In his youth, almost everyone feels a little lonely, incomprehensible and angry that the world and society are not what he thinks they should be. Over time, the young man learns to adapt, but according to a play by the Armenian American writer William Saroyan, the rock opera by brothers Viktor and Imants Kalnins Hey, you’re there! is for those who are not ready to reconcile and wait, but are fighting for life and death, even knowing that loss due to force majeure is inevitable. In the middle – a fragile romance dressed in beautiful melodies, when the hero captured for her rebellious actions and decided by the lynching court meets prison cleaner Keith, who embarrassingly admits that she has more than just nineteen short summers, but now a common dream of a paradise garden. appointed in San Francisco.
On the way – by the side!
The turn of the 1960s and 1970s was a time of hippie flowers, and there was no shortage in the West to quell them: they protested against consumer society and the war in Vietnam, as did Andrew Lloyd-Weber and Tim Rice’s 1970 rock opera. Superstar of Jesus Christ was a challenge, allowing himself to tell a biblical legend in the then still new and revolutionary rock and roll language – Jesus was made the first hippie, because that’s exactly what he looked like.
Almost at the same time as the world-famous rock opera Hey, you’re there! – the opus was written in 1971 and is the first work of the rock opera genre made in the territory of the then USSR. The first production in Liepāja Theater with Juris Bartkevičs and Ieva Akurateta in the main roles and group Liv with Eriks Ķigelis and Juris Pavītols in the orchestra pit took place only six years later. This is not surprising, because in angry lines like “… I hate your stinking world, your sour sermons. I hate your words and deeds …” and “… edges … “the authorities could hear anything – even the call to demolish the train after Thunder The 1985 Ogre concert, which featured a different program.
Thunder a Bird sun
It is Jura Kulakov’s group Thunder, which is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, played again in the autumn of 1983 Hey, you’re there! Directed by Valdis Lūriņš in the Great Hall of the University of Latvia. A little later, in the apartment of composer Imants Kalniņš, sound director Māris Student recorded this version of the performance, which was released this year in a restored version of Mārtiņš Krastiņš from the original tape, Bird sun Led by Andris Veisans. There have already been opinions that nothing should have been changed and left in the original version with the choir Daile as in the 1990s MicRec in the issued cassette Ordalia, but the group was not completely satisfied with this record. And Bird sun the voices really fit so organically into the recordings of Jura Kulakova (piano, synthesizers), Jura Sējana (bass guitar, clarinet), Leona Sējana (guitar), Daiņa Strazdiņa (drums), Raimonds Bartaševičs (voice), Ieva Akurateres (voice) almost 40 years ago It sounds like Baiba Jagere (flute) that the ignorant would not say whether or not there are any modern improvements.
In the autumn, this record, which is now available on CD and streaming sites, will also be released on a vinyl record that has survived all other formats, with a newly created design by Otto, a descendant of former Latvian musician friend and like-minded artist Raul Zitmanis.
Imantday radio
Many, and also my, acquaintance with Hey, you’re there! took place through a TV production, which was made in 1986 in the role of Igor Siliņš, the rebel He and the constant Akuratera Keita, musically accompanied by a group led by Nika Matvejev and the choir Daile with Guide Kokaru. Over time, two more productions have been made – in 1992 at the Liepāja Theater and in 2011 at the Spīķeri Concert Hall with a group Bus in the sky.
This – groups Thunder rock opera versions – the edition is not only Mārtiņš Krastiņš’s next step in identifying, restoring and conserving Latvian classics in the best possible quality, but also a greeting to Imants Kalniņš, who turns eighty this year. Imantdays – Imants Kalniņš Music Festival, which would now be 45 years old, will not take place in person this year due to the pandemic, but on July 1 at Latvian Radio 2 at The recording of the Imantdienas concert made in the 1st studio of Latvijas Radio will be played by Marts Kristiāns Kalniņš, Olga Rajecka, Uģis Roze, Kristīne Kārkle-Kalniņa, Ainars Mielavs and Daumants Kalniņš, accompanied by Jānis Miltiņš (keys), Jānis Kalniņš Orubs (percussion), Valters Sprūdžs (bass guitar) and Edgars Kārklis (accordion, bagpipes). An hour before the radio Imantdays The concert will feature a program dedicated to Imants Kalniņš.
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