Composers > Imants Zemzaris

Imants Zemzaris

"The mind says one thing. But how will you fool the soul?"

Imants Zemzaris


BIOGRAPHY

Imants Zemzaris was born on April 14th, 1951 in Riga to a family of artists. He studied in the Emīls Dārziņš Music College Theory Department (1958–1969) and proceeded with composition studies at the Latvian State Conservatory in Ādolfs Skulte’s class (1969–1974). In 1985, he enrolled in the Latvian State Conservatory Master’s program – Pēteris Plakidis’s compositional class – and graduated that in 1988.

As of the 1980s, Imants Zemzaris has been actively involved in music criticism and the work of an essayist in the Latvian press, where hundreds of his writings have been published. He was the editor of the music division of the weekly Literatūra un Māksla (1988–1994).

He has worked as a teacher of theoretical subjects at the Riga 3rd children’s music school (1972–1976) and, since 1976, has taught composition in the Theory Department of the Emīls Dārziņš Music College. With a genuine interest in the promotion of Latvian music, Imants Zemzaris has organized chamber music concert cycles and concerts. He also participates in concerts as a pianist and a delicately heated commentator.

As of 1975, Imants Zemzaris is a member of the Latvian Composer’s Union, and works as a member of the board of the union. He is also a board member of the Lūcija Garūta Fund.


DISCOGRAPHY

Lauks (Field) for organ // Latviešu ērģeļmūzikas izlase. Aivars Kalējs (organ) – 1994, Remix producentu grupa & ContinAt Ltd

Pastorāles vasaras flautai (Pastorals for Summer Flute) for organ // 1) Festliches Orgelkonzert im Dom zu Riga. Irmtraud Krüger – 1998, KREUZ PLUS: MUSIK BEST. NR. 1627; 2) Baltic Organ Music. Hans-Ola Ericsson (organ) – BIS CD-561 DDD

Lauks (Field) for organ // Latvian Millennium Classics. Tālivaldis Deksnis – 2000, UPE CLASSICS

Trīs māsas (Three Sisters), fantasy for two pianos // Antra and Normunds Vīksne, piano duo. Latvian Music Series, Volume one – 2003, ANGELOK 1 CD-7701

Brīnumskaņdarbi (Marvel Pieces) for violin, alto, cello and piano / Jānis Bulavs, Olafs Štāls, Leons Veldre, Aldis Liepiņš – 16’39” // Bulavs Chamber Ensemble. Latvian Music Series. Volume two – 2006, Angelok 1, CD 7702

Faktūras (Textures) for piano – 5’48” / Varšavas triptihs (Warsaw Triptych) for piano – 9’06” / Juris Žvikovs // Latviešu klaviermūzikas antoloģija. Anthologhy of Latvian Piano Music – 2006, Juris Žvikovs

Meteņa uvertīra (Shrovetide overture) for two flutes, cembalo and strings – 6’19” / Divertisments Veltījums pirmajai vizbulei (Divertimento Dedication for the First Anemone) for two flutes, cembalo, campanello and strings – 15’41” / Ieva Rūtentāle, Rūta Īzāka, Mareks Graudiņš, Latvijas Filharmoniķi, Conductor Igors Žukovs / Lībiešu dziesmas (Songs of the Livs) for violin and piano: 1st part – 1’14”, 2nd part – 1’08”, 3rd part – 1’05” / Boriss Avramecs, Imants Zemzaris / Zili zaļa Kurzeme (Blue Green Kurzeme) for organ – 8’18” / Ligita Sneibe / Sešas dziesmas ar Antona Austriņa dzeju (Six Songs with Lyrics by Antons Austriņš) for mezzo-soprano and piano: Dievkociņa zars (Spring of the Southernwood) – 2’55”, Pirmizrāde (Premiere) – 1’52”, Sals uz Daugavas (Frost on the Daugava River) – 3’16”, Ratiņš (Spinning Wheel) – 2’28”, Aiju dziesmiņa (Lullaby) – 4’, Rijnieka šķiltavas (Thresher’s Tinder-box) – 5’44” / Ieva Parša, Pēteris Vaickovskis (alto horn), Imants Zemzaris / Tēvzemes elēģija (Fatherland’s Elegy) for strings – 20’11” // Imants Zemzaris. Tēvzemes elēģija. Fatherland’s Elegy – 2005, Latvian Composer’s Union, [s. n.]

