Liede, Roberts (1967 - 2006)
Biography Works
Roberts Liede was born on the
29th of July, 1967 in Riga. He died on March 5th, 2006 in
Riga.
While studying at the Emīls Dārziņš School of Music, his
first composition teachers were Imants Zemzaris and Ģerderts
Ramans. In 1990, he graduated the Latvian Academy of Music Ādolfs
Skulte composition class with the opera Mazais princis (The Little
Prince). In the spring of the same year, Mazais princis (The Little
Prince) – based upon the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry fable – was
performed at the Latvian National Opera under the direction of
Viesturs Gailis.
Roberts Liede has also worked as a teacher at the Emīls
Dārziņš School of Music (1988–1990) and at the Rīga Children’s
Music School No. 3 (2000–2002). Playing in the chamber ensemble
Mantojums, he was able to develop concepts from his early years.
His most meaningful work, along with composing, has been, until
now, related to Latvian Television, where Roberts Liede has been
the director of musical programs (1990–2000). In this position, he
has been able to implement many ideas related to classical music –
he has presented the series Eiropas muzikālās pilsētas (Europe’s
Musical Cities). This program can be called a small pearl of
intelligentsia in the history of musical programs at Latvian
Television, as it presented lyrics, information, and musicianship
in one undivided whole – before that was his own personally
developed series Mūzikas pasaulē (In the World of Music). Other
ideas he has implemented included broadcasting church services on
television, in the program Mūzika svētdienā (Music on Sunday).
Especially valuable are the recorded live performances (sometimes
even the rehearsal process was recorded). Included among these are
recordings of the Stuttgart Bach Academy with conductor Helmut
Rilling, the Bamberg Symphonic Orchestra with Christoph Eschenbach
and violinist Gidons Krēmers, the Helsinki Symphonic Orchestra with
Tomas Ollila, Rondo veneziano, Vladimir Spivakov and the Moscow
Virtuosos, the pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy, and others. The composer
has developed films about Yehudi Menuhin (1993), Claudio Abbado
(1995), Montserrat Caballe (film and opera recording, 1996). At the
composer’s own admission, the art of recording and the world trends
are in his main sphere of interest.
As the president of the Latvian Mozart Society, Roberts Liede
cooperated with the Mozart Music Festival in Rīga in the
1990s.