniment to the preceding songs. The music is straightforward enough (if a bit monotonous—remember, it’s only the accompaniment!), although there are usually no cues as to where one ought to begin singing. This will hopefully stimulate kids (and adults) to sing, and maybe help train a musical ear to boot. Just the other day a friend and I found our children singing one of the Reiz bija… songs while playing together, which is proof the tunes are catchy.