BACH. DUBRA. DEBUSSY
PARTICIPANTS:
Orchestra RIGA
Organist Aigars Reinis
Conductor Valdis Butāns
Every August, Orchestra RIGA invites symphonic music listeners to immerse in the grandeur of wind orchestra sounds within the acoustics of historical Riga Cathedral. The annual concert series has become a signature music event in Riga’s summer calendar where Orchestra RIGA and Riga Cathedral organ meet in majestic harmony.
The concert offers a vibrant fusion of Baroque, Impressionist, and modern sacred music sounds. The program includes J. S. Bach’s E-flat major Prelude and Fugue, BWV 552, as arranged by D. Hunsberger, bringing out the full richness of the wind orchestra, and the Concerto in D minor — a transcription of one of Vivaldi’s violin concertos (BWV 596), showcasing Bach’s admiration for Italian brilliance, known for its rich and colorful timbre. Organist Aigars Reinis will interpret Claude Debussy’s The Sunken Cathedral (La Cathédrale engloutie) — a haunting vision rendered in an evocative orchestration by Jean-Louis Roques. This is paired with Debussy’s ethereal Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, arranged for winds by M. Bašs, opening new textures while retaining the introspective atmosphere of the original.
The two works by Latvian composer Rihards Dubra — Toccata (for organ) and Awaiting the Dawn (for organ and wind orchestra) — create a contemplative finale: music that bridges liturgical tradition with modern expressivity.
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