Saxophonia. Lūsēna, Zaļupes, Mences pirmatskaņojumi un 12 saksofoni

Twelve saxophones, two percussionists and twenty-five rich voices will have musical conversations on Cosmos, Love, Forgiveness and Creation in the fourth concert of the Saxophonia festival that, along with new pieces of several other composers, will celebrate the 60th birthday of the composer Jānis Lūsēns.

Although forged in the harsh Liepāja winds, the sonic riverbed of Jānis Lūsēns music runs with unbreakable romanticism and warm hope, carrying in it lyrics by Fricis Bārda and Rainer Maria Rilke, as well as lines from the latter years of Andrejs Eglītis that have flown together in celebration of this occasion in a philosophical cycle for choir, saxophones and organ – Mīlestībai un Piedošanai (For Love and Forgiveness).

The first prayer has been dressed in sound by the composer and percussionist Rihards Zaļupe who dedicated his new opus to the mysterious Black Madonna of Montserrat in Spain. Rihards Dubra’s piece for 12 saxophones will create a nocturnal feel, while Selga Mence will speak of the eternal, infinite and cosmic space-time in her newest piece Zvaigžņu gaisma (Starlight) that includes some reflections and allusions to the American master George Crumb’s work Makrokosmos

PROGRAMME
Rihards Dubra, Jānis Lūsēns, Selga Mence and Rihards Zaļupe

PARTICIPANTS
Jolanta Strikaite-Lapiņa, soprano
Rihards Zaļupe, marimba
Kristīne Adamaite, organ
Riga Saxophone Quartet
12 saxophone choir
Latvian Radio Choir
Conductor Kaspars Putniņš