The programme’s title, Jubilate (the imperative of the Latin verb iubilare, most often meaning ‘to rejoice’), points to composers marking anniversaries, large and small, in 2016.
The oldest of the anniversary composers is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), and from his output the musicians have chosen one of its loveliest pages – the slow movement of the Clarinet Quintet.
A significant anniversary – 125 years since his birth – falls to Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953), whose music is represented by the wonderfully vital “Overture on Hebrew Themes”, steeped in klezmer motifs and said to have been written in a single night.
The soundscape is made more colourful still by two rarely heard waltzes, Op. 97c, by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975), while absolute terra incognita is the Third String Quartet by Shostakovich’s contemporary Zoltán Gárdonyi (1906–1989), the Hungarian composer and teacher, a notable authority on and composer of sacred music – a work saturated with Hungarian rhythms and written in a simple, appealing musical language.
Last of all, the youngest of the anniversary composers is Pēteris Vasks (b. 1946). His “Three Pieces” for clarinet and piano were written at the very beginning of his composition studies and dedicated to kindred spirits in music – the distinguished clarinettist Ģirts Pāže and his wife Anita Pāže, one of Latvia’s outstanding piano teachers. The work was first performed on 19 November 1973 at the Rēzekne Music School.
This body of music will let listeners appreciate the musicians’ interplay in duo, trio, quartet, quintet and sextet.
The programme’s creators say: “The works chosen will show both each musician’s individual virtuosity and a fine sense of ensemble in playing together.”
The LNSO String Quartet consists of Sandis Šteinbergs (first violin), concertmaster of the LNSO’s first violins, multiple winner of the Grand Music Award and associate professor at the Latvian Academy of Music; Terēze Zīberte-Ijaba, a member of the LNSO’s first violins, head of the Academy’s String Instruments Department and associate professor; Katrīna Krašauska-Krauze of the LNSO viola section; and Ainārs Paukšēns of the LNSO cello section.
For this programme the LNSO String Quartet has invited two guests: one of Latvia’s finest clarinettists, Guntis Kuzma, head of the woodwind class at the Latvian Academy of Music, associate professor and the LNSO’s assistant conductor, and the young pianist Agnese Folkberga.
The concert programme can be read here.
Guntis KUZMA, clarinet
LNSO String Quartet:
Sandis ŠTEINBERGS, 1st violin
Terēze ZĪBERTE-IJABA, 2nd violin
Katrīna KRAŠAUSKA-KRAUZE, viola
Ainārs PAUKŠĒNS, cello
Agnese FOLKBERGA, piano