Pēteris Vasks


Pēteris Vasks is a Latvian composer.
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Biography

Vasks was born in Aizpute, Latvia, into the family of a Baptist pastor. He trained as a violinist at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, as a double-bass player with Vitautas Sereikaan at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and played in several Latvian orchestras before entering the State Conservatory in Vilnius in the neighboring Lithuania to study composition with Valentin Utkin, as he was prevented from doing this in Latvia due to Soviet repressive policy toward Baptists. He started to become known outside Latvia in the 1990s, when Gidon Kremer started championing his works, and he now is one of the most influential and praised European contemporary composers.
Vasks' early style owed much to the aleatoric experiments of Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki and George Crumb. Later works included elements of Latvian folk music, such as his gentle and pastoral cor anglais concerto. His works are generally extremely clear and communicative, with a solid and muscular sense of harmony. Lyrical passages may be followed by agitated dissonances, or interrupted by sombre sections with a march-like feel. He made extensive use of minimalist techniques as well, but never became attached to any particular method.
Vasks feels strongly about environmental issues, and a sense of nature both pristine and destroyed can be found in many of his works, such as the String Quartet No. 2. Other important works include Cantabile and Musica dolorosa and "Bass Trip" for solo double bass. He has written six string quartets, the fourth and fifth of which were written for the Kronos Quartet.
Vasks was the recipient of the Vienna Herder Prize of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation in 1996, as well as the Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature, [the Arts and Science], and the Latvian Grand Music Award in 1997, the latter for his first violin concerto Tālā gaismā . He received the Cannes Classical Awards in 2004. His important works also include "Viatore", Symphony No. 2 and "Music for a deceased Friend".
Since 1994, he has been an honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences and in 2001 he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. In 1996, he was the main composer at the Stockholm New Music Festival and in 2006 composer-in-residence at the Presteigne Festival of Music and the Arts and the Vale of Glamorgan Festival in Wales.
In 2005, he received the Estonian honour the Order of the White Star, 3rd Class.

Works

The following is a list of works by Vasks:

Symphonies

Other orchestral works

  • Cantabile per archi, for string orchestra
  • Vēstījums, for orchestra with percussion and two pianos
  • Musica dolorosa, for string orchestra
  • Lauda, for orchestra
  • Musica adventus, for string orchestra
  • Adagio, for string orchestra
  • Viatore, for string orchestra
  • Musica appassionata, for string orchestra
  • Symphonic elegy Sala, for orchestra
  • Credo, for orchestra
  • Epifānija, for string orchestra
  • Musica serena, for string orchestra

Orchestra with instrumental soloists

  • Violin Concerto No. 1 Tālā gaismā, for violin and strings
  • Violin Concerto No. 2 Vakara gaismā, for violin and strings
  • Viola Concerto, for viola and strings
  • Cello Concerto No. 1
  • Cello Concerto No. 2 Klātbūtne, for cello and strings
  • Flute Concerto
  • Oboe Concerto
  • Concerto for cor anglais and orchestra
  • Meditation Vientuļais eņģelis, for violin and strings
  • Fantasia Vox Amoris, for violin and strings

Chamber music

  • Vasaras dejas, for two violins
  • Castillo Interior, for violin and cello;, for solo piano
  • Mazā vasaras mūzika, for violin and piano;, for viola and piano
  • Partita, for cello and piano
  • Three compositions, for clarinet and piano
  • Musique du soir/''Vakara mūzika, for horn and organ
  • Music for two pianos
  • In Memoriam, for two pianos
  • Toccata, for two pianos
  • Concerto for timpani and percussion
  • Trīs skatieni/Trīsvienība, for violin, cello, and piano
  • Episodi e canto perpetuo, for violin, cello, and piano
  • Pianotrio Plainscapes, for violin, cello, and piano
  • Piano Quartet, for piano, viola, cello, and piano
  • String Quartet No. 1
  • String Quartet No. 2 Vasaras dziedājumi
  • String Quartet No. 3 Ziemassvētku kvartets
  • String Quartet No. 4
  • String Quartet No. 5
  • String Quartet No. 6
  • Mūzika aizlidojošajiem putniem, for wind quintet
  • Mūzika aizgājušam draugam, for wind quintet
  • Chamber Music, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and percussion
  • Pavasara sonāte, for string sextet
  • Canto di forza'', for twelve cellos ''''

Solo instrumental

  • Cycle, for piano
  • Moments musicaux, for clarinet
  • Grāmata čellam, for cello
  • Eine kleine Nachtmusik, for piano
  • Ainava ar putniem, for flute
  • Cantata, for harpsichord
  • Baltā ainava, for piano
  • Rudens mūzika, for piano
  • Pieskārieni, for oboe
  • Cantus ad pacem , for organ
  • Sonata, for double bass
  • Musica sera per organo, for organ
  • Sonata Vientulība, for guitar
  • Te Deum, for organ
  • Sonata, for flute
  • Izdegušās zemes ainavas, fantasy for piano
  • Pavasara mūzika , for piano
  • Viatore, for organ '
  • Bass Trip, for double bass
  • Canto di forza, for organ '
  • Zaļā ainava, for piano
  • Vasaras vakara mūzika, for piano
  • Latviešu deja, for piano
  • Hymnus, for organ
  • Dzeguzes balss. Pavasara elēģija, for piano
  • Sonata Estiva, for violin

Choral

Unaccompanied choir:
  • Golgātas krusts
  • Ugunssargs
  • Liepa
  • Māte saule
  • Small concert for voices, conductor, and composer
  • Ar laiku puķes vīst
  • Mūsu māšu vārdi
  • Ne tikai lirika
  • Baltais fragments
  • Vasara
  • Concerto vocale
  • Klusās dziesmas
  • Skumjā māte
  • Ganu dziesma
  • Zīles ziņa
  • Ķekatu dziesma
  • Mazi silti svētki
  • Mūsu dziesma
  • Zemgale
  • Varonis
  • Savā tautā
  • Pater Noster '
  • Litene
  • Three poems, for four soloists
  • Balsis klusumā, for six solo voices and female choir
  • Mass '
  • Piedzimšana
  • Mīlas dziesmas
  • Klusuma auglis '
  • Mūsu kalni
  • Tēvu zeme
  • Cosa devo fare?
Accompanied choir:
  • Lūgšana mātei, for soprano, choir, and orchestra
  • Kantāte sievietēm, for soprano, choir, and orchestra
  • Three folk song settings, for voices, flute, cello, and piano
  • Chamber cantata Latvija, for soprano, flute, bells, and piano
  • Pater Noster, for choir and string orchestra '
  • Dona Nobis Pacem, for choir and organ or string orchestra
  • Mass, for choir and organ or string orchestra '
  • Līdzenuma ainavas, for choir, violin, and cello
  • Klusuma auglis, for choir and string orchestra '
  • Lūgšana Latvijai, for choir and wind orchestra
  • Da Pacem, Domine, for choir and string orchestra
  • Laudate Dominum, for choir and orchestra
  • Veni Domine, for choir and organ