The Nightingale in Stuttgart 14-18 Dec. 2013

Michala Petri 13 Dec 2013

Rehearsing with SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart - a marvelous ensemble! - for "The Nightingale" by H.C.Andersen composed by Ugis Praulins... 3 concerts with dvd and cd production - one of them for children with the Nightingale being read inbetween the music... and totally sold out - heartwarming when classical music gets popular... Michala Petri, Facebook 

Our recordings & Michala Petri

"The Nightingale" by Ugis Praulins- great success in Germany!

http://www.swr.de/orchester-und-ensembles/nachtigall-theaterhaus-stuttgart-arkona/-/id=100730/nid=100730/did=12580038/47tiqg/index.html

Michala Petri & SWR Vokalensemble

A wonderful week with "The Nightingale" with the marvelous SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart and Klaas Stok - ending with an intense and very well received concert in Stuttgart Liederhalle tonight, which will be broadcast January 24. A slightly shorter version performed for 900 children a few days ago - with the fairy tale being told between movements - will be video-online Dec.20, and a similar version for young people will be released on cd next year. Am so happy that this work - with a Grammy nomination and an Echo Klassik Award - is coming across so well to all kind of audiences... 

VIDEOTEAM (via courtesy of Michala Petri)

https://schulmusik-online.de/index.php/informationen/swr-handreichungen/327-swr-praulins-the-nightingale

Michala Petri 14. Decembris 2013.

Tonights first "Nightingale" in Mannheim with the absolutely marvelous SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart went well - tomorrow midday we make a filmed version for 900 children with the H.C.Andersen Fairytale being told inbetween the music. SWR has made great info-material for school classes to study beforehand, and a little video is made by a few of the children, inspired by Ugis Praulins music.... 

http://www.swr.de/orchester-und-ensembles/trickfilm-nachtigall-kinderfilmhaus/-/id=100730/nid=100730/did=12385890/pv=gallery/vgayzr/index.html

Radio broadcast / Konzert des SWR Vokalensembles Stuttgart:
http://swrmediathek.de/player.htm?show=03d0e450-8811-11e3-b10a-0026b975f2e6


Der lettische Komponist Uģis Prauliņš setzte das Märchen im Jahr 2010 musikalisch als Werk für 20-stimmigen Chor und Blockflöten unter dem Titel The Nightingale um. Das etwa 30-minütige Konzert wurde im März 2011 in Dänemark mit der dänischen Blockflötistin Michala Petri uraufgeführt und im Dezember 2013 erstmals vom SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart auf einer deutschen Bühne gezeigt.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Kaisers_Nachtigall
So 14. Dezember 2014
SWR Fernsehen Kulturmatinée 10:25 Uhr. SWR Young CLASSIX - Familienkonzert
Die Nachtigall - Ein musikalisches Märchen für Erzähler, Blockflöte und Chor a cappella von Hans Christian Andersen/Ugis Praulins
Michala Petri, Blockflöte * Malte Arkona, Erzähler * SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart
Dirigent: Klaas Stok

Publisher:

Musica Baltica MB 1433, https://www.musicabaltica.com/en/shop/hire-material/the-nightingale/

Printed Score: 200 pages - 34.90 EUR *

Customers from the Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) - musbalt@latnet.lv, from other European countries - sales@editionpeters.com, US and rest of world - sales.us@editionpeters.com

https://www.musicabaltica.com/en/shop/hire-material/the-nightingale/

http://ugispraulins.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-nightingale-in-stuttgart-14-18-xii.html

http://ugispraulins.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-nightingale-echo-klassik-2012-award.html

http://ugispraulins.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-nightingale-grammy-2012.html

http://ugispraulins.blogspot.com/2013/08/miss-sable-from-choir-girl-blog.html

http://ugispraulins.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-nightingale-29032014-glyptoteket.html

