Romualds Kalsons: Concertos – Latvia National Symph. Orchestra

Romualds Kalsons´ grand concertos

It is always a very special delight to be able to present exciting new repertoire to the audience. Our collaboration with Latvia National Symphony Orchestra and their chief conductor Terje Mikkelsen has given Simax Classics a golden opportunity to get acquainted with music from the Baltic region.

Romualds Kalsons (b. 1936) is a true master in the art of orchestrating, and as such he is very much a part of a strong tradition in Latvian music. He studied with Professor Adolfs Skulte from 1955 to 1960 at the Latvia Music Conservatory, and today holds the very central position as professor and leader of the composition-dept. at Lazeps Vitols Latvian Music Academy in Riga.

On this disc we present three of Kalsons wonderful concertos for soloist and orchestra. The soloists are themselves members of the LNSO, and give an excellent account of the quality of this orchestra. Violinist Valdis Zarins has made the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1978) his own, displaying the perfect blend of technique and expression. Kalsons has given the violin-soloist a sphere all by himself in that the violins are excluded from the stringsection of the orchestra, leaving the violas as the highest string instrument.