The concert hall “Latvia” will feature film music by Pärt and Kančeli.
On Saturday, March 15th, at 5:00 PM, a special concert will take place at the “Latvia” Concert Hall, featuring music by the renowned composers Arvo Pärt and Giya Kancheli. Both composers are celebrating their 90th anniversaries this year, and the concert will be a tribute to their musical legacy and the wonderful world of music they have created.
The concert will feature the “Xylem Trio,” the Ventspils Chamber Orchestra, soloist Aija Vītoliņa, accordionist Inita Āboliņa, pianist Zane Volberga, cellist Pēteris Ozoliņš, with the concert being hosted by Latvian radio and television personality Liene Jakovļeva. The musical performances will be conducted by conductor Aigars Meri.
Arvo Pärt (1935) is one of the most performed classical music composers in the world. His compositional method, developed in his 70s, known as tintinnabuli or bell technique, creates music that is simple, pleasing to the ear, and simultaneously refined. Much of Arvo Pärt’s music is sacred, inspired by liturgical texts, creating a deep, meditative atmosphere. During the Soviet occupation in Estonia, where authorities tried to suppress open Christian faith expressions, this was considered taboo. He was also seen as being overly influenced by the West, where Pärt had begun to earn critical acclaim. Alongside his musical experiments and the development of his own musical language, Pärt was highly active in the film music industry under the umbrella of the Tallinn Film Studios. Unintentionally, the composer became a freelance artist, and his film music became nearly the only form of artistic expression permitted by the authorities.
This led to the creation of music for more than 40 films – including feature films, documentaries, and animations. In collaboration with the staff of the Arvo Pärt Centre, the composer’s film music scores were explored, which are surprising, innovative, illustrative, and vivid testimonies of the composer’s artistic journey in search of his own musical language.
Giya Kancheli (1935-2019) is primarily known for his symphonic and vocal-symphonic works, but his contribution to theater and film music is invaluable. For 20 years, Kancheli served as the music director at the Shota Rustaveli Theater in Tbilisi, creating music for about 50 productions and 60 films. When he received his first commission at the film studio, Kancheli made a series of revolutionary decisions, such as reducing the role of the ubiquitous standard – the symphonic orchestra. Instead, he employed an instrumental ensemble, which was more flexible and, in the composer’s view, better suited for the distinctive “tapestry” role. Kancheli was also the first at the Georgian Film Studio to apply the principle of initially creating the filmed material and only then composing the music. The film music created at the Georgian Film Studio, with its new nuances and quality, captivated listeners and viewers, while also shaping Kancheli’s composer’s signature, which later manifested itself in his symphonic legacy and other music genres.
The composer had a heartfelt friendship and creative collaboration with many Latvian musicians, including the internationally recognized “Xylem Trio,” which consists of percussionist Rihards Zaļupe, saxophonist Oskars Petrauskis, and pianist Raimonds Petrauskis. The trio’s repertoire is nearly impossible to categorize into a specific music genre, which is why it is called “crossover” – a blend and mix of different music styles and directions. Their collaboration with Kancheli began in 2007 – just a year after the trio’s formation – and in 2010, they released the music album In the Mood of Giya Kancheli, which won the Grand Music Award in the instrumental music category and was also nominated in the “Debut of the Year” and “Best Instrumental, Film, or Theater Music Album” categories. The arrangements from this music album and Round Giya Kancheli (2018) will be performed in the second part of the concert, featuring the Ventspils Chamber Orchestra and singer Aija Vītoliņa.
The concert is organized by SIA “Kurzemes Filharmonija” with the support of the Ventspils City Municipality. Tickets are available for purchase at the “Latvia” Concert Hall box office, as well as at other “Biļešu Paradīze” sales locations and on the website bilesuparadize.lv.
