Latvian Music Series Vol. 2 - Juris Ābols, Trio for Flute, Violin and Piano - Arturs Grīnups, Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano - Vilnis Šmīdbergs, Trio-sonata for Flute, Violin and Piano - Imants Zemzaris - Marvel Pieces for Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano - Bulavs Chamber Ensemble - Angelok1 2005

Hello everyone. To break il silenzio around here I am Quickly posting Vol. 2 in Angelok1's Latvian Music Series, this time we get great yet unknown chamber music. Volume 2 includes more music by Imants Zemzaris. The other composers here are not represented on the 1st Volume. While everything here is chock full of goodness, great ideas and matching creativity,  it is indeed the "Marvel Pieces" by Zemzaris that I most enjoy. Such multifarious moods to be relished during its 16+ minutes!

I must say this is a superlative recording; I hope you agree!

I will provide information on this recording when I can - I still need to do the same so for Vol. 1  : /

Track list:

Juris Ābols - Trio for Flute, Violin and Piano

1) Allegro

2) Tranquillo, Alla improvisatione

3) Moderato

Arturs Grīnups - Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano

4) Andante mosso; quasi moderato

5) Allegro molto

6) Andante con moto

Vilnis Šmīdbergs 

7) Trio-sonata for Flute, Violin and Piano

Imants Zemzaris - Marvel Pieces for Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano

8) Crazy Love

9) Floridian Beaches

10) Melanchaholic Waltz

11) Loves' Craziness

Enjoy!

Latvian_Music_Series_Vol. 2-Tzadik.zip

http://www9.zippyshare.com/v/eKAP0ngc/file.html

Latvian Music Series Vol. 1 - Jermaks, Five Latvian Folk Songs - Keninš, Sonata for 2 Pianos - Mežaraups, Deux Postludes aprés Chopin - Mence, Songs for 2 Pianos - Zemzaris, "Three Sisters" Fantasy for 2 Pianos - Aperans, Haiku for 2 Pianos - Vecumnieks, Quasi Campanella, & Paraphrase - Angelok1, 2003

This is a really great survey of music written for one and two pianos by Latvian composers. I bought this disc for the Imants Zemzaris piece, the composer from the last two posts. The opening work by Romualds Jermaks "Five Latvian Folk Songs" (one piano, four hands) is one of my favorites on here, and I imagine that most of you will be immediately taken and drawn in from the first bars! 

*I will have to write more on this disc and the composers later, it's getting late and I have to go out for a few hours!

Again I shall finish the post (hopefully) tonight if it's not 3 a.m. etc..

Enjoy!

Latvian_Music_Series_Vol.1-Tzadik.zip

http://www39.zippyshare.com/v/r7eAboKm/file.html

Imants Zemzaris - Before the Snow, for String Quartet & Prepared Piano - Gaišie avoti, for Alto Flute & Violin - Pastorales for Summer Flute, for Organ - Riga String Quartet - Hans-Ola Ericsson, Organ - (Gaišie avoti, artists unknown)

Here are three very different works by Imants Zemzaris. I really like "Before the Snow" for String Quartet and Prepared Piano, and it's a great example of Zemzaris as musical chameleon. Every conceivable emotion ends up flowing from this work; there are astringent sections, lyrical sections and everything in between - indeed, the pastorale-like opening theme reminds me somewhat of Lou Harrison! The prepared piano doesn't have a prominent role here, but nonetheless is a nice touch in this quartet that's brimming with personality and distinctive style. "Gaišie avoti" for Alto Flute and Violin is a quieter, smaller piece and rather entrancing. The solo organ piece "Pastorales for Summer Flute" flows with several sections that are soft meditations focusing on the flute pipes, and then all is dramatically and abruptly shattered by the booming, energetic central section - great stuff I must say - and then we return to the calm with gentle arpeggios and the meditative stream, which closes the the work as it opened. 

A small section of Cēsis castle, a Livonian castle in Cēsis, Latvia

Another section of the former headquarters of the Livonian knights

Latvian woods and fog - perhaps a nice place to listen to "Gaišie avoti"

The castle at night - I just happen to like this Latvian castle - for all I know the composer might like it as well but really is has nothing to do with the music ;)

Enjoy!

Imants_Zemzaris-Three_Works-Tzadik.zip

http://www116.zippyshare.com/v/cV3pBfqb/file.html

Imants Zemzaris - Varšavas triptihs (Warsaw Tryptich) for Piano - Imants Zemzaris, Piano - Melodiya

When you think of composers from Latvia,  Pēteris Vasks is likely the first to spring to mind, followed by the early 20th century composer Jānis Ivanovs. A while back I posted a fine disc of music by the contemporary composer Peteris Plakidis courtesy of Toccata Records - check it out if you haven't thus far.  Ēriks Ešenvalds (born in 1977 I think) is a young Latvian composer to watch - he is known primarily for his many choral works although he has written in other genres as well. Lush romanticism can be heard in the music of Jazeps Vitols - there is a lovely disc of his orchestral works on Marco Polo, and he is known too for his contribution to Latvian choral music - although recordings are hard to find. Georgs Pelēcis is another name that comes to mind, although If I recall he wrote mostly piano music, although I do also have a recording that includes his lively concerto for piano and strings, on an old Erato disc (have no idea where it is). Arturs Grīnups (1939-1989) wrote 10 symphonies, orchestral music, chamber music and instrumental works as well - Unfortunately I don't think that much of his music is currently available; I had a cd of two of his symphonies once but I dunno where it is. *If anyone has any recordings of his music - and feels like sharing - let me know!! It's clear that there is a wealth of superb music from lesser-known composers from Latvia; I have mentioned but a few. 

 I am posting music by one of my favorite Latvian composers, Imants Zemzaris (b. 1951, Riga) who writes in varied styles and is hard to pigeonhole, which I think is always a good thing, and to the composer's creative credit. -The "Warsaw Tryptich" for piano is in 3 movements, and it is one of his finest works for piano. There is beautiful contemplation and melancholy, but also the joyous, dance-like second movement (which I often play over and over). I am posting the videos - original source was youtube - I find that this piece is well worth "owning" and think that you will too. Plus the piece is hard to find otherwise; there is an old Melodiya lp from the 80's, which is one of the recordings I have here - as well as a version played by the composer himself (each mvt is a separate mp4, the Melodiya is one file) Open this wonderful work in VLC etc. and enjoy... no point in going on youtube each time!

Imants Zemzaris

I'm not sure if the composer is the pianist on the non-Melodiya recording; the tempi are slower, however I like it that way. Hope everyone enjoys!


Zemzaris-Varšavas_Triptihs-Tzadik.zip

http://www57.zippyshare.com/v/2BPkMEQu/file.html