Some gigs 2012/2013

Iļģi musicians participate in recording SVENTAVA

2013.07.30 21:49:53

The album SVENTAVA will be released in early August. All Iļģi bandmembers participated in this new recording, as well as several well-known musicians - Uģis Prauliņš, Aleksandrs Dmitrijevs, Ainars Mielavs, Laimis Rācenājs and many more. . . 

http://ilgi.lv/en_index.php

Overture-Fantasia

Fantāzija

Overture-Fantasia 

for symphonic winds

(composed 2012-2013) 
MIDI time: 8'30''

World premiere 18 XI 2013 

2013-11-18Great Guild

"Stained Glasses of Riga", RIGA Professional Symphonic Band concert

In programme:

• Uģis Prauliņš – Concert-fantasy,
• Nic Gotham — Step, Pivot, Stride,
• Raimonds Pauls — Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra, and
• Raimonds Pauls — Old Stained Glasses of Riga.

Riga Saxophone Quartet, soloists Ilona Bagele, Daumants Kalniņš and maestro Raimonds Pauls will participate in the concert that will be lead by the conductor Mārtiņš Ozoliņš.

http://www.liveriga.com/en/6564-stained-glasses-of-riga-riga-professional-symphonic-band-concert


Darba tapšanu atbalstīja:

Dievaines. Elīna Garanča, DG (2013)

[from Facebook 30-10-2013]

Boris Bagger 

Meine Gitarrenpartie eines Werkes von Ugis Praulins für die Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft mit Elina Garanca, Latvian Radio Choir, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Leitung Karl Mark Chichon in Saarbrücken ist erfolgreich abgeschlossen - es war ein Genuß! 

My guitar part in a work of Ugis Praulins for the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft with Elina Garanca, Latvian Radio Choir, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, conductor Karl Mark Chichon in Saarbrücken is successfully recorded - it was a great pleasure!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200929974797058&set=a.1836739043670.2095756.1396318280&type=1&theater 

 

Produced by Anna Barry

23.10.2013 Latvijas Radio koris ierakstīs CD un koncertēs kopā ar Elīnu Garanču 24. oktobrī koris ar diriģentu Sigvardu Kļavu dosies uz Sārbrikenu, kur kopā ar Elīnu Garanču, Vācijas Radio Filharmonijas orķestri un diriģentu Karelu Marku Šišonu ierakstīs materiālu jaunam CD vienam no senākajiem ierakstu namiem Deutsche Grammophon. Kādus šīs programmas skaņdarbus publika varēs noklausīties 27. oktobrī koncertā Sārbirkenā. Latvijas Radio kora direktors Egils Štāls: “Mums ir liels prieks, ka saņēmām uzaicinājumu piedalīties šajā projektā. Skaņu ierakstā būs dažādu autoru ārijas. Patīkami, ka līdzās kā Ž. Bizē, G. F. Hendelis, Dž. Verdi būs arī P. Vaska un U. Prauliņa mūzika. Ierakstu plānots izdot 2014. gada oktobrī. Šī būs mūsu pirmā sadarbība gan ar Elīnu Garanču un Karelu Marku Šišonu, gan ar šo respektablo ierakstu kompāniju. Un mēs ceram, ka ne pēdējā!”

LV: 

http://www.leta.lv/home/important/E9CF832A-D506-4CB2-9040-F51FCC0EFF18/

CD release - Oct 2014 

Tumsā gāju (2013)

"Didgori" & VAK "Latvija" 

Uģis Prauliņš TUMSĀ GĀJU  "Walking out of the Darkness"

jauktam korim un solistu ansamblim 

a cappella 

Latvian & Georgian language, traditional folk texts and motifs 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrbVbS-WSiQ
This is a piece of well known Latvian composer, Ugis Praulins "Tumsa Gaju" / "Walking out of the Darkness". He has used two Georgian folk songs, Jvari Tsinasa and Burtis Gamarjveba. You can enjoy evry moment of 17 minutes of this composition. This composition was performed on 4th of September, by State Choir LATVIJA at Dome Cathedral, Riga, Latvia, concert "Georgian Motives". Conductor Maris Sirmais.
16th International Sacred Music Festival, posted by DIDGORI folk

World premiere, the 4th of September, 2013 Riga Dom Cathedral

State Choir LATVIJA & vocal ensemble DIDGORI
Māris Sirmais conductor

WP audio: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgOcRlRwvUw

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=748827208466776&set=vb.106908582691903&type=2&theater

Uģis Prauliņš TUMSĀ GĀJU pirmatskaņojums.
2013. gada 4.septembris plkst. 19:00 Rīgas Doms, Rīga. 

