{"id":809,"date":"2012-08-28T11:30:55","date_gmt":"2012-08-28T11:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/?page_id=809"},"modified":"2012-10-01T02:14:12","modified_gmt":"2012-09-30T23:14:12","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/en\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Feelings of home, simplicity, kindness and being open to new and crazy ideas are the things that best characterize today\u2019s “Tonika”.<\/h5>\n

The beginning<\/h2>\n

\"\"Chamber choir\u00a0\u201eTonika\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0once was founded as an ensemble. Its dawn was at autumn 1966, when, going to annual concert tour around Latvia, Riga Pupils Palace folkdance ensemble\u00a0\u201eUguntina\u201d<\/strong>as a try-out asks to rich concert, filling the changing pauses, to the conductor\u00a0Daumants Kaktins<\/em>\u00a0with a small staff of choir\u00a0\u201eRiga\u201d<\/strong>. Surprisingly, performance with 8 people succeeds very well, and moreover, as Kaktins later admits \u2013 staff that is so small is very convenient to transport. Later another few concerts take place and the idea of founding a choir occurs. Participants name it \u2018Tonika\u2019. Tonic is the basis of every musical scale, that which determines its shade, moreover, tonic, mediant and dominant (first, third and fifth degree of scale) are consistent. The quality of ensemble\u00a0\u201eTonika\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0is equally consistent. From the very beginning \u2013 in the middle of 60\u2019s \u2013 artistic level was high, as evidenced by\u00a0the first place at the international child festival \u2018Baltic sea \u2013 sea of peace\u201d, as well as the obtained\u00a0rights to participate at the popular pioneer camp of USSR \u2018Artek\u2019.<\/p>\n

The 70’s<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The 70\u2019s is the time when\u00a0\u201eTonikas\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0builds up its image and conquers its place among other musical collectives of Latvia. The most significant achievements of this decade are the\u00a01st degree diploma at All-union review in Moscow at 1971, as well as the\u00a0victory at the vocal competition \u2018What can you do?\u2019 held by Latvian Television in 1979. This competition has a big effect on making\u00a0\u201eTonika\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0popular in the years to come. Moreover, 70\u2019s is the era of\u00a0Imants Kalnins<\/em>. With the music of Kalnins and a touch of romance that fits teenagers so much, theatricalized concerts are being directed in the late 70\u2019s. Especially beloved are his songs \u2018Where have you been, world?\u2019 from rock opera \u2018Hey you there!\u2019, \u2018Shark\u2019s song\u2019 from the play \u2018The Prince and the Pauper\u2019 and \u2018Song, how do you start? \u2019, which later becomes the choir’s hymn.<\/p>\n

To join the choir you must meet certain requirements, the participants change often, but with strictness, determination and regular work Kaktins obtains a level slowly approaching to that of a professional ensemble. All USSR and DDR is visited, also concerts in Latvia are given actively.<\/p>\n

The 80’s<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The 80\u2019s is a very exciting time in the history of\u00a0\u201cTonika\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0The choir is founded due to the singers\u2019 wishes to participate at the Song and Dance Festival. The new \u2018choir\u2019 succeeds straight away –\u00a0it wins out the first places two times in turn at 1980 and 1985 Latvian Song Festival reviews. Parallel to this, as far as year 1989, ensemble continues its pinnacle of glory at musical TV concourse \u201cWhat can you do?\u201d of Latvian Television, Department of Education of Latvian Soviet Socialistic republic, Latvian Soviet Composer Union and Riga Pioneer Palace. Thank to the popularity of this concourse collective became very recognizable.<\/p>\n

The 80\u2019s undeniably is a time, when chamber music works of great classical music composers are being included in \u2018Tonikas\u2019 repertory. Although the popular music parallel to the classical music has always taken an important place in choirs\u2019 \u2013 ensembles\u2019 repertory, performance of romanticism compositions, that needs a bigger choirs\u2019 stuff, for example, is not possible until then. From the classics especially often \u2018Tonika\u2019 sings Bach, Haydn and Mozart. What is interesting is that \u2018Tonika\u2019 performs also instrumental compositions that are transposed to voice.<\/p>\n

