RIGA - Organ music can be very powerful. If you listen with closed eyes, the spirit soars, even in the cheapest seats. Just try not to sit with a pillar between you and the organ.
The Riga Dome Cathedral organ was completed in 1884 by E.F. Walcker and is considered one of the most valuable historic organs in the world. The organ has 124 stops on four manuals and a pedal board. It has an astounding 6,718 pipes of different sizes and materials. It is the differences in the materials and sizes that create the varied sounds.
Playing a concert separate from a church service allows the organist to use the full potential of the instrument. This was in clear evidence during a recent concert by Kristine Adamaite. Gunta Davidcuka and saxophonist Artis Simanis also played at one of the concerts, who are often guest performers and are well known throughout the Baltics.
The concert had five Latvian composers from the 1900s, as do many of the concerts. Alfred Kalnins' Fantasy in G Minor allowed organist Adamaite to let it rip, as it were. She took the audience from the depths of depression, to light and airy tingly sounds, up to thundering crescendos. Listening with your eyes closed allows you to block out the rest of the audience and fully absorb the musical spirit that is pouring out of this organ.
Performing a Rihards Dubra concerto for saxophone and organ created an unusual musical combination not often heard at an organ concert. The sound was very mellow and comforting, as one would imagine, especially taking into consideration the sumptuous surroundings.
When soprano Gunta Davidcuka accompanied the other two performers, the organ drowned her out at times. But usually her voice carried high above the crowd and was simply beyond words.
Religious or not, the architecture of the church is impressive, and the music would be moving to any listener. It's hard not to feel in awe when the powerful music swirls around and seems to take the audience with it.
If you prefer more familiar organ music, the Riga Dome Cathedral also has traditional music every month as well, as artists rotate.
The Riga Dome Cathedral is also preparing for the International Organ Music Festival, which begins Friday, July 17, at noon and 7 p.m. Tickets are five lats (seven euros), and the festival features music by old favorites such as Bach and Handel performed by organists, violinists and other musicians from around the world. The festival ends July 27.
The organ concerts at the cathedral vary with the featured performers. The tickets are sold at the door one hour before the concerts start. Tickets are available for four, seven or 10 lats. It is not necessary to buy the most expensive tickets, since the cheapest side seats provide excellent acoustical quality as well.
Concerts are on Wednesday and Sunday nights. It is best to check the Web site for specifics:
www.doms.lv
