Jazeps Vitols
Encyclopedia
Jāzeps Vītols was a Latvian composer
.
Vītols, the son of a schoolteacher, began his studies in composition
in 1880 at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory
with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
. After graduating in 1886, he remained at the Conservatory to teach composition and reached the rank of Professor in 1901. His pupils there included Nikolai Myaskovsky
and Sergei Prokofiev
. Vītols was a close friend of fellow professors Alexander Glazunov
and Anatoly Lyadov; he would regularly participate at Mitrofan Belyayev
's "Weekly Fridays" — regular meetings of prominent Russian composers at Belyayev's home. At the time, Belyayev was Vītols' primary publisher. Besides academia, Vītols also spent time as a music critic for the St Petersburger Zeitung from 1897 to 1914.
In 1918, Vītols returned from Russia
to his newly independent Latvia to conduct
the Latvian National Opera
. The following year, he established the first Latvian Conservatory of Music, which was later renamed the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music
in his honor, and he ran the composition classes there between 1919 and 1944. His most prominent students during his tenure were Jānis Ivanovs
and Ādolfs Skulte. He also helped co-found the Latvian Composers' Society in 1923. In 1944, he moved to Lübeck in Germany
and lived there until his death in 1948. His remains were returned to Riga in 1993.
Vītols was active not only as a composer, pedagogue, and conductor, but was also a pianist
and prolific music critic. He was a member of latvian student fraternity
Fraternitas Lataviensis.
His choral music, especially Gaismas pils (The Castle of Light) is very popular with Latvian choirs, and is often included in the repertoire of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival
. Vītols vocal and choral works are published by Musica Baltica Ltd
in Riga
.
, being the first Latvian composer to achieve international stature. His work reveals the undeniable influence of his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov, not least in the brilliance of its orchestration
, an assessment which was shared by Vītols' friend and fellow composer Alexander Glazunov
. During his time in Russia, Vītols became deeply interested in Latvian folklore and conducted the Latvian Choir in Saint Petersburg
. His melodies
clearly draw upon his heritage, and often directly feature Latvian folk tunes
. In striving to forge a musical style for Latvia, Vītols emulated the processes of the Russian national school
. His large-scale works, which are mostly cast in sonata form
, are often characterized by impressive dramatic development. Overall, in comparison with many other 20th century composers, he tended to be rather conservative but nonetheless possessed a masterly composition technique.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
in 1880 at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory
Saint Petersburg Conservatory
The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory is a music school in Saint Petersburg. In 2004, the conservatory had around 275 faculty members and 1,400 students.-History:...
with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
. After graduating in 1886, he remained at the Conservatory to teach composition and reached the rank of Professor in 1901. His pupils there included Nikolai Myaskovsky
Nikolai Myaskovsky
Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky was a Russian and Soviet composer. He is sometimes referred to as the "father of the Soviet symphony".-Early years and first important works:...
and Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
. Vītols was a close friend of fellow professors Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was a Russian composer of the late Russian Romantic period, music teacher and conductor...
and Anatoly Lyadov; he would regularly participate at Mitrofan Belyayev
Mitrofan Belyayev
Mitrofan Petrovich Belyayev was a Russian music publisher, outstanding philanthropist, and the owner of a large wood dealership enterprise in Russia. He was also the founder of the Belyayev circle, a society of musicians in Russia whose members included Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Glazunov...
's "Weekly Fridays" — regular meetings of prominent Russian composers at Belyayev's home. At the time, Belyayev was Vītols' primary publisher. Besides academia, Vītols also spent time as a music critic for the St Petersburger Zeitung from 1897 to 1914.
In 1918, Vītols returned from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to his newly independent Latvia to conduct
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
the Latvian National Opera
Latvian National Opera
The Latvian National Opera , Riga, is the national opera of Latvia. The opera company includes the Latvian National Ballet , LNO Chorus, and LNO Orchestra.-History:...
. The following year, he established the first Latvian Conservatory of Music, which was later renamed the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music
Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music
Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music is a higher education establishment of music at 1 Barona Street, Riga, Latvia.-History:Latvian Conservatory of Music was founded in 1919. There were junior and senior courses that covered around 9 to 10 academic years...
in his honor, and he ran the composition classes there between 1919 and 1944. His most prominent students during his tenure were Jānis Ivanovs
Janis Ivanovs
Jānis Ivanovs was a Soviet Latvian classical music composer.In 1931, he graduated from the Latvian State Conservatory in Riga. In 1944, he joined the conservatory's faculty, becoming a full professor in 1955. He is regarded as being the most distinguished Latvian symphonist...
and Ādolfs Skulte. He also helped co-found the Latvian Composers' Society in 1923. In 1944, he moved to Lübeck in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and lived there until his death in 1948. His remains were returned to Riga in 1993.