Agri no rīta for piano and trumpet / Imants Zemzaris, Andris Ābelīte – 3’09” // Klasika 10. CD I – 2005, Latvijas Radio, LR3-01

Pirms sniega (Before the Snow) for string quartet and prepared piano / String Quartet of the Latvian Philharmony: Indulis Sūna, Vita Pozņikova, Valērijs Avramenko, Agne Stepiņa; Imants Zemzaris (piano) – 11’56” // Latvian String Quartets. Latviešu stīgu kvarteti – 2008, LMIC 015

Balss (Voice) for clarinet / Egīls Šēfers – 8’05” // Egīls Šēfers. Ziemeļsaule. Northern Sun – 2010, LMIC 022

Lauks (Field) for organ / Ligita Sneibe – 9’23” // Ligita Sneibe. Latvian Organ Music – 2010, Riga Recording Studio, RS 071

Balss (Voice) for clarinet / Ģirts Pāže – 6’28” // Ģirts Pāže. Atskats pagātnē. Retrospection – 2011, Ģirts Pāže


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Imants Zemzaris – pianist:

Volfgangs Dārziņš – 100 latviešu tautasdziesmas (One Hundred Latvian Folksongs) / Imants Zemzaris (piano) – mans cd 2000/2

Emilis Melngailis – 20 danči i dainas vijolei un klavierēm (Twenty Dances and Folk Verses for Violin and Piano) / Jānis Bulavs (violin), Imants Zemzaris (piano) – mans cd 01/02


Records

Agri no rīta (Early in the Morning) / Pēteris Kaldre and the author Patiesība (The Truth) / Maija Prēdele and the author, Faktūras, Varšavas triptihs, Play time (Textures. Warsaw Triptych, Play Time) / the author // Latviešu jauno komponistu kamermūzika. – Melodiya, C10–13697–8, 1980

Trīs māsas (Three Sisters) // Padomju komponistu skaņdarbi. Nora Novika un Rafi Haradžanjans. – Melodiya, C10–17925–6, 1982

Četras prelūdijas par Alfrēda Kalniņa tēmu (Four Preludes on a Theme by Alfrēds Kalniņš) // Latvijas PSR Valsts simfoniskā orķestra PŪTĒJU KVINTETS. – Melodiya, C10 24107 004, 1986


WRITINGS (a selection):

Komponista Imanta Zemzara benefice (Benefit for the Composer Imants Zemzaris) // LM (Literatūriņa un Māksliņa), 1982, March 26th

Sastrēgumstunda un korālis (Peak Hour and Chorale) (portrayal of Pēteris Vasks) // Literatūra un Māksla, 1983, December 16th

Miniatūra – raksturīgs latviešu klasiskās mūzikas žanrs (The Miniature – a Characteristic Genre of Latvian Classical Music) // Literatūra un Māksla, 1986, July 11th

Ģimenes mūzika (Music for the Family) // Literatūra un Māksla, 1986, August 29th

Dārziņskola (The Dārziņš School) // Latvju Mūzika, 1992, No. 21

Godavīrs ar pilnesīgas dzīves garšu (Gentleman with a Complete Taste of Life) (On Jāzeps Vītols’s 135th anniversary) // Literatūra. Māksla. Mēs, 1998, April 2nd

Simfonija kabatā (A Symphony in the Pocket) (On the 20 Piano Preludes by Jānis Ivanovs) // Mūzikas Saule, 2002, No. 1/2


Ligita Ašme, Mārīte Dombrovska
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