Helmeram Pavasaram – 120

Publicēts: 19.05.2023

Helmeram Pavasaram – 120

Conductor and composer Helmers Pavasars was born in Lejasciem on May 19, 1903.

Considered an exquisite representative of late romanticism and landscapeism in music.

Worked in various genres - instrumental and vocal chamber music, choral music, as well as a few symphonic works, cantata genre, organ music.

Compositions: "Patētiskā uvertīra", suite "Mazi baleta skati", variations on the theme "Tev mūžam dzīvot, Latvija!", "Elēģiskais končertīno vijolei" - composed in Cēsis, written for the Cēsis Symphony Orchestra. He composed a violin concerto (1939), chamber music, 2 string quartets, a duet for flute and violin, about 80 choral songs, 40 solo songs, the cantatas "Tautas karogos", "Recognition", "Sasauc, dziesma!", "Tēvzeme sauc jaunu dziesmu", "Song 96 of David".

The "Simfoniskā idille" composed in 1940, dedicated to the daughter of H. Pavasaras, Dace, is peculiar, using 4 notes - D, A, C, E.

He studied composition theory and conducting at the Latvian State Conservatory with Jāzeps Vītols and Jānis Mediņš, later also graduated from the Latvian State Conservatory's violin class with professors Edmondo Lučini and Ādolf Metz.

Worked as a music teacher and organist in Riga. After that, he was a choir conductor, organist, violin teacher at music schools in Valmiera and Cēsis, and from 1934 - also director (later Cēsis Folk Conservatory).

In 1931, he founded the Cēsis Symphony Orchestra with a full composition of 40 musicians, and was its conductor.

After that, until the departure of the refugees in 1944, he taught theoretical subjects at the Latvian Conservatory. Pavasars continued to do the same at the Baltic University in Pineberg, Germany, and also worked as a choir conductor and organist (mainly in Hamburg). In 1954, Pavasars started working as an organist in London, was chief conductor at the Latvian Song Days in England (1958, 1961, 1967), as well as at the 1st European Latvian Song Festival in Hamburg (1964).

During the Soviet era, the name of H. Pavasaras was suppressed in Latvia. His return to his homeland after 46 years of absence was touching - at the Song Festival in 1990, when almost the whole of Latvia sang "Mazs bij' teva novadiņis" in Helmer's own Pavasaras's magnificent arrangement. Received the honorary professorship of the Latvian Academy of Music.

Photo from dom.lndb.lv

Original holder: Museum of Literature and Music