Jazeps Vitols(1863-1948): a Catalogue of the Orchestral Music

[Dundonnell]

JAZEPS VITOLS: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

1886-87:Symphony No.1: 29 minutes      *
1889:   Symphonic Image "Midsummer"/"Midsummer Celebration" for orchestra, op.4: 16 minutes    *
1895:   Valse grotesque for string orchestra
             Dramatic Overture, op.21: 13 minutes
1900:   Ballad "The Bard of Beverina" for chorus and orchestra, op.28: 5 minutes   *
1901:   Symphony No.2
1903:   Suite "Seven Latvian Folk Songs" for orchestra: 10 minutes    *
1907:   Overture "Spriditis", op.37: 14 minutes    + (Marco Polo cd)
1908:   Cantata "The Song" for soprano, chorus and orchestra, op.35: 8 minutes   *
             Overture "Tom Thumb"
1910:   Fantasy on Latvian Folk Songs for Violin and Orchestra, op.42: 15 minutes      + (Marco Polo cd)
1911:   Song of a Fisherwoman for voice and orchestra: 3 minutes
             Cantata  (unfinished)
             Cantata "Song of the Sun's Radiance" for baritone, chorus and orchestra
             "There is Still a Silent Night in My Mind" for voice and orchestra: 2 minutes
             "Goblet on the Isle of the Dead" for voice and orchestra: 2 minutes
1914:   Song "Northern Lights" for baritone, chorus and orchestra, op.45: 7 minutes   *
1916:   Five Latvian Folk Songs for voice and orchestra, op.49: 7 minutes
1918:   Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra: 16 minutes
1924:   Suite "Jewels" for orchestra, op.66: 10 minutes   +  (Marco Polo cd)
             "From the Tree of Acknowledgement" for chorus and orchestra: 7 minutes
1928:   Ballad "A Song of Autumn" for orchestra: 12 minutes   + (Marco Polo cd)
1934:   Latvian Country Serenade for orchestra: 11 minutes     *
1943:   Easter Cantata "The Sermon on the Mount" for baritone, women's chorus, organ and orchestra

and

Variation No.2 for orchestra
Two Miniatures for orchestra
Rhapsody on Lithuanian Folksongs for Violin and Orchestra, op.39

[Aramiarz]

Dear Dundonell, have You one idea about where are the symphonies Scores?

[Alan Howe]

Aramiarz: Dundonnell is no longer active on this forum.

[eschiss1]

I'm going to try for a few guesses --

The Gaujiena Jazeps Vitols Foundation might know, if an email is sent their way;
Hrm. Still, I don't know for sure where the manuscript or published (presumably recent) score of the symphony can be found, or in fact any real evidence that the work presented as his first symphony on YouTube is in fact that work. (Wouldn't be the first time, if so, and often due to mistakes and lack of care rather than mischiefs or malice, I think. I have an audio file of a Wellesz work that though presented as iirc the composer's "Prosperos Beschworungen" in its identifying matter, certainly sounds for all the world like, and is, his first symphony (in C minor Op.62), down to the file length, which does not seem to be the case from a comparison of recordings listings e.g. so I'm fairly sure that's misidentified. Not to mention what happened here with some files of piano quintets and symphonies by Fickenscher, Clapp, and others that got totally bollixed, iirc...)

[eschiss1]

And having found the site of the National Library of Latvia, I see they do indeed have the Vitols symphony in E minor - search under "Vītols, Jāzeps" (author) in their online catalog under printed music (it helps to have a browser like Google Chrome that can auto-translate if, like me, you don't read Latvian in a moment.) The symphony is record 126 out of 170, at least with the options I selected: "Simfonija, e moll [notis] / Jāzeps Vītols." "2 partitūras (222 lpp.) + balsis ; 37 cm." A manuscript copy, I think.

[minacciosa]

There's something missing, unless I've over looked it. Vitals' Recit for viola and piano.

[eschiss1]

Missing from this list here? Does it have an orchestral version?

[Balapoel]

Okay - here are the rest...

