Composers > Juris Abols

Juris Abols

"The life of a person is involved with perpetual cognition. That materialisation does not allow me to repeat myself in my music. Onward!
Our era’s realities are quixotic, if I desire, I can join a large mob carrying weapons; there is not much difference between a Dadaist and a journalist – or, how many of the greats thought – Dada is all. All is dada. Still, only faith can separate the adequateness of the reflection of reality. It is good, if it is larger than a mustard seed, since today any text does not make much sense – mankind, which, from its own experience, has not learned anything in ten thousand years – in reality, is tormented by the same two questions, as in the Palaeolithic Era: What to do? And: Who is at fault?... That is why I do not try to complicate or beautify my aesthetic problems – if only for necessity’s sake – but I still do place a great awareness on the quality of information. My consciousness tells me everything that I need to know directly and – aesthetic daring – getting to know those actual facts, which are ridiculed by people...
To review a person’s cultural-historical experience is difficult. But it is beautiful...
I do not crave beauty – that is why I do not compose very much."

Juris Ābols


BIOGRAPHY

The composer Juris Ābols was born on April 16th, 1950, in Riga, to the family of painter Ojārs Ābols and linguist Mirdza Ābola. He completed the Latvian State Conservatory (now the Academy of Music) in the flute class of Jānis Morics, receiving his diploma in teaching and concert performance (1972) and the composition class of Ādolfs Skulte (1982); after that he worked as a free-lance artist. He performed in the Latvian National Opera Orchestra (1976–1978). In the period of independence renewal, he worked in the field of journalism, and he performed in a piano trio together with composer Edmunds Goldšteins and violinist Jānis Bulavs, performing classical, the music of Latvian composers, as well as his own music. In 1988/1989, he recorded and produced the record Smilšu laiks (Time of Sand) as a testament to this collaboration. From 1998 until 2005, he worked as an organist in Strasbourg, France, involving himself in the sphere of Catholic Church music. As of 1987, he is a member of the Latvian Composers’ Union.

From his father he inherited a philosophical world view, which is centred in humanism and the observation of the world’s social process - the complicated interconnections, contexts and cross-cuts. Beginning already with his first approbated works (Piecas latviešu dejas [Five Latvian Dances], Prelude and Toccata) the thematic centre is – thoughts of people, their inner world, reaching into the deepest depths of consciousness, to which are dedicated a considerable, psychedelically centred plethora of compositions since the beginning of the 80s. Here he has learned from Luciano Berio and Mauricio Kagel, but still holding on to his own individual style – experimenting with the human voice in many difference emotional situations, using ancient deceased languages (Carmina byzantica, Normālā fizioloģija [Normal Physiology] and others), exploiting a whole five languages in one opus (Mūsu cilvēks Beiczinā (L’amiral cherche une maison a louer) [Our Man in Beijing]. Altogether, language is used on all levels – beginning with intonemes materializing in the consciousness until their electronic transformation, from the ancient Greek, Thracian, Assyrian language, to the so-called imaginary languages, in the Dadaist lexicon, and finally – his birth language with its dialects. Cultural history, ancient culture and civilization expert: occasionally in his works we see some cultural reference. He does not flee from the most traditional means of music expression, for example, the classical harmony school. He is interested in national cultures, the historical and geographical parallels. In his free time – ethnic genesis and ancient cultures, which research resulted in the assembling of the Baltobalkānistikas Enciklopēdijas [Balto-Balkan Encyclopedia] (2002) and separate research manuscripts. He researches regularly.

Overall, he is a bitonalist and polytonalist. Polystylist. At the end of the 90s, Dadaist opuses competed with works composed in a traditional style; in 2004, to this symbiosis electronica and folk-rock was added (Jautra sabiedrība [Joyous Society]). The motifs are not particularly ironic; jeering, sarcasm, absurd humour, especially at the time of the turn of the century. Still, in this irony there is no evil; if ethics prevails over aesthetics – then that is a cultural-history experience of humanity or cultural process reward. The sounds of his opuses can be tinted with a resigned, sad smile, along with that, those enjoying his musical process are given the question: But why?...

