Latvian music

[Sicmu]

The first Symphony is actually a piano piece ( which one BTW ?)

I've never heard that claim before! Very interesting...

I took a look just now at a couple of books by Latvian musicologist Ludvigs Kārkliņš, where he discusses Ivanovs' symphonies in some detail (one book is entirely devoted to Ivanovs' symphonies), and he doesn't make this claim. He does state, in the other book, that the work was Ivanovs' graduation piece for his composition class with Jāzeps Vītols at the Latvian Conservatory, so I would infer that Vītols expected him to create a completely original work for this purpose.

Nor does musicologist Arvīds Bomiks mention any such origin in his worklist of Ivanovs' music for Musica Baltica.

I'm curious -- where did you read or hear this? I'll be very interested to do further research if it is indeed the case!

No sorry that's a misunderstanding : I just downloaded the file named Ivanovs01.mp3 and it happens to be a piano piece : did I download the wrong file ?

[Greg K]

Symphony No.9 seems to be missing from the uploads.

[Latvian]

Symphony No.9 seems to be missing from the uploads.

So it is! Apparently I didn't upload it properly. Traffic on Mediafire is very heavy right now, so I'll upload it tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience!

I just downloaded the file named Ivanovs01.mp3 and it happens to be a piano piece : did I download the wrong file ?

No, it seems I uploaded the wrong file. What you got was the first movement of Ivanovs' Piano Sonata. I've replaced it with the correct file -- please try again.

Thanks to both of you for pointing out these problems. Please, let me know if anything else is wrong.

PS -- I'll reupload the complete Piano Sonata soon!

[Holger]

As for the orchestra issue, as far as I know the Latvian Radio Symphony Orchestra was simply renamed Latvian State (or National) Symphony Orchestra, wasn't it? So this would be the same orchestra just with two different names from different periods. Also compare
http://www.lnso.lv/eng/orkestris/
("LNSO was founded in 1926 as the Latvian Radio Symphony Orchestra...")

And to make information complete, the speaker in No. 13 is Uldis Norenbergs.

Anyway thanks for all these uploads. I do have all Ivanovs symphonies but nevertheless I tracked down some of them, for example my recording of No. 19 is damaged so I am glad to get another copy this way. I also downloaded No. 6 to get a second version, this may be the Ivanovs symphony which is most indebted to whatever Socialist Realism may be - but it's a work of sheer beauty in my view, absolutely magnificent.

I will be glad to download his piano sonata. I wonder whether you could also provide copies of his string quartets - this would be exciting, the only piece of chamber music by Ivanovs which I know so far is his "Poema capriccioso" for Cello and Piano.

[eschiss1]

the 2nd string quartet was recorded on LP in 1969 by Y. Shvolkovsky, L. Girska, A. Senakols and M. Villerush (US Library of Congress catalog lists it), so it should be -possible-...

(Melodiia matrices 33D-24521(a) -33D-24522(a))

hrm. and the 3rd quartet around the same time, too... ! ("Quartet no. 3 for two violins, viola, and cello [sound recording] ; Three sketches : in B flat major, in D flat major, in A flat major ; Sonata brevis ; Andante replicato : in E flat minor / Y. Ivanov.") (33D-022177(a) (matrix)--33D-022178(a) ; "In the 1st work: V. Bergs, V. Stabulnieks, Y. Madrevich, M. Grinbergs. In the 2nd: I. Ivanov, piano. In the 3rd-4th: D. Vilipa, piano.")

[black]

Latvian,
When I try to download Ivanovs Symphony No. 7 I get an error message. I don't know whether I am the only one who is having this problem. If not, could you repair it? I would love to hear this symphony.
Black

[eschiss1]

no, same here..

[Latvian]

When I try to download Ivanovs Symphony No. 7 I get an error message.

OK, I will re-upload #7. #9 is uploading as I write this, so it should be available shortly as well.

Yes, I will be uploading all three string quartets and other chamber music, much piano music (including the Sonata), some vocal music, and most of his other orchestral works, in the near future. There seems to be quite a demand for Ivanovs' music, so I'm happy to satisfy it.

Holger, thanks for the clarification on the LNSO/LRSO situation. That may well be the situation currently, or in the post-Soviet era. However, from the 1950s to the late 1980s, many recordings were made using both orchestra names. If they were indeed the same orchestra back then, I wonder if my original hypothesis was correct, that they used whichever name suited the situation.

The title "Latvian National Symphony Orchestra" has been in use since 1990 or so. Prior to that, I always saw it referred to as "Latvian State Symphony Orchestra," or "Latvian SSR State Symphony Orchestra," denoting Latvia's political status. Interesting that Latvian Radio broadcasts from recent years of Soviet-era recordings of the orchestra now retrospectively also refer to it as "Latvian National Symphony Orchestra," as if to deny Latvia's status of "statehood" within the USSR. Understandable, as many of us (including the US government) never formally recognized the incorporation of the Baltic States into the USSR.

Anyway, I expect to see some of my Latvian colleagues next weekend, and I will try to remember to ask about this, from folks with firsthand knowledge.

[Latvian]

OK, I will re-upload #7. #9 is uploading as I write this, so it should be available shortly as well.

This new Mediafire is a real pain so far! #9 seems to be OK now, but I'm still having trouble re-uploading #7. I checked all the MP3s and my zip file, and everything seems to be OK on that end, nothing corrupted, so the problem seems to be with Mediafire at the moment.

One hour later... #7 still won't upload properly. I'll try again this evening, have to go to a concert now.

[Latvian]

Still no luck with #7. I'll start from scratch tomorrow. I'm determined not to let Mediafire get the best of me!

[Latvian]

I believe (dare I say it?) that all the Ivanovs downloads are working properly now! Please let me know if there are still any problems.

[lechner1110]

  Latvian, I would like to express my biggest appreciate for your huge effort 

 
  By the way, I downloaded all of your uploads from mediafire without problem.
  So I uploaded same files on my mediafire account.
  I post my mediafire link on Download board.
  If other members have problem to download, please try to my upload link.

  And I will try to upload these for my Rapidshare account tomorrow.

 
  Many thanks again from Japan ,   Atsushi

[Latvian]

Thank you, Atsushi! I hope you enjoy the music.

[Latvian]

Ivanovs chamber music has been added to his folder in the Latvian Music file.

[Holger]

Latvian,

thanks a lot for all the Ivanovs chamber music, I have just downloaded both compilations. When reading about a Minuet in E Minor I immediately thought of Ivanovs' Symphony No. 20 (of course, because its third movement is also a Minuet in just the same key) and as giving the quartet piece a listen I realized the symphony's movement is actually based on the much earlier string quartet minuet! This corresponds with the fact Ivanovs said his 20th symphony is a work of reminiscences, a piece which looks back.

I am sure you know the Cameo CD with Ivanovs' Symphony No. 10 also presents a piece which is said to be the Andante for Cello Ensemble, but actually this is a misattribution and the piece on the CD is something entirely different. Up to now, I haven't managed to find out which piece it actually is. Do you know anything about it?