About Emīls Dārziņš
Emīls Dārziņš was a Latvian composer, conductor and music critic. Dārziņš' work bears a distinct romantic character, with a strong trend towards national themes. His main musical authorities and influences were Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Jean Sibelius. Dārziņš musical contribution is mainly to vocal music, but he also composed orchestral music, though only one piece, Melanholiskais valsis has survived. His only opera, Rožainās dienas, remained unfinished after his early death at the age of 34. Both his parents were very musical and facilitated Emīls's first musical education. Dārziņš's attachment to music became stronger after he almost lost his eyesight at the age of 3, as a result of overstraining it while reading. Dārziņš objected and asked for an independent opinion of an authoritative professor Alexander Glazunov, who found the criticisms unfounded.
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