Chamber
   String Quartet No. 1   1885
2   Melodie et mazurka for violin and piano   1887
   Esquisse, vc, pf,   1894
12   Sketch for Cello and Piano   1894
14   Récit for Viola or Cello & Piano    1894
15   Romance, vn, pf,   1894
   Menuet in B major for string quartet   1895
27   String Quartet No. 2 in G Major   1899
42   Fantaisie sur des chants populaires lettons, vn, pf,   1908
55   Berceuse (Supla dziesma) for violin and piano   1919

Organ
   Pastorale (Pastorāle), sans numéro d'opus (op.) ;   1913
   29 mélodies de chorals d'après le livre de l'église évangélique luthérienne lettonne (29 korāļi meldiju grāmatā latvijas evaņģēliski – luterāņu draudzēm), sans op. (+ version pour chœurs a cappella) ;   1924
   Liturgie (Liturģija), sans op. ;   1934
   Liturgie de Pâques (Lieldienu liturģija), sans op.   1935

Piano
1   Piano Sonata in Bb minor   1886
8   Berceuse for Piano   1887
3   Humoresque for Piano   1890
6   Variations sur un Theme Lette for Piano   1892
9   Mazurka et Valse for Piano    1892
10   3 Preludes for Piano   1893
13   3 Preludes for Piano    1894
16   3 Preludes for Piano    1895
17   3 Morceaux for Piano    1895
18   Berceuse et Etude for Piano    1895
19   2 Preludes for Piano    1895
20   4 Morceaux for Piano    1895
23   2 Morceaux for Piano    1897
25   3 Morceaux for Piano    1897
24   Valse-Caprice for Piano   1897
26   3 Etudes for Piano    1898
29   10 Chants Populaires Lettons, Paraphrases Miniatures for Piano   1900
30   3 Preludes for Piano   1903
32   8 Latvian Folk Tunes for Piano   1905
33   Deux miniatures (Divas miniaturas)   1905
38   3 Silhouetten for Piano   1909
41   Au Clair de la Lune, 2 Morceaux for Piano    1910
43   3 Reminiscences for Piano    1914
54   Variations-potraits   1920
57   Carmina, cycle de trois chansons populaires   1921
63   Piano Sonatina in b minor   1926
68   8 miniatures (Astonas miniaturas)   1928

Vocal
5   3 lieder for high voice and piano   1891
28   Beverīnas dziedonis (The Bard of Beverīna), op. 28, ballade for baritone and orchestra (1891, rev. 1900)
7   6 chansons for high voice and piano   1892
31   7 dziesmas [7 songs], op.31, 1v, pf, 1893–1903
34   5 dziesmas [5 songs], op.34, 1v, pf, 1905–06
36   5 chansons enfantines   1908
35   Dziesma (The Song), op. 35, cantata for soprano, choir, and orchestra (1908)
40   8 songs   1909
44   3 songs   1910
48   5 preludes de Naurena Elzas   1914
45   Ziemeļblāzma (Northern Lights), op. 45, cantata1914
49   5 chansons populaires lettones  for voice and orchestra   1916
50   5 chansons d'ete (Vasaras dziesmas)   1918
51   3 songs   1919
52   3 songs for 2 voices and piano   1919
53   3 songs   1919
56   3 songs   1921
58   12 chansons enfantines   1921
59   3 songs   1923
60   Le Chagrin du Pueple (Tautas bedas), 3 songs   1923
61   3 songs for bass and piano   1923
   La Reconnaissance de l'arbre (No atzisanas koka), cantata for soli, chorus, organ   1924
62   3 songs   1925
   Jezus pie akas, cantata for STBar, chorus, and organ   1935
   Iesvetisanai (L'Ordination), cantata for soli, chorus, organ   1939
   8 songs populaires lettonnes (Astonas latviesu tautas dziesmas)   1941
   Jezus Nacarete, oratorio for soli, chorus, organ   1942
   Kalna sprediķis (Sermon on the Mount), Easter cantata for baritone, women's choir, organ, and orchestra    1943
   ca. 100 choral songs   
   ca. 300 folk song arrangements   

[eschiss1]

There's at least one other work (Legend?) for string quartet, from 1942 and w/o opus, listed in the Latvia Library Catalog as by Vitols. (If I'm reading correctly; I didn't apply translation, should have, and guessed "string quartet" was the right translation for what was written there. ... Hrm. Will go back and check, later...)

Op.60 - peuple, not pueple- I'm guessing.

[Aramiarz]

Dear Alan And Eschiss1,
   You are very kind! Your help And research are very important!
  I will send one Mail to the Vitols Society,

[minacciosa]

For some reason I thought the Recit did have an orchestral version, but now I'm not so sure, it's been some years since I really thought about the piece. Still, it's very welcome to have such a list for this composer.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Op.60 - peuple, not pueple- I'm guessing.

I think you are guessing wrong, Eric. "Le pueple" is old French for "the people", frequently meaning a particular group (e.g. le pueple juif OR le pueple chrétien). "Le Chagrin du Pueple" would seem to translate better as "the grief of the people" than "the grief of the purple one"!!

[eschiss1]

Thanks!!