On April 18 at 6:00 PM, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra will return to Rundāle Palace to once again delight the audience in the luxurious White Hall of the palace in the series “Sounds of Liepāja at Rundāle Palace.” The concert program will combine four excellent compositions that reflect the splendor of different eras and styles.
A special role in the concert is given to the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů, one of the most prominent Czech composers of the 20th century, known for his versatility and prolific output. He created more than 400 works in various genres, including orchestral pieces, chamber music, operas, and choral music, and his music often features elements of neoclassicism and Czech folk music.
In the White Hall of Rundāle Palace, Martinů’s Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra will be performed, with Liepāja Symphony Orchestra’s oboist Renāte Trapāne as the soloist.
Carlo Gesualdo’s dramatic madrigal “Moro, lasso, al mio duolo” (“I die, weary, in my sorrow”) will reveal the depth and emotional intensity of Renaissance music, allowing listeners to experience complex harmonies and expressive melodies. This opus is one of the brightest examples of Renaissance music, arranged for string orchestra by the conductor of this concert, Jānis Stafeckis.
The program also includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Haffner Symphony – one of the most brilliant symphonies of the Viennese classic, originally created as a festive serenade, the composer later transformed the work into a symphony, adding expanded instrumentation with flutes and clarinets.
The symphony is characterized by vivid energy, majestic themes, and elegant musical language, reflecting both the festive mood and Mozart’s unsurpassed mastery. It features aristocratic sophistication and sparkling vitality, making the Haffner Symphony one of the most frequently performed and beloved symphonic works of the Classical era.
This spring, one of the most outstanding contemporary Latvian composers, Pēteris Vasks, will celebrate his 80th birthday. On April 24, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra invites you to the “Great Amber” concert hall for a concert dedicated to Vasks’ music, while a week earlier, his First Symphony “Voices” will be performed at Rundāle Palace.
“I began composing the symphony at the end of 1990. Then came January 1991. Bloodshed in Lithuania and Latvia. Sleepless nights at the barricades. After all that, it was hard to start again... In the symphony, I speak about themes that are essential and meaningful to me. About life. About eternity. About conscience. I composed with love and faith. I have dedicated my first symphony to the Finnish conductor Juha Kangas—a friend of Baltic music,” says Pēteris Vasks.
The historical connection between Liepāja and Rundāle dates back to the time of Duke Peter Biron of Courland in the 18th century, while the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra has been regarded as an almost resident ensemble at Rundāle Palace for over ten years.
Tickets for the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra concerts can be purchased at “Biļešu paradīze” ticket offices.
The Concert is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia
