Peteris Vasks

Latvian composer (b. 1946) whose fame is sort of exploding lately.

He seems not to care about being progressive (which I find interesting) or avant-garde, but instead interested in what serves his spiritual needs at the time.

Vasks was born in Aizpute, Latvia, into the family of a Baptist pastor. He trained as a violinist at the Jazeps Vitols 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.

So, sometimes aleatoric. Sometimes a minimalist.

Sometimes a complete glorious throwback.



MADRIGAL. With time flowers wilt and become limp, / with time the sea will calm its waves, / with time great rivers run dry, / with time even iron softens. / With time distant battles must end, / with time castles will vanish under grass. / Only your pride is still ablaze / and constantly withstands the course of time.

The following piece: I love it when the singers are all transformed into birds! Magic moment!



Here's one of his pupil's playing a celebrated piece by Ravel. I also love William Orbit's techno adaptation of this on his landmark album.

This piece always gets me. Even though I know all its tricks by now.



And the bizarre...a curiosity by Lavignac.

Featuring all seven previous winners of the Dublin International Piano Competition in a once-off performance.

PHILIPPE CASSARD (1988),
PAVEL NERSESSIAN (1991),
DAVIDE FRANCESCHETTI (1994),
MAX LEVINSON (1997),
ALEXEI NABIOULIN (2000),
ANTTI SIIRALA (2003),
ROMAIN DESCHARMES (2006)
and featuring
JOHN O'CONOR (Artistic Director)



ALBERT LAVIGNAC (1846-1916)
Galop Marche