Vasks: Vox amoris

Solo violin and string orchestra - the pieces on this CD focus on Peteris Vasks' favourite instrumentation. His music - which always has to be viewed against the background of the socially and politically turbulent history of his home country Latvia - leads here through contrasting emotional states: passages of sumptuous beauty are followed by disjointed and dramatic sounds. All three pieces, according to Vasks, represent the polarity between optimistic hope for a better future and an anxious concern for the modern world. About the fantasia "Vox Amoris" Vasks said: "It has to do with the strongest force in the world - love. I hope that this piece touches the listener and makes the world a little more friendly and open for love." With the violin, the "voice of love", the listener experiences different sensations from a gentle blossoming to open passion. 1996/97 saw the composition of the concerto "T?l? gaisma" ("Distant Light"), Vasks' first and so far most extensive work for violin and