Credits:

Fischer, Ivan

Description:

Born in 1946 in Latvia to a Protestant minister, Vasks studied double bass and composition at the conservatory in Riga, and began performing in orchestras and chamber music as early as 1961. Although his religious background led him to suffer from the repressive religious policies of the former Soviet Union, he came to the world’s attention in the 1990s when his works were introduced by Gidon Kremer (who was born in the same country as Vasks and is one year older than Vasks). Vasks’ works are characterized by introspective and heartfelt music, rather than by a competition for the most advanced compositional techniques. Often, sounds reminiscent of nature, such as waves and wind, as well as sentimental and breathy melodies reminiscent of folklore and church music, are also heard. This album contains three works for strings. Distant Light,” written in 1997 on commission from the Salzburg Festiva