16. Starptautautiskā garīgās mūzikas festivāla koncerts. 

Gruzīnu ansamblis DIDGORI un Valsts akadēmiskais koris LATVIJA. Diriģents Māris SIRMAIS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrbVbS-WSiQ

http://koris.lv/koncerts/16-starptautiskais-garigas-muzikas-festivals-gruzijas-motivi/

Darba tapšanu nodrošināja: 

"TUMSĀ GĀJU" PREMIERES: 

Georgia: 2014 

25th of September, 20:00

Didgori & State Choir Latvija, cond. Māris Sirmais

კონცერტი "ქართული მოტივები" - Concert "Georgian Motives"

7th International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony

Tbilisi State Conservatoire, Grand Hall

26 Sep 2014 

Didgori & State Choir Latvija, cond. Māris Sirmais

Georgia 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thQHAa5XBj0

***MISS SABLE from The Choir Girl blog***

...with kind permission of the author MISS SABLE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Painting the Nightingale

When I'm not singing with Pro Coro, I'm thinking about the next time I get to sing with Pro Coro. It's been hard for me to articulate why; however, this evening I had a moment of clarity. I realized why I am addicted to singing Ugis Praulins' "The Nightingale."
When I first began listening to the recording, it felt like I was admiring a spectacular piece of artwork in a museum. I was simply an observer. I stood there... gawking at the beauty of the soundscape and the interwoven colours on the canvas. I drank in the sight of the whole painting. I subconsciously recognized that there was detail in the work but it all coalesced into this one artistic entity.

Singing "The Nightingale" is an entirely different experience because it feels like I have been transported into the painting itself. I am plucked out of the art gallery corridor and inserted into the Emperor's court. Suddenly, I can see the timid kitchen maid crouching behind the door, I follow in the footsteps of the men searching for the Nightingale in the wood (there are cows mooing on my left and frogs croaking on my right), I hear the haunting echo of the Nightingale's song, I squint at the sparkling porcelain walls of the Emperor's palace, I gawk at the opulent artificial bird playing its one song, I am wary of the good and evil apparitions beside the Emperor's deathbed. It's overwhelming how real everything feels. When I'm singing the Nightingale, I enter into this fairytale world and seamlessly become one of the characters. I look around me to see if anybody notices I'm a modern-day imposter. Nobody does. I breathe a sigh of relief. I am free to wander within this world and admire, in detail, the intricate details around me. It's like a fantasy realm that only appears when all musicians are performing together. It is like when the Twelve Dancing Princesses wait until nightfall to cross the lake and dance until the soles of their shoes are worn through... that's what waiting until the next Pro Coro rehearsal feels like.

In many ways, I feel like I have one of the best vantage points of the painting. That is the luxury of actually painting the work. The challenge will be for Pro Coro to translate this artistic perspective for the audience. It will be exciting for listeners to visually and aurally consume the painting we are composing. Until then, I cannot wait until the next rehearsal where I get to explore the realm of the Nightingale once again.

http://www.thechoirgirl.ca/2012_09_01_archive.html?m=1

AUDIO: listen here... 
Pro Coro sings Praulins' THE NIGHTINGALE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QglMYNQHuTk

