TIEŠRAIDES koncerts Rīgas Festivāls: Trio Angelicus. Lūgšana naktij

Participants
Trio Angelicus:
Elīna Šimkus, soprano
Sondra Lejmalniece, flute
Ieva Šablovska, harp

Programme
Jāzeps Mediņš (1877-1947) Sapņojums
Jānis Mediņš (1890-1966) Ir viens vakars
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Air for the G Strings
Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835) Vaga luna che inargenti
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Traümerei
Max Reger (1873-1916) Mariä Wiegenlied
Ture Rangström (1884-1947) Bön till natten
Irish folk melody “King of the Faeries”
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Sure on this shining night
Gustav Holst (1874-1934) Margrete’s Cradle-Song
Romualds Jermaks (1931) Šūpuļdziesma jūrai
Edward Grieg (1843-1907) Ave, maris stella
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) Oblivion
Rihards Dubra (1964) Beata es, Virgo Maria
Selga Mence (1953) Pavasaris from the cycle Gadalaiku raksti
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Mille Cherubini in Coro

The signature sound of Trio Angelicus is made up of three warm timbres – a high female voice, the crystalline sound of the flute, and the mysterious allure of the harp. In their programme Prayer to the Night, the singer Elīna Šimkus, flutist Sondra Lejmalniece, and harpist Ieva Šablovska evoke a mysterious nocturnal atmosphere filled with colour and sensation.
The lyrical and picturesque Latvian opuses by composers Jāzeps Mediņš and Jānis Mediņš, Romualds Jermaks, Selga Mence, and Rihards Dubra are intertwined with romantically coloured pieces by German and Scandinavian masters, including Edvard Grieg and Franz Schubert. Alongside these, Astor Piazzolla’s melodicism becomes even more moving, soothed by the serene message behind the Baroque master Johann Sebastian Bach’s pieces and the genuineness of traditional folk songs.
The musicians add: “Each night before sleep we can contemplate our actions of the day – evaluate and denounce or approve them. Perhaps, pray for the night to be as tranquil as the bridge of moonlight in the sea that takes us to a new day. One might pray for a peaceful night’s rest whole another pray for solace in their suffering, pain, and desperation until the morning brings a resolution and answers. There is a mother asking for angels to guard the child sound asleep in her arms. But there is also a mother asking angels to look over her child in Heaven… A lover wanders in the moonlight, praying for his love – perhaps near, perhaps – distant. A lost and confused soul surrenders itself to the night so it can decide its destiny. Another lets the moonlight and the evening star to light his way into dreamland. When we fall asleep at night, we all hope tomorrow will be a bright new day and everything will be alright.”

The Riga Festival is sponsored by the Riga City Council