J. Ābols’ publications on cultural problems are also found in the Latvian press and concert reviews. His recordings – in the Latvian Radio sound recording library, the Latvian National Library Music Division; manuscripts – the Latvian National Library Music Division, the Latvian Academy of Music sheet music library. Photo materials – in the personal archives of composer Edmunds Goldšteins.


DISCOGRAPHY

LP

Trio for flute, violin and piano / Juris Ābols, Jānis Bulavs, Edmunds Goldšteins – 17’54” / Zilonis un pelīte (The Elephant and the Mouse) for violin and piano / Jānis Bulavs, Edmunds Goldšteins – 2’20” // Smilšu laiks (Time of Sand) – [1988 recording], Melodija, C10 28817 007

CD

Gug’d ya asimi Masiya (St. Francis’ Discussions with Birds) – 3’42” / The vocal group Putni, artistic director Antra Dreģe // Putni – 1997, Rīgas skaņu ierakstu studija

Ave Regina coelorum for mixed choir / Latvian Radio Choir – 3’42” // Latviešu mūzika Rīgā – 1999, Latvijas Radio, LRCD 031

Roždestvo Tvoje Hriste Bože naš (Your Birth, Christ, Our Lord), cantata for women’s vocal ensemble / The vocal ensemble Putni, artistic director Antra Dreģe – 8’40” / B.R.B.G./5 p.e.r.d.8 E.d. – Burhanuddina Rabani Brīnumainais Gredzens jeb 5 Politiski Erotiskas Rotaļas Daiļām 8 Eiropas dāmām (The Amazing Ring of Burhanuddin Rabbani or 5 Politically Erotic Games for the Beautiful 8 Women of Europe), cycle for women’s vocal ensemble and block flute – 10’49” / The vocal ensemble Putni, artistic director Antra Dreģe, Dagnija Tuča (block flute) // Vokālais ansamblis Putni. Pamošanās – 2003, PUTNI, PCD 3

Prelude and toccata / Cello duet Lolita Lilje and Diana Ozoliņa – 4’13”// Negaidīta atklāsme. Unexpected Inspiration – 2003, Rīgas skaņu ierakstu studija (Riga Recording Company), RS 046

Psalmus 66 – 3’28” / Karawane – 4’34” / Latvian Radio Choir, Conductor Kaspars Putniņš // Saules lēkts – 2005, Latvian Radio Choir, Latvian Music Information Centre, LMIC CD-2005-3

Trio for flute, violin and piano / Juris Ābols, Jānis Bulavs, Edmunds Goldšteins – 18’14” // Bulavs Chamber Ensemble. Latvian Music Series. Volume two – 2006, Angelok 1, CD 7702

Poļu kalendas (Polish calendas), song cycle for women’s vocal ensemble and early music ensemble / Vocal group Putni, early music ensemble Ludus – 12’11”/ Christmas Chants of the Armenian Apostolic Church / Vocal group Putni – 1’34” // Ekumēniskie Ziemassvētki / Ecumenic Christmas – 2008, Herman Braun Foundation, HBF 005

MC

Fünf lettische Tänze (Five Latvian Dances) for 2 cellos and piano / Inga Suta, Laima Kunkule, Ventis Zilberts / Prelude and Toccata for 2 cellos / Inga Suta, Laima Kunkule // Lettische Musik – [1998, released in Munster, Germany], Inga Suta


Juris Ābols – flutist

LP

J. Karlsons, Little trio for flute, violin and piano Smilšu laiks (Time of Sand) – 9’25” / E. Goldšteins, Trio for flute, violin and piano – 12’40” / Juris Ābols, Jānis Bulavs, Edmunds Goldšteins // Smilšu laiks (Sand Time) – [1988 recording], Melodija, C10 28817 007

CD

V. Šmīdbergs, Sonata-trio for flute, violin and piano / Juris Ābols, Jānis Bulavs, Aldis Liepiņš – 15’46” // Jānis Bulavs. Kamermūzika – 2000, LIMA, MRCDK 017

V. Šmīdbergs, Trio-sonata for flute, violin and piano / Juris Ābols, Jānis Bulavs, Aldis Liepiņš – 16’00” // Bulavs Chamber Ensemble. Latvian Music Series. Volume two – 2006, Angelok 1, CD 7702


