Juris Karlsons: Dances of Life and Death Liepāja Symphony Orchestra & Guntis Kuzma

• Juris Karlsons (b. 1948): El Cid. Dzīves un nāves dejas / El Cid:
• 1 Karlsons: El Cid. Dzīves un nāves dejas / El Cid: Dances of Life and Death 09:48
• Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači:
• 2 Karlsons: Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači: I. Antonija 04:43
• 3 Karlsons: Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači: II. Skroderi nāk / The tailors arrive 03:09
• 4 Karlsons: Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači: III. Zāra 03:14
• 5 Karlsons: Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači: IV. Pindacīša un Ābrams / Pindacīša and Ābrams 02:16
• 6 Karlsons: Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači: V. Aleksis un Elīna / Aleksis and Elīna 05:00
• 7 Karlsons: Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači: VI. Bites / Bees 01:23
• 8 Karlsons: Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači: VII. Rūda un Kārlēna duets / The duet of Rūdis and Kārlēns 02:25
• 9 Karlsons: Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači: VIII Antonija un Aleksis / Antonija and Aleksis 05:53
• 10 Karlsons: Suite from the ballet Antonija #Silmači: IX. Fināls / Finale 05:12
• Jāzepa vīzijas / Joseph’s Visions:
• 11 Karlsons: Jāzepa vīzijas / Joseph’s Visions 19:30
• Total Runtime 01:02:33

Info for Juris Karlsons: Dances of Life and Death

This album features world premiere studio recordings of symphonic works by a prominent Latvian composer Juris Karlsons (1948).

The varied pieces on this album share a common characteristic: they are linked with the stage, with theatre, and therefore with another kind of art, namely, narrative art. All of the works are rooted in literary compositions as their original message, as their impulse.

Juris Karlsons is now among the older generation in Latvian music. He has been active in a wide range of roles as a musician and cultural figure, but above all as a composer in a variety of musical genres. He has also been a pedagogue, served as rector of the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music (1990-2007), and earned a Doctor honoris causa degree. The dynamic, diverse and prolific Karlsons has been a prominent public figure in music (consulting, serving on juries, commissions and councils) and was the chairman of the Latvian Composers' Union from 1989 to 1993. He is a recipient of the Order of the Three Stars, 3rd Class.

The Liepaja Symphony Orchestra has been sharing the love of music with listeners in Latvia and beyond for more than 140 years. The orchestra's mission is to create a meaningful bond between music and people, making music accessible and enjoyable, and to celebrate our rich cultural heritage through beautiful music at every concert.

In 2010, the orchestra acquired the status of a national orchestra, thus becoming a significant ambassador of Latvian culture throughout the world, delighting the audience both with classical music masterpieces at concerts and placing special emphasis on Latvian composers and promoting their works - the orchestra participates in premieres and commissions a significant amount of new works.

Liepaja Symphony Orchestra
Guntis Kuzma, conductor

The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO)
is one of the cornerstones of Latvian national culture. Founded in 1926 as the Riga Radio Centre Orchestra, the LNSO has borne its current name since 1990.

The orchestra is a six-time winner of the Grand Music Award, Latvia’s highest honour in classical music. In May 2022, Finnish Tarmo Peltokoski became the Music and Artistic Director of the LNSO.

​ In Autumn 2021, Estonian Kristiina Poska, Chief Conductor of the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, became the Principal Guest Conductor of the LNSO.

​ The orchestra has been led by many brilliant talents and experienced significant growth under the baton of Vassily Sinaisky, Conductor Emeritus of the LNSO since 2017. More recently, notable contributions have been made by Olari Elts, Karel Mark Chichon, and Andris Poga, who was the Music Director and Chief Conductor of the LNSO from 2013 until 2021, when he became the Chief Conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Adviser to the LNSO.

​ In recent years, the LNSO has performed at the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, the Grand Théâtre of Aix-en-Provence, among many other important European concert halls. The orchestra has participated in the Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron in France, the Bratislava Music Festival in Slovakia and has taken the stage in Germany, Switzerland, and the Baltic States. ​

Giving concerts in Latvia and abroad, the LNSO has collaborated with Ksenija Sidorova, Baiba Skride, Eva Bindere, Frank Peter Zimmermann and Vineta Sareika, Kristina Blaumane and Alexander Knyazev, Nicholas Angelich, Boris Berezovsky, Lucas Debargue, Lukas Geniušas, Daumants Liepiņš, Andrejs Osokins, Georgijs Osokins, Vestard Shimkus and Reinis Zariņš.

​ The LNSO regularly features in recordings of the Finnish label Ondine, focusing on the music by the most prominent Latvian composer of the 20th century Tālivaldis Ķeniņš, as well as the Latvian national record label SKANI. ​

In the second half of the 20th century, the LNSO collaborated with Arvīds Jansons, Kurt Masur, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Kirill Kondrashin, Yuri Simonov, Neeme Järvi, Krzysztof Penderecki. Many maestros have guided the LNSO in recent times as well: Paavo Järvi, Mariss Jansons, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Andris Nelsons, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Gintaras Rinkevičius a.o. The orchestra has also worked with renowned young conductors such as Klaus Mäkelä, Maxim Emelyanychev, and Tarmo Peltokoski.

Guntis Kuzma
is the LNSO’s conductor since the 2014/2015 season. Successful leadership in concerts with the LNSO, multiple collaborations with the Sinfonietta Rīga and Sinfonia concertante orchestra, the Liepāja SO, the JVLMA Orchestra, and the Latvian Festival Orchestra in summer, 2018.

Guntis Kuzma and the LNSO’s performance of Ādolfs Skulte’s Symphony No. 5 received great praise in the Grand Concert of Latvian Symphony Music in January, 2018. Won Grand Music Award of Latvia for outstanding interpretation in 2018. Assistant professor and head of the Woodwind Instrument Class at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. LNSO’s principal clarinet from 2008 to 2014. Principal clarinet of the Sinfonietta Rīga since the orchestra’s formation in 2006 until 2015.

Enjoys performing in chamber music projects; a fan of contemporary music, he has performed the clarinet in premieres of several new works. Nominated for Latvia’s Grand Music Award 2012 For Outstanding Work in an Ensemble.

Booklet for Juris Karlsons: Dances of Life and Death