Janis Medins(1890-1966): a Catalogue of the Orchestral Music

[Dundonnell]

JANIS MEDINS: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

1911:   Symphonic Image "A Tale"
             Symphonic Poem "In Memory of Emils Darzins"
1913:   Symphony in E minor
1922:   Suite No.1 for orchestra: 12 minutes
             Festival Cantata "A Song of Latvia" for chorus and orchestra
1923:   Symphonic Image "Imanta": 19 minutes
1924:   Symphonic Image "The Blue Mountain": 12 minutes
1925:   Suite No.2 for orchestra: 13 minutes
1928:   Cello Concerto No.1: 21 minutes
1932:   Piano Concerto: 33 minutes
1933:   Suite No.3 "Homeland" for orchestra: 21 minutes
1935:   Ballet Suite No.1 "The Victory of Love"
             Suite from the Opera "Fire and Night"
             Poem "At the Church" for string orchestra: 13 minutes
1936:   Suite from the Opera "God and Men"
             Symphonic Image "A Night in the Garden of Gethsemene"
             Suite "Moments" for orchestra
             Dance Suite for orchestra
1937:   Comical Suite for orchestra
1938:   Suite from the Opera "Spriditis"
1940:   "A New Song" for voice and orchestra
              Six Romances for voice and orchestra
1943:   "The Crows' Windmill" for Violin and Orchestra: 3 minutes
1947:   Cello Concerto No.2: 24 minutes
1953:   Cantata "Riga" for baritone, chorus and orchestra
1956:   Latvian Rhapsody for orchestra: 11 minutes
             Latvian Dances, Nos.1-2 for orchestra: 5 minutes    *
1957:   Latvian Dances Nos.3-6 for orchestra: 11 minutes    *
1961:   Concertino for Two Violins and Orchestra: 6 minutes
1962:   Rhapsody on Latvian Folk Songs for Two Violins and Orchestra: 12 minutes
1963:   Five Latvian Folk Songs for voice and orchestra

and

Violin Concerto
Suite No.4 for orchestra
Polonaise for orchestra
Prelude for orchestra
Ballet Suite No.2 "The Victory of Love"
"Letters to Peer Gynt"-Four Cantos for voice and orchestra: 52 minutes
Eleven Latvian Folk Songs for voice and orchestra: 28 minutes
Cantata "Little Janis on the Hill, Little Janis in the Valley" for voice, chorus and orchestra: 8 minutes
Cantata "The Ancient Oak" for chorus and orchestra
"May You Live Forever, Latvia!" for chorus and orchestra: 1 minute
"Hero Forge" for chorus and orchestra
"Oh to be Young"for voice and orchestra
"Ave Maria" for voice and orchestra
"Ave maria" for voice, mixed choir and orchestra
"Songs of an Orphan Girl" for voice and orchestra: 9 minutes
"At that time" for voice, kokle and orchestra 

[isokani]

Does anyone have any recordings of these pieces? You'll be able to buy my recording of his 24 Dainas from Toccata later this year...

[eschiss1]

I don't, but "The Blue Mountain" was recorded on a 2-CD set with an Ivanovs symphony and some other works - see here. Perhaps someone has it.. A search of Swedish P2 radio's archive database shows some studio recordings (I think they are) of some chamber works of his (piano sonatina, violin sonata no.1 in G minor of 1946 - probably from Latvian radio, as Worldcat shows the pianist Guna Kurmis as having made recordings of Medins' music for Latvian radio. Zarins did record the sonata with G. Braun for Melodiia (I think; the title of the LP on Worldcat, is "Suite for cello and piano Prelude ; Daina no. 11 in E flat major ; Sonata for violin and piano in G major". Several of the Dainas appear here and on radio transcription broadcast LPs. I expect I will have a better idea what to make of them when the CD comes out )