Innovative Sounds and Saxophone Quartet: A Night of Musical Novelties in Latvia

In this concert and for the first time in Latvia, the music of the composer was heard To Set the Darkness Echoing. This intriguing piece was composed in 2005 and is characterized by innovative sounds and a slightly spooky orchestration. It was created as a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., a US pastor and activist of the African-American civil rights movement. The music heralds the profound change that King inspired, reflecting how we (as a society) behave and, in the words of poet Sheamus Heaney, “making the darkness echo”.

The third novelty in this concert program was a new collaboration. Orchestra “Rīga” met on stage for the first time with the saxophone quartet “Atomos”, which consists of saxophonists: Arvīds Kazlausks, Aigars Raumanis, Roberts Martini and Rūdolfs Pēteris Rubenis. The music of the Latvian-Canadian composer Nick Gotham will be played Bacchanalia, which was once dedicated to the “Rīga” Orchestra. Nik Gothams (1959-2013) was a saxophonist who spent a large part of his creative life in Latvia, so his music reflects an important era of Latvian saxophone music.

A piece by Eric Whittaker is also included in the application program of the brass virtuosity show Equus, which translates from Latin as “Horse”. The composer wanted to create perpetual motion (perpetual motion) effect – a composition that begins in motion and never stops. Orchestra “Rīga” performed this music at the opening concert of the 2016 season.

The concert took place within the framework of the “White Night” program of the contemporary culture forum. Moderator Liene Jakovļeva will complement the music with stories, the recording was made by Latvijas Radio 3 Classic, and it can also be heard there by searching for a record in the archive. The creation of a new work is supported by the State Cultural Capital Fund and Riga City Council.

2023-09-10 13:02:48
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