Latvian Radio Choir, Sinfonietta Rīga The oratorio “Five Angels”
The style of the Siberian purebred who is Pavel Karmanov has developed similarly to the creative searches of Arvo Pårt. First he tried his hand at various modernism techniques, then he looked at “neo” styles, and then, finally, he found a minimalist form of expression that he has used for decades. At one time Karmanov was active in the world of Russian rock music, but now his contemporaries include the outstanding Russian harpsichordist Alexei Lyubimov, the viola player Yuri Bashmet, the violinist Tatiana Grindenko, the Opus Posth orchestra, and other artists who regularly perform the minimalist opuses of this unusual Russian composer.
Five Angels, which is a 2013 composition for soloists, a choir and an orchestra, is one of Karmanov’s few opuses with a religious bent. It was dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty, as well as to Russia’s last tsarina, Alexandra, and her four daughters, all of whom were murdered in Yekaterinburg. The oratorio includes Orthodox Church prayers, passages from various poets, and poetry by the eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the holy martyr Olga (the Orthodox Church declared Nicholas and his family to be holy martyrs in 2000).
The second partner in this evening’s conversation is half a century older. The music of Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996), like that of Astor Piazzolla and that of other, nearly unknown composers, was largely revealed to Latvian audiences by the violinist Gidon Kremer. In the territory of the former Soviet Union, many people will recognise the sunny melodies from cartoons featuring Winnie the Pooh and “Boniface on Holiday,” as well as other melodies from the wide range of cinema and theatre music that Weinberg composed. The world has only recently begun to learn about this “serious side” (22 symphonies, several operas, instrumental concertos and string quartets) – music that at one time delighted the distinguished Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich. Weinberg’s Fourth Chamber Symphony, op 153, was the last score that he completed (1992). It is a one-movement symphony in which the timbre of the clarinet is heard most clearly. The themes are typical of Klezmer music and include certain quotes, as well as soulful, lyrically exciting and fragile passages.
Programme
Pavel Karmanov’s Five Angels (Dedicated to the last czarina of Russia, Alexandra, and her four daughters), Mieczysław Weinberg’s Fourth Chamber Symphony, op 153
Participants
Normunds Šnē, conductor
