Composing sacred music in a Baltic state in 1961, as Pēteris Vasks did with his piece 'Lūgšana', was a direct affront to the Soviet regime, which suppressed religious expression.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Pēteris Vasks aims for his music to be immediately intelligible, like a homily, inspired by his father's sermons.
Composition History
Pēteris Vasks composed 'Pater noster' in memory of his father, a preacher, after declining to write a Lord's Prayer for his parish as a teenager.
Performer Biography
The Latvian Radio Choir, founded in 1940, is an award-winning ensemble known for its wide repertoire, from early music to contemporary compositions.
Composer Biography
Pēteris Vasks's early secular choral works show the influence of the Polish School, including composers Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Henryk Górecki.
Recording & Production
This album includes several world première recordings, such as 'Prayer' (1961), 'First Grass' (2025), 'Six Songs' (2025), and 'Fatherland' (2018).
Composition History
Pēteris Vasks's 'The Fruit of Silence' was inspired by a prayer by Mother Teresa, encapsulating her view of love of neighbor as a source of peace.
You might also enjoy...
Ligeti: Complete Works for a cappella Choir
Lauridsen: Nocturnes; Les chansons des roses & Other Choral Works
Ešenvalds: Passion and Resurrection & Other Choral Works
Choeurs a cappella - Frank Martin et ses contemporains
Lukaszewski: Sacred Choral Works
Arvo Pärt: Choral Music
Richard Strauss: Liebe - Der Abend - Hymne - Traumlicht
