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Pēteris Vasks Celebrates 75!

Apr. 01, 2021

Pēteris Vasks, like no other composer, is an ambassador for the music of his native country Latvia and the rich culture of the North. Prior to 1991, he was subject to repression for his beliefs and artistic convictions, but today he has long achieved international acclaim. His instrumental works are performed across the world by renowned musicians and also utilized for ballets, most recently in "Solitude", choreographed by Mario Schröder for Leipzig Ballet. Pēteris Vasks incorporates archaic and folkloristic elements from his homeland in his compositions, bringing them into an exciting relationship with contemporary musical language. Topics as contrasting as the beauty of nature and the ecological and moral destruction of the world find their way into his music.

AWARDS

Pēteris Vasks will receive a lifetime achievement award at the 49th Istanbul Music Festival in June, less than two months after his 75th birthday. The award is given annually by the festival: previous laureates include Daniel Barenboim, Philip Glass, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, Zubin Mehta, Arvo Pärt, Krzysztof Penderecki and Murray Perahia. Following the award ceremony, the Modigliani Quartet will give the Turkish premiere of his String Quartet No. 6 for which the composer received the Latvian Grand Music Award in March.

WORLD PREMIERES, LIVE STREAMS AND SCHEDULED PERFORMANCES

On April 16, Little Summer Music will be streamed on Danmarks Radio. The world premiere of Angele Deiwill be performed by the Latvian Radio Choir at Jurmala Latvia the same day. On April 22, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra (Andris Poga) perform Vasks's Musicaserena for string orchestra. The Leipzig Ballet revives the ballet ‘Chaplin’ featuring Vasks’ First Symphony will be performed by the Leipzig Ballet on June 6. Finally, a performance of Message by The BBC National Orchestra of Wales takes place at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival in September. 

VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 2 ‘IN EVENING LIGHT’

Commissioned by O/MODERNT, Sinfonietta RĪga, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra and Danish Youth Ensemble. Almost twenty-five years after the internationally successful Violin Concerto No. 1 "Distant Light", Pēteris Vasks has composed a second concerto for violin and string orchestra. The theme of light also plays a role in the content of the new work in which Vasks reflects on evening light as a metaphor for the twilight years of human beings. The central of the three movements, which flow seamlessly into one another, focuses on the individual looking back on life with its intermittent dramas, and leads into a virtuoso cadenza of ecstasy. In contrast, the slow and cantabile outer movements are characterized by a calm and melancholy atmosphere of farewell to life with a hopeful expectation of the (evening) light on the horizon.


(Pēteris Vasks/Violin Concerto No. 1 "Distant Light"/Frankfurt Radio Symphony/Marc Bouchkov, violin/Stanislav Kochanovsky, conductor)

NEW RECORDINGS

The Bavarian Radio Orchestra has recently released two recordings featuring Pēteris Vasks's music. The first disc features a concert recording of Vasks's first violin concerto "Distant Light", his First Symphony "Balsis" and Viatore in a version for 11 strings 

The second recording features the cello concerto Klatbutne, Musica serena, Musica dolorosa and Musica appassionata.

COMPOSER BROCHURE

Schott has published an updated brochure of Pēteris Vasks’s published works. You may order or download it here. You may also read it online on Issuuhere. 

CHORAL WORKS BROCHURE

On the occasion of Pēteris Vasks’ birthday, Schott Music has issued a brochure featuring selected choral works which is available free of charge in printed form or as a download here. You may also read it online on Issuu here.  

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST 

Please click here to for our Pēteris Vasks playlist.

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