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https://www.mdt.co.uk/kalnins-symphonies-oboe-concerto-lakstigala-maris-sirmais-skani-2cds.html (https://www.mdt.co.uk/kalnins-symphonies-oboe-concerto-lakstigala-maris-sirmais-skani-2cds.html)

Would you like to add any further detail to those of us who might have some interest in the composer you are posting about or should we instinctively know what you mean?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imants_Kalni%C5%86%C5%A1 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imants_Kalni%C5%86%C5%A1)

and-

IMANTS KALNINS: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

1960:      Ancient Dances for orchestra: 20 minutes
1963:      Cello Concerto: 17 minutes      +  (Latvian Music Information Centre cd)
1964:      Symphony No.1: 39 minutes   *
1965:      Symphony No.2: 33 minutes  *
                Cantata “Two Obelisks” for mezzo-soprano, male chorus and orchestra: 14 minutes
1966:      Concerto for Orchestra: 20 minutes
1967:      October Oratorio for narrator, soloists, chorus and orchestra: 39 minutes
1968:      Symphony No.3: 19 minutes   *
1973:      Symphony No.4 “Rock Symphony”: 49 minutes    *  + (Latvian Music Information Centre cd)
                Oratorio “The Poet and the Mermaid” for soprano, tenor, chorus and orchestra: 42 minutes
1977:      Oratorio “Morning Hours” for two narrators, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, chorus and orchestra: 51 minutes
1984:      Cantata “Cement” for chorus and orchestra: 5 minutes
1979:      Symphony No.5: 45 minutes      *     +  (Skani cd)
1989:      Christmas Cantata for soloist, chorus and orchestra: 20 minutes
2001:      Symphony No.6 for chorus and orchestra: 60 minutes    *
2015:      Symphony No.7       + (Skani cd)
                Oboe Concerto        +  (Skani cd)

and

Latvian Folk Song Suite for orchestra

Hope this helps a little.

The extracts I listened to on You Tube from Symphony 5 sounded of great interest. One commentator compared it with Respighi's 'Church Windows' and Symphony 4 by Braga Santos, which immediately aroused my interest as they are two of my favourite works.

IMHO his Symphony n°4 recalls Les Baxter or Lalo Schifrin

I first encountered the Fifth Symphony on a Melodiya LP around 1980 and have loved the work ever since. I found the other three works on this new recording distinctly less impressive when Latvian Radio broadcast their premieres a couple of years ago.

That being said, I welcome any new recording of Latvian symphonic music and I hope this one brings Kalnins a wider audience internationally.

I consider Kalnins to be one of my truly great "discoveries" of recent years.  I haven't heard a note by the man I haven't enjoyed.  This release is a "must have" for me, notwithstanding the fact that I have pretty much all of these pieces in perfectly decent downloaded performances acquired via AMF.

Brian

I've ordered the new CD. Actually a double album and not cheap but am really looking forward to receiving it and was v impressed by the extracts from Symphony 5 that I heard on You Tube. I see that there is a CD transfer of the Melodiya LP from a Russian outlet but that would take a long time to arrive.

Actually, all of Kalnins' symphonies, as well as the other works in this new set, are available in our downloads section. The version of the Fifth Symphony is Sinaisky's recording on Melodiya, mentioned in this discussion.

My uploads are at: http://www.mediafire.com/?uoc5niaudtik9 (http://www.mediafire.com/?uoc5niaudtik9). The first three symphonies were uploaded by another forum member. Just go to the Downloads folder, then to the Latvian Music subfolder.

Thank you!

The 5th Symphony is excellent - just listening to the new recording. Seems to show some influence of Shostakovich and maybe Vasks but in no sense derivative. A great discovery - through this forum  :)

Sorry, I could not locate Kalnin's 4th and 6th symphonies here, can you help?
Also there are other composers with the last name of Kalnins in the download section. Were they all family?

Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6 are in this post:

http://artmusic.smfforfree.com/index.php/topic,533.msg6333/topicseen.html#msg6333 (http://artmusic.smfforfree.com/index.php/topic,533.msg6333/topicseen.html#msg6333)

Possibly you were unable to retrieve it if you weren't searching with diacritical markings.

Jānis and Alfrēds Kalniņš were father and son. Imants Kalniņš is not a known relation of theirs. There is also a composer named Indulis Kalniņš, who is also not related to any of the previous. Actually, one of my paternal grandmothers' maiden name was Kalniņš, again no relation. While not quite a "Smith" or "Jones" it's a fairly common surname in Latvia.

Dear Latvian
Thank for your details.There is also Aldonis Kalnins (perhaps not related)
https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldonis_Kalni%C5%86%C5%A1
Best

Thank you for the reminder, Toby. Yes, Aldonis is not related to the others.

I too have ordered the new double cd and am looking forward to listening to the works again (and to reading the accompanying cd booklet notes :))

And I'm looking forward to hearing your views on it. I haven't got beyond Symphony 5 yet which I have enjoyed very much.

All delightful works. I found the Oboe Concerto especially pleasing on the ears. And yes, I recognise the references to the music of Peteris Vasks.

Latvian music in general needs to be better known and with the Latvian Music Information Centre releasing recordings on the Skani label we shall hopefully become even better acquainted.

More Ivanovs and Adolfs Skulte would be most welcome!

Thank you for this notice.   just ordered it from Amazon.