Trīs dainas, no Mēness un Saule
SATB Choir
(2016)

Text: traditional Latvian dainas
Language: Latvian
Duration: 9 minutes

Premiered November 2016
Heritage Chorale
Oak Park IL

Composer’s Note

This piece is a setting of three Latvian dainas (very old Latvian poems and songs that were collected by some of the first ethnomusicologists) that center on stories of the Moon and the Sun, as they pertain to Latvia’s historical mythology.

I wanted the songs to feel like natural embodiments of the ancient texts, both in the setting of the words and the music that emanated from them. The motivic material is often diatonically rooted, with notions of harmonic chromaticism used to add intrigue and breathe fresh air into these centuries-old stories. The voice parts work in a number of combinations: as solo lines accompanied by drones, homophonic and hymn-like motion, and a canvas of text painting as the Moon counts the stars at night.

Text

I. Saule, meitu izdevuse,                       The Sun is offering her daughter for betrothal,
Lūdz Pērkoni panākstos.                    Begging Perkons to hurry and arrive
Pērkons nāca bārdamies,                   Perkons arrived angry, asking
Kam dod meitu Ausekļam.                 Why the Sun gave her daughter to Auseklis.

Aizjādams viņš nospēra                     He rode away and struck
Divi zelta ozoliņi.                                   Two golden oak trees.
Trīs gadiņi Saule rauda,                      For three years the old sun is crying,
Zelta zarus lasīdama. Gathering the golden branches.

II. Mēnestiņis zvaigznes skaita,         The Moon is counting the stars,
Vai ir visas vakarā.                                   He is checking that they are all out tonight.
Ira visas vakarā,                                        All are present tonight,
Auseklīša vien nevaid;                           Only Auskelis cannot be seen;
Auseklītis aiztecēja                                Auskelis wandered
Saules meitas lūkoties. Searching for the Sun’s daughters.

III. Saule nesa zelta ziedus,              The Sun bore golden flowers,
Meža galus veltīdama.                      Devoting the tops of forest branches.
Eglei deva zelta cimdus,                    To the Spruce, she gave golden mittens,
Priedei zelta pirkstainīšus,              To the Pine, golden gloves with a place for each finger,
Mazajiem krūmiņiem                         And for all the small shrubs
Visiem zelta vizulīšus. She gave golden tinsel.