Alfrēds Kalniņš
Encyclopedia
Alfrēds Bruno Jānis Kalniņš (23 August 1879, Cēsis
, Russian Empire
– 23 December 1951, Riga
, Latvian SSR
) was a Latvian composer
, organist
, pedagogue, music critic and conductor
; the founder of national Latvian opera. Kalniņš is primarily remembered for his national opera Baņuta (1920).
From 1897 until 1901 he studied organ
and composition
.at Saint Petersburg Conservatory
. After a short stay in Riga, which he spent writing a series of song
s, he accepted a post as an organist at the Saint Nicholas Church in Pärnu
in 1903. At present Pärnu is located in Estonia
, but then it belonged to the Russian Governorate of Livonia. Kalniņš also gave music lesson
s at the local grammar school and conducted the school choir. In Pärnu his son Jānis Kalniņš
, who would become a composer too, was born in 1904.
Kalniņš stayed in Pärnu until 1911. In that year he took the post of organist at the Church of Saint Anne at Liepāja
, where he also conducted the choir of the local music society. Apart from the church services he also played organ concertos and was involved in the restoration of the church organ.
In 1914 the First World War
broke out. In 1915 Liepājā fell into the hands of the Germans. Kalniņš fled to Tartu
(like Pärnu then in Livonia and now in Estonia). There he worked as an organist and a conductor and gave private music lessons.
When in 1918 Tartu fell into the hands of the Germans too, he returned to Liepāja. In 1919 he accepted a job as head of the Department of Music at the Ministry of Education and chairman of the Music Council at Riga, now the capital of independent Latvia
. Besides, he acted as organist of Saint James’s Church (now Saint James’s Cathedral), wrote criticisms and conducted the students choir of the University of Latvia
. In 1926 he acted as chief conductor at the 6th Latvian Song and Dance Festival
.
In the years 1927-1933 he lived in New York
, where he worked as an organist, played concertos and gave music lessons.
In 1933 Kalniņš returned to Riga, where he took the post of organist at Riga Cathedral. Between 1944 and 1948 he was rector of the Latvian Academy of Music
, where he gave organ lessons too. In 1948 he retired. He died three years later.
of Kalniņš was unveiled in Cēsis, his place of birth. In 2004 it was replaced to the local school of music, which carries his name: Alfrēda Kalniņa Cēsu Mūzikas vidusskola. In 1979 Riga got a statue of the composer too. It is located at the opera building
. In Viestura Park, also in Riga, there is a monument portraying eight Latvian composers, among them Alfrēds Kalniņš.
s the best known is Jūra (‘The Sea’).
In 1918 Kalniņš started working on his most famous piece of music, the opera
Baņuta, which went into premiere in 1920 in Riga. It is the first opera with a libretto
in Latvian
. When Kalniņš lived in New York, he rewrote a big part of its music. This version of the opera was performed for the first time in 1937. In 1940, under Soviet
rule, Kalniņš had to change the end of the opera. In the original version the principal person Baņuta and her lover Vižuts commit suicide; now the opera got a happy end. On 5 June 1982 the opera was performed for the first time in the West, namely in New York. This production was based on the 1937 version. The 1940 version has not been performed since. The opera has always remained popular, especially in Latvia, and is still performed from time to time.
Kalniņš’s second opera Salinieki (‘The island dwellers’, 1926) is lesser known.
Moreover, he composed a ballet
, Staburags, an orchestral suite and pieces for organ and piano.
Cesis
Cēsis , is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river overlooking the woods below...
, Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
– 23 December 1951, 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,...
, Latvian SSR
Latvian SSR
The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Latvian SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the Soviet Union. Established on 21 July 1940 as a puppet state during World War II in the territory of the previously independent Republic of Latvia after it had been occupied by...
) was a Latvian composer
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...
, organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, pedagogue, music critic and conductor
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 founder of national Latvian opera. Kalniņš is primarily remembered for his national opera Baņuta (1920).
Course of life
Kalniņš took piano and violin lessons at an early age. He attended the school of music in Riga. He often visited the Riga theatre, where he could listen to operas and concerts. He made acquaintance with Oskars Šepskis (1850-1914), a composer and organist, who gave him private lessons.From 1897 until 1901 he studied organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and composition
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 :...
.at 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:...
