A conductor's analysis of four secular works by Peteris Vasks: 'Mate saule', 'Zemgale', 'Litene', and 'Three Poems by Czeslaw Milosz'

The focus of this thesis is three-fold: (1) to analyze four secular a cappella choral works by the Latvian composer Peteris Vasks (b. 1946), three in Latvian and one in English; (2) to place these works in their proper historical context, spanning the Soviet occupation of Latvian music history up to the present time (1940s-2009); and (3) to acquaint the world with Vasks' Latvian choral compositions in order to make them more accessible for any choir to sing.;The four compositions will be presented and analyzed chronologically, exploring Vasks' evolution as a choral composer during the two decades from 1975-1994. The appendices provide ancillary material to help non-Latvian speaking conductors undertake the performance of Vasks' secular works in Latvian. The following works will be reviewed and examined: (1) Mate saule (Mother Sun) - SSAATTBB (1975). (2) Zemgale (The South-Central Region) - SSAATTBB (1989). (3) Litene (The Town Litene) - SSSAAATTTBBB (1993). (4) Three Poems by Czeslaw Milosz - ATTB (1994).;The dissertation is divided into four chapters. The first chapter includes an introduction to Peteris Vasks' world: describing the country in which he was born and lives, the language, Latvian choral music, song festivals, and a brief synopsis of Latvian history and the history of Latvian choral music. The influence of the Soviet occupation on Latvian musicians and composers also comprises an integral part of the first chapter. Chapter Two focuses on Vasks' musical development, career, and philosophy through a short biography and quotes from articles and interviews. The third chapter presents an analysis of each of the compositions with regards to the form, musical motives, harmony, and conductor's preparation, plus a summary of Vasks' choral style. Chapter Four, the conclusion, summarizes Vasks' career. Appendices include Latvian and English song texts, English translations, International Phonetic Alphabet transcriptions for the Latvian pronunciation, alphabetical and chronological lists of selected choral works, a selected discography of Vasks' choral compositions, and the four works analyzed for this thesis.