On Sunday, 25 October at 7.00 p.m. at the Riga Congress Hall, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) will bring its centenary concert series, which began in August, to a brilliant close with the gala concert LNSO, Elīna Garanča and Karel Mark Chichon. Following a longer hiatus, the LNSO will once again share the stage with the internationally acclaimed Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and the orchestra’s Artistic Director from 2009 to 2012, the charismatic conductor Karel Mark Chichon. For this festive occasion, the artists have selected two powerful vocal-symphonic masterpieces: Richard Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, the Resurrection Symphony. Joining the performance of Mahler’s symphony will be soprano Liene Kinča and the singers of the State Choir Latvija.
The LNSO centenary celebrations began on 6 August with a performance of Wagner’s opera Lohengrin conducted by Tarmo Peltokoski at the Cēsis Art Festival. The orchestra then embarked on a tour of France together with the State Choir Latvija and conductor Andris Poga. At the end of August, the celebrations continued with the festival Vasarnīca, established more than a decade ago and held this year in Rēzekne. In September, the LNSO once again took part in the International Sacred Music Festival organised by the State Choir Latvija. The orchestra also collaborated in its symphonic concerts with violinist Baiba Skride, the LNSO’s Artist-in-Residence, organist Iveta Apkalna, as well as conductors Kristiina Poska, Principal Guest Conductor of the orchestra, and its close musical friend, the French maestro Jean-Claude Casadesus. The time has now come for the celebrations’ grand finale, as the LNSO centenary concert series concludes with a spectacular concert on 25 October.
Richard Wagner’s song cycle Wesendonck Lieder was composed at the same time as his opera Tristan und Isolde. During that period, Wagner was living in Switzerland and became romantically involved with Mathilde Wesendonck, the wife of his patron Otto Wesendonck. The songs set poems by Mathilde Wesendonck and form a work filled with love and romantic longing, a true declaration of Wagner’s passion, rich in orchestral colour, harmonic sophistication and expressive melody.
The nine completed symphonies of the eminent Austrian composer Gustav Mahler constitute a vast musical universe encompassing spiritual quests, humanistic ideals, enthusiasm, passion, lyricism, naivety and idyllic beauty, as well as profound human suffering, bitter irony and grotesque contrasts. It is a world shaped by clashes of opposites, transcendent revelations and continual spiritual evolution. Mahler’s Second Symphony is among his most frequently performed works. On a monumental scale, with the final movements calling for a large orchestra, mezzo-soprano and soprano soloists, mixed choir and an offstage instrumental ensemble, Mahler addresses profound existential questions concerning life, death and eternity.
The voice, artistry and stage charisma of Elīna Garanča have earned her worldwide admiration for many years. Alongside countless roles performed on the stages of the world’s leading opera houses, she is regarded as one of the outstanding Carmens of her generation. She continues to appear in concerts, festivals and solo recitals around the globe. In recognition of her exceptional achievements, Elīna Garanča has received numerous honours, including the title of Österreichische Kammersängerin, awarded by the Vienna State Opera.
Liene Kinča is a Latvian dramatic soprano who has gained international acclaim for her outstanding interpretations of leading roles in the operas of Verdi, Puccini and Wagner. She has appeared at distinguished opera houses including Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Theater an der Wien, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Leipzig Opera, the New National Theatre Tokyo, the Flemish Opera in Antwerp and the Slovak National Theatre.
Karel Mark Chichon has served as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra since 2017. Previously, he held positions with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie in Saarbrücken and Kaiserslautern, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and the Graz Symphony Orchestra. As a guest conductor, he has appeared at many of the world’s leading opera houses and collaborated with numerous distinguished orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and many others. In 2012, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to music, and in 2016 he was elected an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Tickets for the concert on 25 October are no longer available.
Tickets for concerts in the LNSO’s 101st season can be purchased here: https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/organizer/283
For the latest LNSO news and events, visit the orchestra’s website at https://www.lnso.lv and follow the LNSO on Facebook: https://facebook.com/LNSO.lv.