. After a short stay in Riga, which he spent writing a series of song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s, he accepted a post as an organist at the Saint Nicholas Church in Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
in 1903. At present Pärnu is located in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, but then it belonged to the Russian Governorate of Livonia. Kalniņš also gave music lesson
Music lesson
Music lessons are a type of formal instruction in playing a musical instrument or singing. Typically, a student taking music lessons meets a music teacher for one-on-one training sessions ranging from 30 minutes to one hour in length over a period of weeks or years...
s at the local grammar school and conducted the school choir. In Pärnu his son Jānis Kalniņš
Jānis Kalniņš
Jānis Kalniņš was a Latvian and later Canadian composer and conductor.-Latvia:Jānis Kalniņš was the son of composer Alfrēds Kalniņš. He was a student first of Jāzeps Vītols at the Latvian Academy of Music, then with Erich Kleiber, Hermann Abendroth and Leo Blech. His two major operas were Hamlets ...
, who would become a composer too, was born in 1904.
Kalniņš stayed in Pärnu until 1911. In that year he took the post of organist at the Church of Saint Anne at Liepāja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
, where he also conducted the choir of the local music society. Apart from the church services he also played organ concertos and was involved in the restoration of the church organ.
In 1914 the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out. In 1915 Liepājā fell into the hands of the Germans. Kalniņš fled to Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
(like Pärnu then in Livonia and now in Estonia). There he worked as an organist and a conductor and gave private music lessons.
When in 1918 Tartu fell into the hands of the Germans too, he returned to Liepāja. In 1919 he accepted a job as head of the Department of Music at the Ministry of Education and chairman of the Music Council at Riga, now the capital of independent Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. Besides, he acted as organist of Saint James’s Church (now Saint James’s Cathedral), wrote criticisms and conducted the students choir of the University of Latvia
University of Latvia
University of Latvia is a university located in Riga, Latvia. Being established in 1919, University of Latvia is the biggest university in the Baltic states.-History:...
. In 1926 he acted as chief conductor at the 6th 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...
.
In the years 1927-1933 he lived in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he worked as an organist, played concertos and gave music lessons.
In 1933 Kalniņš returned to Riga, where he took the post of organist at Riga Cathedral. Between 1944 and 1948 he was rector of the Latvian Academy of Music
Latvian Academy of Music
The Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music , formerly Riga Conservatory, is the major higher learning music institution in Latvia. The junior institute is the Emils Darzins Music School.-History:...
, where he gave organ lessons too. In 1948 he retired. He died three years later.
Monuments
On Kalniņš’s one hundredth birthday in 1979, a bronze bustBust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
of Kalniņš was unveiled in Cēsis, his place of birth. In 2004 it was replaced to the local school of music, which carries his name: Alfrēda Kalniņa Cēsu Mūzikas vidusskola. In 1979 Riga got a statue of the composer too. It is located at the opera building
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:...
. In Viestura Park, also in Riga, there is a monument portraying eight Latvian composers, among them Alfrēds Kalniņš.
Oeuvre
Kalniņš was a very prolific composer, who wrote hundreds of songs, both for solo voice with piano accompaniment and for choir. Of his six cantataCantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
s the best known is Jūra (‘The Sea’).
In 1918 Kalniņš started working on his most famous piece of music, the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Baņuta, which went into premiere in 1920 in Riga. It is the first opera with a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
in Latvian
Latvian language
Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
. When Kalniņš lived in New York, he rewrote a big part of its music. This version of the opera was performed for the first time in 1937. In 1940, under Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
rule, Kalniņš had to change the end of the opera. In the original version the principal person Baņuta and her lover Vižuts commit suicide; now the opera got a happy end. On 5 June 1982 the opera was performed for the first time in the West, namely in New York. This production was based on the 1937 version. The 1940 version has not been performed since. The opera has always remained popular, especially in Latvia, and is still performed from time to time.
Kalniņš’s second opera Salinieki (‘The island dwellers’, 1926) is lesser known.
Moreover, he composed a ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, Staburags, an orchestral suite and pieces for organ and piano.
Recordings
- Baņuta, Choir of the Latvian National Opera, Symphony Orchestra of Latvian TV and Radio, dir. Aleksandrs ViļumanisAleksandrs ViļumanisAleksandrs Viļumanis is a Latvian conductor.Vilumanis studied percussion and conducting at the Latvian Academy of Music, being hired 1962 as a percussionist and conductor's assistant at the Latvian National Opera...
. Rīgas Skaņu RS010, 1996 (2 cds, full libretto in Latvian and English). - Jānis Kalniņš, Potter’s Field, Latvian Radio and Consum Choirs, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, dir. Andrejs Jansons / Alfrēds Kalniņš, The Sea, Latvian Radio, Consum and Versija Choirs, Latvian National Opera Orchestra, dir. Andrejs Jansons (Cantatas). Latvian Concert NYLCC 007, 2004.
Sources
- A document about Kalniņš’s life, in Latvian, Word format
- Biruta Sūrmane, Text in the booklet accompanying the cd Baņuta, RS010, 1996.