October 09, 2009
Latvian pianist Liene Circene has released her first solo compact disc, Šūpuļdziesmas (Lullabies). It is a collection of 24 works by Latvian composers for solo piano, all with a lullaby theme.
Works include arrangements of Latvian folk songs, such as “Aijā, žūžū, lāču bērni” by Jāzeps Vītols, and “Netīšāmi es iegāju” by Dace Aperāne, and three different arrangements of the folk song “Velc, pelīte, saldu miegu” by composers Lūcija Garūta, Pēteris Plakidis and Edgars Raginskis.
Not only is this Circene’s first CD release, it is also the first CD release produced by Latvijas koncerti, the Latvian concert agency.
Circene was scheduled to perform a concert in celebration of the release of her CD in the Rīga Small Guild on Oct. 7, but shortly before the concert she injured her hand. However, the concert went on, with a number of notable guest musicians performing in her place.
Circene is one of Latvia’s most distinguished pianists, having studied at the Latvian Academy of Music with professor Arnis Zandmanis. She has performed with many orchestras, including the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Circene also was awarded the Most Notable Debut award at the Latvian Great Music Awards in 1994. Circene is a teacher at the Sigulda School of Music.
The 24 tracks on Šūpuļdziesmas include:
- Netīšāmi es iegāju, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Dace Aperāne
- Velc, pelīte, saldu miegu, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Edgars Raginskis
- Bearlude for Alex, by composer Tālivaldis Ķeniņš
- Aijā, bērniņ, pūpās, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Jāzeps Vītols
- Prelude op. 19 no. 2, by composer Jāzeps Vītols
- Prelude op. 20 no. 4, by composer Jāzeps Vītols
- Silta, jauka istabiņa, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Lūcija Garūta
- Arieta, by composer Ādolfs Skulte
- Aijā, Ancīt, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Edgars Raginskis
- Circenīša Ziemassvētki, an arrangement by Edgars Raginskis on a theme by Raimonds Pauls
- Čuči, mana līgaviņa, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Jāzeps Vītols
- Sestā daina, by composer Jānis Mediņš
- Velc, pelīte, saldu miegu, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Pēteris Plakidis
- Šūpuļdziesma, by composer Jāzeps Vītols
- Nocturne from the cycle “Cikls” by composer Pēteris Vasks
- Aiz purviem, aiz mežiem saulīte lēca, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Lūcija Garūta
- Trešā daina, by composer Jānis Mediņš
- 14. daina, by composer Jānis Mediņš
- Prelude, by composer Jānis Ivanovs
- Velc, pelīte, saldu miegu, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Lūcija Garūta
- Naktī, by composer Alfrēds Kalniņš
- Atmiņas, by composer Vilnis Salaks
- Labu nakti, arranged by Edgars Raginskis on a theme by Arvīds Žilinskis
- Aijā, žūžū, lāča bērni, a Latvian folk song arrangement by Jāzeps Vītols
Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area who lives in Rīga, Latvia. When not working in the information technology field, he sings in the Latvian Academy of Culture mixed choir Sõla, does occasional translation work, and has been known to sing and play guitar at the Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs in Old Rīga. Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.