PRO CORO 

http://www.facebook.com/procorocanada

Andersen's Nightingale...the plot
The Emperor of China learns that one of the most beautiful things in his empire is the song of the nightingale. When he orders the nightingale brought to him, a kitchen maid (the only one at court who knows of its whereabouts) leads the court to a nearby forest where the bird is found. The nightingale agrees to appear at court. The Emperor is so delighted with the bird's song that he keeps the nightingale in captivity. When the Emperor is given a bejeweled mechanical bird he loses interest in the real nightingale, who returns to the forest. The mechanical bird eventually breaks down due to overuse. The Emperor is taken deathly ill a few years later. The real nightingale learns of the Emperor's condition and returns to the palace. God is so moved by the nightingale's song that he departs and the emperor recovers. The nightingale agrees to sing to the emperor of all the happenings in the empire, that he will be known as the wisest emperor ever to live.
Praulins Nightingale...the music
For his setting of The Nightingale, Praulins selected portions of Andersen's original text, rearranging them into a series of eight tableaux and a reprise, creating a 30 minute concerto for recorder and 20 solo voices. Throughout, Praulins’ choral writing calls for virtuosity of the highest order, and exceptional vocal ranges - from a deep, basso profundo cello "D" to a shimmering high soprano "D" four octaves above. From the opening "misterioso", with its rising glissandi, fragments of sung and spoken text, to the work’s climax with the return of the Nightingale, singing in her full glory, Praulins has seamlessly woven a colorful sequence of episodes, in a variety of moods, styles and textures, that perfectly convey the feeling of “Once upon a time...” and “Long, long ago...”

Before 1994 :)

VECĀS MĀJAS (Vecas Majas) 

electric band [1986 - 1993]
(Armands Alksnis: guitars, Andris Alviķis: bass, Tālis Gžibovskis: drums, Uģis Prauliņš: vocals, keyboards)

PAR DAUDZ (Summer 1987, rec. Spring 1989)
[lyrics by Imants Ziedonis / music by Uģis Prauliņš]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwoHmZw-kZs
http://musictonic.com/music/Vecās+Mājas#v=JwoHmZw-kZs

AI, ZEME, KŪPOŠĀ
[lyrics by Fricis Bārda / music by Uģis Prauliņš]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATkD3M5bU40


 ***

VECĀS MĀJAS 
acoustic band [1980s - 1994]

(Armands Alksnis: guitar, Andris Alviķis: bass, ģīga, Tālis Gžibovskis: drums, Uģis Prauliņš: recorder, kokle, Arnis Veisbārdis: gt, manager, Jānis Lācis: acc, Ralfs Dakters: perc, voc, manager, MrJeremy aka Aivars Jermičuks: perc, sound, etc.)

http://ww0.latvijasradio.lv/janis/vecaas/

******************
Rock opera PILSĒTA (The City) 
excerpt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClrdDm_6fGA

*****

Motion pictures

Courage To Kill / "Drosme nogalināt" (1993/94)

feature film by Aigars Grauba & Igors Linga

Full movie: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k0oKmmjCPM

Kaķīša dzirnavas (1991)

animated feature film by Roze Stiebra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSR9g6e31kg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l6nY0Y9dxw

Tālavas taurētājs (1988)

animated feature film by Ansis Berzins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biJ_wXIbYTk

lyrics by Rudolfs Blaumanis, music by Ugis Praulins

Light and Love (ROP6075, Rondeau Production GmbH) 2013

Hans-Joachim Lustig
Wow - first day that the SONUX ENSEMBLE´s CD "Light and Love" has been released and Amazon.de is completely SOLD OUT?!? Must have been quite a lot of pre-orders/orders already...

