On Saturday, 23 March, right before the 32nd Liepāja International Star Festival closing concert, the new recording made by the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra with music of the composer Agris Engelmanis “Musica Alba”, released by the SKANI record company, came out.
The new album includes three Diaphonies, which were recorded by the Orchestra in the “Lielais dzintars” Concert Hall under the direction of the conductor Atvars Lakstīgala accompanied by pianist Elīna Bērtiņa just recently, early this year, and also “Musica Alba” and Music for the Symphony Orchestra.
“Agris Engelmanis mainly composed symphonic music and choral songs, plus several vocalinstrumental works, a few pieces of instrumental chamber music, and a couple of compositions for organ. That is all. Like a nail, he drove every sound into precisely the only possible measure of every piece,” the introductory words to the album were written by the music reviewer Orests Silabriedis. “Likewise, Engelmanis followed his only possible creative path; he did not compare nor compete with anyone. He was one of the most modernist-oriented Latvian composers, yet he remains utterly underrated. Within the framework of his own life, however, he seems to have fulfilled his call and perhaps even been happy.”
Conductor Atvars Lakstīgala points out that Agris Engelmanis is a relatively little-known composer in Latvia. Of course, in the community of professional composers, conductors and musicologists, Mr.Engelmanis is known, however, the music composed by him in the Latvian cultural space is played too rarely.
“When holding and going through his sheet music, I feel deep respect, because in his music Mr. Engelmanis reflects very true, sincere and human emotions. The fact that he composed his music only using his inner hearing, without the piano, adds special value to his music,” says Mr. Lakstigala.
More HERE
Album HERE