Pēteris Vasks: Distant Light, Piano Quartet & Summer Dances
5/1/2020, 21 Tracks, 1:24:34
Pēteris Vasks’s violin concerto Distant Light has become a modern classic, and it is performed here by the composer’s Latvian compatriot Vadim Gluzman. The violinist also performs two substantial chamber works by Vasks: Summer Dances for two violins, and the dramatic, emotional Piano Quartet. Gluzman is joined by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Hannu Lintu for Distant Light.
Featuring
Vadim Gluzman
Hannu Lintu
Sandis Šteinbergs
Ilze Klava
Reinis Birznieks
Angela Yoffe
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Pēteris Vasks
Did you know?
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Recording & Production
This album was recorded at two different locations: the Helsinki Music Centre in Finland for the Concerto, and the Sendesaal Bremen in Germany for the chamber works.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Birds and nature are central symbols in Pēteris Vasks' music, and some works allude to personal trials or tragic historical events in Latvian history.
Composer Biography
Pēteris Vasks, born in Latvia in 1946, initially trained as a double-bass player before studying composition.
Performer Biography
The RIX Piano Quartet, featuring Sandis Šteinbergs (violin II), Ilze Klava (viola), and Reinis Birznieks (cello) from this recording, is a recipient of Latvia's Grand Music Award.
Performer Biography
Vadim Gluzman, the violinist on this recording, plays on the legendary 1690 'ex-Leopold Auer' Stradivarius, on loan from the Stradivari Society of Chicago.
Composition History
Pēteris Vasks' Violin Concerto 'Distant Light' (1996-97) is dedicated to the Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer and has become a modern classic.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Vasks' music often features sharp contrasts, moving between translucent serenity and fierce, truculent episodes that confront worldly anguish.