• http://www.amazon.de/Light-Love-Sonux-Ensemble/dp/B00EPLWG6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381167370&sr=8-1&keywords=sonux

Stefan Kuchel Sirius Quartet 

Hans-Joachim Lustig

Rondeau (Naxos Deutschland Musik & Video Vertriebs-)

Release in October 2013

https://soundcloud.com/hans-joachim-lustig/ugis-praulins-to-the-light

Light and Love
New Vocal Works for the Sonux Ensemble

Works by Tobias Forster, Ola Gjeilo, Gregor Hübner, Paul Mealor, Vytautas Miškinis, Uģis Prauliņš, Alwin Michael Schronen, Aleksandar S. Vujić, Eric Whitacre

Deutsche Sprache - siehe unten: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7WGo2Kb06I

https://www.facebook.com/siriusqt?directed_target_id=0

https://www.facebook.com/stefan.kuchel.7?directed_target_id=0

LISTEN: 

https://soundcloud.com/hans-joachim-lustig/ugis-praulins-to-the-light

Kurzbeschreibung: 

Crossover-Projekte sind das Markenzeichen des Sonux Ensembles. Der junge Männerchor interpretiert zusammen mit dem Jazz-Saxophonisten Stefan Kuchel und dem Sirius Quartet zeitgenössische Kompositionen. Die Musiker des Quartetts beschreiben sich selbst als Improvisationskünstler, die das konventionelle Klangvokabular eines Streichquartetts durchbrechen. Die meisten Stücke auf dieser CD wurden eigens für das Sonux Ensemble komponiert und dem Ensemble damit auf den Leib geschrieben. "Wir haben die Werke gemeinsam mit den Komponisten erarbeitet und im Lauf der vergangenen fünf Jahre uraufgeführt. Diese Aufnahme besteht somit ausschließlich aus Weltersteinspielungen und damit aus im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes ungehörter Chormusik", so Chorleiter Hans-Joachim Lustig.

TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWWrlFpIwS0YoHBzqYcRv93HZXTE2yZde

http://www.musikerforum.de/showthread.php?32007-Sonux-Ensembles-Light-Love-Männerchor-Saxophon-String-Quartett

http://www.choirplace.com/videos/4058/light-and-love-new-vocal-works-for-the-sonux-ensemble

Ugis Praulins is a Latvian composer with a very "open" background from rock and folk to contemporary styles. Five years ago the Sonux Ensemble premiered his´piece "To the Light" which now is featured on our CD and this year he had two Grammy-nominations for his composition "The Nightingale" -
here are some personal words from him:

"Enthusiastic choir, charismatic conductor, creative collaboration(s!) with great composers.
Thank you, Hajo for putting all of this together! Desperately waiting for the Sonux Ensemble´s new album release and looking forward to our ODI ET AMO tour in 2015!" (Ugis Praulins)

If you want to get some information about Ugis - check out these links:
http://ugispraulins.blogspot.de/
http://www.amazon.com/Nightingale-Michala-Petri/dp/B005OZDXB4
http://www.pressezentrum-musik.com/sacd/michala-petri-nightingale-deutsch/ugis-praulins.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_G-L2x3-Sc
http://www.amazon.com/Domine-Deus-Choral-Music-Centuries/dp/B004X7UUPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378042392&sr=8-1&keywords=Domine+Deus+Lustig

http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=1954454 

http://schreibwolff.de/tip/sonux-ensemble-light-and-love 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7WGo2Kb06I 

REVIEWS: 

 9 stars out of 10

http://www.klassik-heute.com/kh/3cds/20140121_20934.shtml

by Stefan Pieper (21.01.2014)

"Der Lette Uģis Prauliņš steuerte mit To the Light die Vertonung eines indischen Mantra bei." Singendes Schleswig-Holstein / Jahrgang Nr. 1 Januar - März 2014 [Sängerbund Schleswig-Holstein e.V.]

http://www.ks-works.de/sbund/images/stories/singendessh.pdf 
Ook in het werk van Praulins zijn de overgangen en het samenspel met de saxofonist van een ontroerende schoonheid. 
http://franswaltmans.blogspot.com/2014/04/mens-choir-cd-light-and-love-review.html (Dutch language)

"Männerchor der Spitzenklasse"
http://www.shz.de/lokales/elmshorner-nachrichten/maennerchor-der-spitzenklasse-id2010376.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP8s6y-5Rc8

Feb. 2016 https://vimeo.com/156976802 +RADIALSYSTEM V 

www.UgisPraulins.com