Jāzeps Vītols (; 26 July 1863 – 24 April 1948) was a Latvian composer, pedagogue and music critic. He is considered one of the fathers of Latvian classical music.
Biography
Vītols, born in Valmiera the son of a schoolteacher, began his studies in composition in 1880 at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.Naxos profile. 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, Ādolfs Skulte, Lauma Reinholde, and Tālivaldis Ķeniņš. 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. He died in Lübeck.
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 music, 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.
Works Opus Orchestral Chamber Vocal Piano Year 1 Piano Sonata in B-flat minor 1886 21 Dramatic Overture 1895 27 String Quartet in G major 1899 35 The Song (Dziesma) 1908 45 Northern Lights (Ziemeļblāzma) 1914 14 Récit for Viola or Cello and Piano 1894 32 8 Latvian Folk Tunes for Piano Symphony in E minor 1886–88 37 Sprīdītis Amethysts Emeralds Pearls Rubies Diamonds 1907 42 Fantasy on Latvian Folk Tunes 1908–10 Autumn Song (Rudens dziesma) 1928 28 The Bard of Beverīna (Beverīnas dziedonis) 1891 — Sermon on the Mount (Kalna sprediķi) 1943 12 Sketch for Cello and Piano 8 Berceuse 1892 39 Rhapsody On Lithuanian Folksongs 29 10 Chants Populaires Lettons Skaisti dziedi lakstīgala Rīgas torņa galiņā Apkārt kalnu gāju, kalniņa uzkapu,? Redzēj' savu sirdspuķīti gauži raudādam! Āvu, āvu baltas kājas, Lecu dārziņā Aijā, žūžu, lāča bērnis Plakanāmi kājiņāmi Trīcēt trīcēj' visa Rīga Kas to Rīgu trīcināj'? Pūt vējiņi, dzen laiviņu, Aizdzen mani Kurzemē Redz kur jāja div' bajāri, Zīda pušķi zemi slauka Pati māte savu dēlu Kara vīru audzināja Kas to līgo ielīgoja? ligo! Mūsu pašu ciema ļaudis, līgo! Irbit gulēj' ceļmalāi, Baida manu kumeliņ'! 1901 6 Variations sur un Theme Lette 1892 7 Six Mélodies Chant du Mendiant: „Faites l’aumône, bonnesgens“. Berceuse: „O souris grise, apporte le sommeil“. Chant du Ruisseau: „J’ai quitté les monts“. „Je ne puis rire“. Chant de Pêcheurs: „Mère Dvina, mère chère“. Je t’aime: „Je me rappelle ton premier sourire“. 1892 3 Humoresque 1890 4 La fête Lihgo 1889 5 3 Songs (Dziesmas) Das Blatt im Buche: "Ich hab’ eine alte Muhme" Schlimme Ahnung: "Flüchtig ist dein Kuss, Geliebte" Zu spät: "Sie haben dich fortgetragen" 1892 2 Mélodie et Mazurka 1889 43 3 Reminiscences 1914 53 3 Songs (Dziesmas) Die Welle ("Hell strahlt die Sonne") Nebeltage ("Nun die Welt trübe") Lächeln ("Lächle einmal noch") 1919 55 Berceuse in A 1921 11 3 Mélodies for Voice and Piano Heimkehr: "Es wintert draussen mit aller Macht" Die Fenster waren gefroren Du schläfst da so ruhig und süss 13 3 Preludes 1894 15 Romance 1894 50 5 chansons d'ete (Vasaras dziesmas) 1918 16 3 Preludes 1895 2 4 Morceaux 1895 58 12 Chansons Enfantines 1921 63 Piano Sonatina in B minor 1927 52 3 Songs (Dziesmas) Dünastrom, Schwarzauge Wiegenlied fürs Herz ("Törichtes Herz") Frühlingstage ("Kein Klagelaut jemals erkling") 1919 66 Dargakeni Amethysts (Lento) Emeralds (Allegro rustico) Pearls (Allegro) Rubies (Agitato) Diamonds (Allegro di molto) 1924 68 8 miniatures (Astonas miniaturas) 1928 — String Quartet No. 1 1885 — Esquisse 1894 10 3 Preludes 1893 9 Mazurka et Valse 1892 34 Songs 35 Das Lied 61 3 Songs (Dziesmas) 1925 59 3 Songs (Dziesmas) 1923 24 Valse-Caprice 1897 Song of the Sun’s Radiance 1911 There is Still a Silent Night in My Mind 1911 23 2 Morceaux 1897 25 3 Morceaux 1897 33 Deux miniatures (Divas miniaturas) 1905 Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra 1918 57 Carmina 1927 38 3 Silhouettes 1909 41 2 Morceaux — Au Clair de la Lune 1910 44 3 songs (Dziesmas) 1910 48 5 preludes de Naurena Elzas 1914 54 Variations-portraits 1920 17 3 Morceaux 1895 18 Berceuse et Étude 1895 19 2 Preludes 1895 20 4 Morceaux 1895 22 31 7 Lieder (Dziesmas) Mans kaps (Mein Grab) Mirdzas Lied: "Mondenstrahlen weben" "Im Sinn liegt mir die stille Nacht" 1903-21 26 3 Études 1898 36 30 3 Preludes 1903 40 8 Songs (Dziesmas) 1909 46 47 49 5 Latvian Folk Songs 1916 51 3 Songs (Dziesmas) 1919 56 3 Lieder (Trīs dziesmas) Rozes visskaistākās Laimītei Laimas sveiciens 1921 60 Le Chagrin du Pueple (Tautas bedas) — — — 1923 62 3 Songs (Dziesmas) 1925 64 65 67 — Autumn Song (Rudens Dzisma) — Symphony in E minor 1886–87 — Symphony No.2 1901 — Tom Thumb 1908 — Song of a Fisherwoman 1911 — Song of the Sun’s Radiance 1911 — There is Still a Silent Night in My Mind 1911 — Goblet on the Isle of the Dead 1911 — Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra 1918 — From the Tree of Acknowledgement 1924 — A Song of Autumn 1928 — Latvian Country Serenade for orchestra 1934 — Sermon on the Mount 1943 — Legend for string quartet 1942 — Pastorale (Pastorāle) for Organ 1913 — 29 mélodies de chorals d'après le livre de l'église évangélique luthérienne lettonne (29 korāļi meldiju grāmatā latvijas evaņģēliski – luterāņu draudzēm) 1924 — Liturgie (Liturģija) 1934 — Liturgie de Pâques (Lieldienu liturģija) 1935
Musicology works Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov: life, works and the time (one of the essays published with the biography essay by Victor Valter and rememberes by Sergey Gorodetsky) (1916) Вальтер В. Г., Витолс Я., Городецкий С. М. Анатолий Константинович Лядов. — переизд.. — СПб.: Композитор - Санкт-Петербург, 2005. — 184 с. —
Celebration and remembrance
Jāzeps Vītols music days in Gaujiena started soon after 1922, when he spent summers in Gaujiena "Anniņas" with his wife. Celebrating his birthday, different choirs from all over the country started coming to Gaujiena for July 26 to celebrate Vītols' birthday with music. In 2003, a summer camp for children from music schools was started around this celebration, creating an orchestra and a choir to celebrate music and have fun as well as practice their instruments.
Notes
References
Braun, Joachim and Klotiņš, Arnold. "Vītols, Jāzeps". Grove Music Online (subscription required). ed. L. Macy. Retrieved on March 8, 2007.
External links
Homepage of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music Homepage of Musica Baltica Ltd
Jāzeps Vītols digital collection