When the fence posts are green. Review of the concert programs of Mirdza Zīvere and Zigmar Liepiņš L’Importante / Diena

The 70th anniversary celebration of composer Zigmars Liepins began with the publication of his memoirs in a book Musethe first CD of his band Opus A recording of the 1986 Philharmonic Hall concert, which was presented at Vinyl Day on Vagonu Street, Riga. Both of these editions were also available for purchase at the composer’s first anniversary concerts. On the important thing In the House of Music Come onwhere Zigmars Liepiņš performed together with the masters of modern jazz – the band Earth (with the exception of Ritvar Garoza, who fell ill, so only the author was on the keyboards) – and – and this is the most important thing – with longtime singer and wife Mirdza Zīveri, who hadn’t performed for ten years, but he has long since retired from the active scene and in recent decades has been involved in the production and direction of events.

Love for the dog!

Mirdza Zīvere appeared on the horizon at the same time as Aija Kukulis, Žorža Siksna and Vladislavas Juhņėvičs in the mid-1970s, when everyone was already accustomed to Latvian folk music, or on stage, with only four soloists: Viktors Lapčenoks, Nora Bumbiere, Ojārs Grinbergs and Margarita Vilcāne -, whose career had been paved by Raymond Paul. Therefore, purely subjectively as a witness, still a child at the time, I remember not only the appearance of Mirdza Zīvere in the ensemble originally led by Paula Way in composition and then also in duet with Aija Kukuli (Naktsputni disc album, 1980) and Imantas Vanzović (in many Opus songs), but also in the small album with an audio performance on the dog Pif, in which Mirdza took on the role of main character, singing: “I’m a dog Pif, wow, wow / I like to speak in the language of the people / I like funny games / I don’t like when children are sad / I like what you like.” At the time, it seemed extremely touching that a serious pop singer – not an actress – had taken on the role of a dog. I couldn’t help but remember it too because one of Sigmar’s new songs written for her with the same words as Mirdza, which was first heard in Daile, was about a dog looking for her love and wanting it. ardently.

On the important thing – this is exactly the name of the new concert program, because what else, when everything practical for life is foreseen, can be more important than those closest to you?

Everyone has their own voice

Mirdza’s ability to shine on her 69th birthday on September 20, when the premiere of this program took place, pleases and surprises, both literally and singing exactly as she did forty years ago or even earlier. The voice of Mirdza Zīvere has always been genuine and simple, the one that nature has given, not with difficulty, trying to copy the best samples more or less successfully, adapted to the singing of its repertoire, therefore it remains over the decades and does not change in meaningfully. If we compare ourselves with today’s pop singers, we often have to think carefully about who she really sings, because the voices, with rare exceptions, resemble each other like drops of water.

As Māris Briežkalns once pointed out in a conversation about my Radio NABA program Lightning bolt on the bottom, a large number of modern singers in Latvia sound like jazz singer Inga Bērzina, because they studied with her. But the singers of the second half of the last century, Nora Bumbiere, Margarita Vilcana, Aija Kukule and Mirdza Zīvere, have their own unique vocal timbre, which is recognized after a single sentence, unless they are young modern singers trying to imitate one. : it is not easy, but after long efforts it is possible.

Blues by Imanta Ziedonis

The biggest surprise and, in my opinion, the musical highlight of the concert was Sigmar’s first song written for Mirdza in 1975, performed after the exact same Moog synthesizer as seen on the board Voyage (1982) on the back cover, the composer admits that Imants Ziedonis had already written the poem Kpage tomorrow like the autumn blues, and it really sounds like that. In addition to the blues mood encoded in this poem, the composer’s inspiration for such an excellent song was also the newly known Mirdza herself, who became his closest and longest-lived companion only later years later. working together. “The family is the basis, and if it’s not there, what’s the point?” Sigmar said in a television interview in 1998, and the new concert program also talks about these important things.

In recent interviews prior to these concerts, the artist ironically admitted that once-popular song phrases such as “Think, think, you have to think” and “Oh, how my heart dances, be careful!” it would be rude to sing now, so the repertoire was researched to be appropriate: contemplative and listenable, without humming. In the final part, there is also something about songs that are more familiar to the audience – The stars shine behind the Daugava (won 1985 Microphone in the survey), and contains the words of a popular song, which, unfortunately, is very close to us and still relevant today: “When, son, are you coming back from the war? / So, mom, I will come when the poles are green. / When the poles will be green, when the pebble rot, / Then, mother, I will come back from the war. “

Valdas Lūriņš’s line “Kad slotai lapos kāts” from the next song of the concert speaks more or less of the same thing: our desires, the fulfillment of which is impossible, and we must find the strength to come to terms with it, as well as with everything. what once happened and left an imprint on our lives, which is now the healthiest to laugh at, as Sigmar does.

Do you need to continue?

When it comes to the return of world famous artists to the scene after a long hiatus, huge sums of money are usually invoked at the level of rumors. It was, for example, with the Britpop bands of the 90s Blur And pulp, who have joined for concerts in this millennium, but ABBA have long resisted all kinds of temptations, but the Swedish syndicate also “broke”, and even though modern technology allows members of the famous quartet not to get on the stage alone, everyone who has attended these concerts is happy, especially because they have waited for a long time.

The Latvian scale is, of course, the Latvian scale, it’s not about numbers, but for much more personal reasons to step back on stage in front of people who like you, and the performers can see it in their eyes. The producers’ favorite term “standing ovation”, used to praise the concerts they organize, is guaranteed, and once again there is a standing ovation. The audience never stops greeting the musicians with applause.

Or the program On the important thing will continue to play Come on and elsewhere in Latvia too, it depends on Sigmar and Mirdza’s desire to do so. When else if not now? But perhaps there will be nothing to do but wait for that magical moment when the stakes will turn green and the leaves will grow on the broomstick. If it is so?

CONCERT

Mirdza Zīvere and Zigmars Liepiņš On the important thing

In the House of Music Come on 6., 7.X at 19, 9.X at 18
Tickets Paradises tickets in the network EUR 30–50

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