The repertoire of the Riga Saxophone Quartet is stylistically and genre-wise diverse, and the international scope of its concert geography is no less impressive. During its more than thirty years of existence, this experienced ensemble has collaborated with many outstanding artists.
The program "Tu atnāci pie manis" (You Came to Me) marks the quartet's first creative encounter with the young singer Terēze Gretere, jointly revisiting the compositions of Georgs Pelēcis and Kārlis Lācis. The genetic precursors of Pelēcis' musical art can be seen in Renaissance and Baroque music, as well as in the aesthetics of minimalism. The most accurate description of his musical style seems to be "new consonant music," where euphony is the ideal of harmony. In his 2010 cantata Sniega šūpulī (Snow Cradle), he set the imaginative verses of Alfrēds Krūklis to music.
Similar to Latvian music, the scores of American composer Philip Glass, who is associated with minimalism, reveal an interest in bringing repetitive thematic patterns to life. Interestingly, in the perception of listeners, this approach often transforms into an impression of hypnotic magical power.
Glass's Saxophone Quartet, composed in 1995, possesses both this and a spirit of adventure rich in contrasts. Kārlis Lācis, who is closer to the world of theater, is associated with the ability to conjure up vividly diverse images and moods in music. A wonderful example of this is his captivatingly diverse songs from the concert performance Ziedonis. Lācis. Sievietes (Ziedonis. Lācis. Women), which premiered at the Dailes Theatre in 2013.