WRITINGS (a selection)

Pēc Blūzu iestudējuma Drāmas teātrī (After the performance of Blūzi [Blues] at the Drama Theatre) [a review] // Padomju Jaunatne, June 19th, 1979
Iepazīsti pats sevi! (Get to Know Yourself!) [a review of the Imants Sneibis solo concert] // Padomju Jaunatne, March 25th, 1980
Nedēļa ar stīgām (A Week with Strings) [a review of the Leons Veldre and Aldis Liepiņš concert] // Literatūra un Māksla, October 4th, 1991
Bidē vai ģitāru, vai Polihimnijas rotaļas ar Hērostrata sindromu (A Bidet or Guitar, or Polyhymnia’s Games with Herostratus Syndrome) [about the culture-politics question in the music division] // Literatūra un Māksla, November 29th, 1991
Vai desmitniekā? (Has it Hit the Mark?) [a review of the concert of Gatis Ulmanis and Ilze Urbāne] // Literatūra un Māksla, December 20th, 1991
Mēs un kultūrapziņa (We and Cultural Concsciousness) // Literatūra un Māksla, July 31st, 1992
Trīs cietie rieksti (četri) (Three Hard Nuts [Four]). From the book Entropijas kanalizācija jeb Rainis & partneri (The Plumbing of Entropy or Rainis & Partners) // Jaunā Avīze, February 14th, 1998, in the attachment Jā, no. 7


LITERATURE (a selection)

I. Zemzaris, Astoņpadsimt jautājumi Jurim Ābolam (Eighteen Questions for Juris Ābols) [interview] // Literatūra un Māksla, June 29th, 1984 • A. Selickis, Vēlreiz par sonātu vakaru (One More Time about the Sonata Evening) [about the performance of the Sonata for violin and piano, and others] // Literatūra un Māksla, April 12th, 1985 • I. Lūsiņa, Koncertzālēs (Concert Halls) [a review] // Literatūra un Māksla, March 21st, 1986 • I. Zemzare, Vai jums ir ideja? (Do You Have an Idea?) [a review of the Latvian composers’ new chamber much concert, including the Trio Sonata work] // Literatūra un Māksla, October 30th, 1987. • M. Bušmanis, Abi gali balti, vidus... (Both Ends are White, the Middle...) [a review of the concert, including the performace of Normālā fizioloģija (Normal Physiology)] / Liesma, October 24th, 1989 • I. Zemzaris, Putnu pamošanās (The Birds’ Awakening) [a review of concerts, including the performance of Otrā Gobi pasaka [The Second Gobi Fable]] // Literatūra un Māksla, April 13th, 1991 • I. Lūsiņa, Dodiet ceļu jaunajai latviešu (kora) mūzikai! (Give a Path for New Latvian [Choir] Music!) [a review of the New Choir Music Festival, including the premieres of Piecu antifonu gregoriskā stilā [Five Antiphones in a Gregorian Style] and Karawane] // Diena, December 5th, 1996 • S. Ņedzvecka, Tīros putekļos, atraktās debesīs (Clean Dust, Unearthed Heavens) [interview] // Māksla Plus, 1998, no. 2, 12–15 • I. Zemzaris, Kaut vienu vārdu rītdienai... (Just One Word for Tomorrow...) [a review of concerts, including the performance of the work B.R.B.G. jeb 5 p.e.r.d.8 E.d.] // Literatūra. Māksla. Mēs, 1998, June 4th–11th • S. Ņedzvecka, Tribīne, no kuras tapt sadzirdētiem (A Tribune, from Which to be Heard) [regarding the work Karawane and the performance of other Latvian composers’ works at the new work exhibition Rostrum] // Mūzikas Saule, 2004, no. 3, 25 • S. Ņedzvecka, Rostrum 2004. Statistika un gaviles (Rostrum 2004. Statistics and Celebrations) [regarding the work Karawane and the performance of other Latvian composers’ works at the new work exhibition Rostrum] // Mūzikas Saule, 2004, no. 4, 14–15


Juris Ābols, Mārīte Dombrovska
Photo - Edmunds Mickus
© LMIC