Raimonds Pauls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raimonds Pauls
|
|
|---|---|
Raimonds Pauls in August 2010
|
|
| Born |
Ojārs Raimonds Pauls
12 January 1936 Rīga, Latvia
|
| Education | Secondary Musical School of E. Darziņš |
| Alma mater | Latvian State Conservatory |
| Occupation | Composer, pianist |
| Years active | 1956- |
|
Notable work
|
Million Roses (1982) |
| Title | People's Artist of the USSR (1985) |
| Awards |
|
Ojārs Raimonds Pauls is a famous Latvian composer and pianist. He was born on January 12, 1936. He is very well known in the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe. From 1988 to 1993, he was the Minister of Culture for Latvia.
Many popular singers have performed his songs. These include Alla Pugacheva, Valery Leontyev, Laima Vaikule, and Jaak Joala.
Contents
Raimonds Pauls' Early Life and Music
Raimonds Pauls was the second child in his family. His father, Voldemārs Pauls, worked in a glass factory. His mother, Alma Matilde Brodele, was a seamstress. Sadly, his older brother passed away when he was very young.
Raimonds' father played the drums, and his grandfather played the violin. So, his father wanted Raimonds to play music too. Raimonds first tried the violin, but his teachers thought his fingers were too small. So, he started taking piano lessons instead.
In 1943, Raimonds began elementary school. At the same time, he kept taking piano lessons with different teachers.
Learning and Playing Music
In 1946, Raimonds started at the Emīls Dārziņš Secondary Musical School. He continued his elementary school studies for three more years. By the time he was 14, Raimonds was already playing piano in restaurants and clubs. He played with a talented musician named Gunārs Kušķis.
Raimonds finished elementary school in 1949. During this time, he became very interested in jazz music. He learned to play jazz by listening to and copying different jazz records.
Awards and Honors
Raimonds Pauls has received many important awards for his music and contributions.
- August 1967 – He was named a Celebrated Servant of Art.
- June 1976 – He became an Artist of the People's Theatre of the LSSR.
- January 1985 – He was honored as an Artist of the People's Theatre of the USSR.
- November 1992 – He became an Honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.
- 1994 – He won the Big Musical Award for his work on a poetic performance, a concert, and a CD.
- April 1995 – He received the Order of the Three Stars (3rd class). This made him a commander of this important Latvian award.
- October 2008 – He was given the Cross of Recognition.
- 2013 – He received the Order of Honour (Armenia).
- 2020 – He was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun 3rd Class from Japan.
Major Musical Works
Raimonds Pauls has created a huge amount of music. He has composed for musicals, ballets, films, and more.
Musicals
- Pāri, kas dabonas (Lovers Who Get It) (1976)
- Māsa Kerija (Sister Carrie) (1978)
- Nāc pie puikām (Come to the Boys) (1982)
- Vella būšana (A Matter of the Devil) (1987)
- Meža gulbji (Forest Swans) (1995)
- Leģenda par Zaļo Jumpravu (The Legend of the Green Maiden) (2000)
Ballets
- Kubas melodijas (Melodies of Cuba) (1963)
- Ritmi, ritmi (Rhythms, Rhythms) (1979)
- Vitrāžas (Stained Glass Panels) (1979)
Music for Theatre and Films
Raimonds Pauls has written music for over 30 theatre performances. Some of these include:
- Īsa pamācība mīlēšanā (A Short Instruction in Love)
- Atjautīgā aukle (The Ingenious Nanny)
- Šerloks Holmss (Sherlock Holmes)
- Grāfs Monte Kristo (The Count of Monte Cristo)
He also composed music for puppet shows like:
- Runčuks Punčuks (The Belly Tomcat)
- Velniņi (The Two Imps)
He wrote music for more than 30 movies, including:
- The Devil's Servants
- The Devil's Servants at the Devil's Mill (Vella kalpi Vella dzirnavās)
- A Limousine the Colour of Midsummer's Eve
- The Mills of Fate (Likteņdzirnas)
- The Long Road in the Dunes series.
Other Music
Raimonds Pauls has also composed:
- Songs for choirs, including arrangements of Latvian folk songs.
- Song cycles with lyrics by famous poets.
- Many jazz pieces, like the Portreti (Portraits) suite.
- Around 300 instrumental works.
- Music for radio shows and plays.
- About 70 songs specifically for children.
Popular Songs
Many of Raimonds Pauls' songs became very popular. Here are some of them:
- "Dāvāja Māriņa" (known in Russian as "Million Roses" by Alla Pugacheva)
- "Maestro" by Alla Pugacheva
- "Zeleni svet" by Valery Leontiev
- "Ischezli Solnechnie Dni" by Valery Leontiev
- "Vernisazh" by Valery Leontiev and Laima Vaikule
- "Yescho ne vecher" by Laima Vaikule
- "Listja zholtyje" by Laima Vaikule
- "Podberu muziku" by Jaak Joala
- "Zilie lini" (known in Russian as "Siniy len" by Larisa Mondrus)
- "Lubov Nastala" by Roza Rymbayeva
- "The Dog Rose" ("Mežrozīte")
- "Say, where is this Land" ("Teic, kur zeme tā")
- "To my Fatherland" ("Manai dzimtenei")
Albums
Raimonds Pauls has released over 90 albums. Some of his well-known albums include:
- "To You, My Good One" ("Tev, mana labā") (1969)
- "Only the Amber" ("Tik dzintars vien") (1970)
- "Say, where is this Land" ("Teic, kur zeme tā") (1971)
- "In the Lantern Hour" ("Laternu stundā") (1976)
- Dialogue, with Valery Leontiev (1984)
- Velvet season, with Valery Leontiev (1986)
- My Favourite Melodies/So Many Stars (2006) – a double album of jazz music.
Public Service
Besides his music, Raimonds Pauls also served in public office. He was a member of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR. He then became the Minister of Culture in the Latvian government from 1988 to 1993. After that, he worked as an advisor to the President of Latvia starting in 1993.
Later, he was elected as a Member of the Saeima, which is the Latvian parliament. He was elected in 1998, 2002, and 2006. In 1999, he ran for president and received many votes, but not enough to win. He decided not to take the position.
After Latvia became independent again, Raimonds Pauls continued his musical work. He worked with Dzeguzīte, a very popular children's music group in Latvia. In 1996, he went on a concert tour with singer Laima Vaikule. They performed in cities like Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and New York City.
See also
In Spanish: Raimonds Pauls para niños