The 90’s<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Great changes for \u2018Tonika\u2019 that is officially a choir now starts in the 90\u2019s. Not only the political and economical situation in the country changes. Gradually the time of conductors\u2019 substitution comes \u2013 ends the period of Kaktins and\u00a0Kristine Jaunalksne<\/em>takes his place. In the new conditions a new opportunities arise, for example, opportunity to travel to West, as well as release of a CD; that happens in 1999. This is a time when a feverish time slice of journeys and concourses starts: Spain, France, Italy, Northern countries and Germany.<\/p>\n

Some of the achievements in the 90\u2019s are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0place in the choir concourse in Toulouse (1994),<\/li>\n
  • 1st<\/sup>\u00a0place and Grand prix in the International choir concourse in Salo, Italy (1998),<\/li>\n
  • 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0degree diploma and conductors\u2019 price in the International chamber choir concourse in Marktoberdorf, Germany (1999),<\/li>\n
  • participation at Europe\u2019s cantata projects in the season of 1999.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    In the 90\u2019s choir is in the turn of the century, when former work has to be looked through and new specific features have to be found. Also the new conductress has to find her own way. Over all dominates willing to confirm yourself, being together and real singing festivity.<\/p>\n

    21st Century<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Year 2000 in the life of \u2018Tonika\u2019 is fateful. Once again there is a change of conductors and really short time when\u00a0Marika Austruma<\/em>\u00a0is \u2018Tonikas\u2019 conductress.<\/p>\n

    Starting from a year 2002 choirs\u2019 art director is\u00a0Inga Cimina<\/em>. This is a beginning of a new era in the history of\u201eTonika\u201d<\/strong>. Beside the basis of the choir which is love of music and high musical level, a lot of new things occur in the life of the choir. One of the main aspects is diversification of programs \u2013 down to 5 different concert programs in one season \u2013not only sacred, classical and Latvian music programs among them, but also transcriptions of popular foreign light music and jazz music. Furthermore, each concert is being made as a unique item in which frequently even the sequence of compositions plays a big role in uncovering the idea or leading motive of the concert.<\/p>\n

    Now\u00a0\u201eTonika\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0is actively participating in choir concourses and festivals both in foreign countries and Latvia, achieving great results. Some of the last few years\u2019 achievements are:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • 1st<\/sup>\u00a0place in Pert Eben\u2019s concourse in Prague (2004),<\/li>\n
    • 1st<\/sup>\u00a0degree diploma in review of Pupils Song and Dance festival (2005),<\/li>\n
    • diploma in the prestige 54th<\/sup>\u00a0International Guido Arezzo concourse of polyphonic music in Arezzo, Italy (2007),<\/li>\n
    • 1st<\/sup>\u00a0and 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0place in sacred music concourse in Daugavpils (2007).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \u201eTonika\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0continues to delight the audience with its ability to sing not only in foreign counties, but also at home in Latvia.\u00a0A special new tradition is choir\u2019s summer camps\u00a0that take place in a different city each year. In these camps\u00a0\u201eTonikas\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0girls can acknowledge themselves in many different ways \u2013 at singing, dancing, sport, drawing and formation, besides that these camps give a great opportunity for girls to get to know each other better. Especially exciting is staging of the musical plays or musicals. A new tradition for choir is dancing, including several dance numbers in the concerts.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Feelings of home, simplicity, kindness and being open to new and crazy ideas are the things that best characterize today\u2019s “Tonika”. The beginning Chamber choir\u00a0\u201eTonika\u201d\u00a0once was founded as an ensemble. Its dawn was at autumn 1966, when, going to annual concert tour around Latvia, Riga Pupils Palace folkdance ensemble\u00a0\u201eUguntina\u201das a try-out asks to rich concert, filling the changing pauses, to the conductor\u00a0Daumants Kaktins\u00a0with a small staff of choir\u00a0\u201eRiga\u201d. Surprisingly, performance…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"fullwidth.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-809","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=809"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2616,"href":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/809\/revisions\/2616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kamerkoristonika.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}