Jēkabs Jančevskis

Atsalums

Cast:
SSSAAATTTBBB, solo S, bass drum

Atsalums ('Coldness') is based on my own selection of traditional Latvian songs about a young woman, obsessed with power and money, who gives her hand in marriage to a rich man whose status and privilege allow him to take advantage of her. At the end she understands that she has been foolish to yield to the material world and, upon realizing, sings in praise of the importance of the traditions and values of her family and wider community.This work's lesson and emotional message are closely linked with the ever-growing number of Latvians leaving their home country. Since the renewal of Latvian independence in 1990, the population of Latvia has declined by almost half a million from around two million as a result of out-migration. Many leave because they are disillusioned with the government, while others have simply gone in search of a better life. Through this mindset many have come to deny traditional Latvian values.Alongside this theme in Atsalums, I also explore the eternal question of the meaning of material culture, and the role of possessions and money in family life and in decision-making. With their performance of the work under the direction of Jurģis Cābulis at the 2016 Stasys Šimkus Competition in Klaipėda, the choir Vēja balss won a special award for the best performance of an original composition by a composer of their native country.
— from notes by Jēkabs Jančevskis © 2020