Vītols was active not only as a composer, pedagogue, and conductor, but was also a pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and prolific music critic. He was a member of latvian student fraternity
Corporation (university)
Corporation refers to different kinds of student organizations worldwide.Generally, universities in the various European countries have student organizations called corporations. The name is derived from the Latin corporatio meaning a body or group...
Fraternitas Lataviensis.
His choral music, especially Gaismas pils (The Castle of Light) is very popular with Latvian choirs, and is often included in the repertoire of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival
Latvian Song and Dance Festival
The Latvian Song and Dance Festival is an important event in Latvian culture and social life. The All-Latvian Song and Dance Festival has been held since 1873, normally every five years. During the festivals exhibitions of photography, art and folk craft, orchestra concerts, and a festive parade...
. Vītols vocal and choral works are published by Musica Baltica Ltd
Musica Baltica
Musica Baltica is the trading name of Sia “Musica Baltica”, a music publisher based in Riga, Latvia also with an office in London, United Kingdom. At the time of writing Musica Baltica publishes the works of over 60 contemporary composers, mostly in the fields of classical and academic music...
in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
.
Style
Taking his cue from his Russian colleagues, Vītols became the leading exponent of national romanticism in Latvia. He is considered to be the father of a distinctively Latvian classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, being the first Latvian composer to achieve international stature. His work reveals the undeniable influence of his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov, not least in the brilliance of its orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
, an assessment which was shared by Vītols' friend and fellow composer Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was a Russian composer of the late Russian Romantic period, music teacher and conductor...
. During his time in Russia, Vītols became deeply interested in Latvian folklore and conducted the Latvian Choir in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. His melodies
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
clearly draw upon his heritage, and often directly feature Latvian folk tunes
Music of Latvia
Traditional Latvian music is often set to traditional poetry called dainas, featuring pre-Christian themes and legends, drone vocal styles and Baltic zithers.-Dainas:...
. In striving to forge a musical style for Latvia, Vītols emulated the processes of the Russian national school
The Five
The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie , refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin...
. His large-scale works, which are mostly cast in sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
, are often characterized by impressive dramatic development. Overall, in comparison with many other 20th century composers, he tended to be rather conservative but nonetheless possessed a masterly composition technique.
Orchestral
- SymphonySymphonyA symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
in E minor (1886–88) - Dramatic OvertureOvertureOverture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
, op. 21 (1895) - Sprīdītis, op. 37, symphonic poemSymphonic poemA symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another source is illustrated or evoked. The term was first applied by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to his 13 works in this vein...
(1907) - FantasyFantasia (music)The fantasia is a musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation. Because of this, it seldom approximates the textbook rules of any strict musical form ....
on Latvian Folk Tunes, op. 42, for violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
(1908–10) - Rudens dziesma (Autumn Song), symphonic balladeBallade (musical form)A ballade refers to a one-movement musical piece with lyrical and dramatic narrative qualities.- Medieval ballades :The term ballade was used to describe one type of musical setting of French poetry common in the 14th and 15th centuries...
(1928)
Vocal
- Beverīnas dziedonis (The Bard of Beverīna), op. 28, ballade for baritone and orchestra (1891, rev. 1900)
- Dziesma (The Song), op. 35, cantataCantataA cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
for sopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, choirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, and orchestra (1908) - Ziemeļblāzma (Northern Lights), op. 45, cantata (1914)
- Kalna sprediķis (Sermon on the MountSermon on the MountThe Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
), EasterEasterEaster is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
cantata for baritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, women's choir, organ, and orchestra (1943) - ca. 100 liedLiedis a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...
er - ca. 100 choral songs
- ca. 300 folk song arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s
Chamber
- String QuartetString quartetA string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
in G major, op. 27 (1899) - Sketch for Cello and Piano, op. 12
- Récit for Viola or Cello and Piano, op. 14 (1894)
Piano
- Piano SonataPiano sonataA piano sonata is a sonata written for a solo piano. Piano sonatas are usually written in three or four movements, although some piano sonatas have been written with a single movement , two movements , five or even more movements...
in B-flat minor, op. 1 (1886) - Piano Sonatina in B, op. 63
- 8 Latvian Folk Tunes for Piano, op. 32
- numerous character pieces
External links
- Homepage of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music
- Homepage of Musica Baltica Ltd
- Gaismas pils (The Castle of Light) from youtube.com
- Jāzeps Vītols digital collection - Downloading from the digital collection may be a copyright infringement unless you live in a country that still has a 50 year from DOA copyright term. Moniti estis !