Rihards Dubra

Visions of the Passion. Light (2023)

“Dubra’s Visions as performed by Reinis Zariņš can be likened to the experience we receive during Easter through Bach’s great Passions. Only here, no choir or orchestra is needed — Reinis himself becomes the Way, the Cross, the Crowd, the Water, and the Resurrection Morning.

A mystery (I deliberately avoid calling it a concert) in which time disappears, and when it ends, the silence feels infinite.”

— Ieva Saliete, harpsichordist

NEXT PERFORMANCE:

8 March 2026 17:00 Great Amber concert hall, Liepāja

Rihards Dubra is a Latvian composer known for his profoundly spiritual music. His musical language is both captivating and direct, drawing listeners into an emotional and contemplative space. The concert-length work Visions of the Passion. Light is Dubra’s response to Reinis Zariņš’ commission for a piece centred on Easter themes.

Visions of the Passion. Light is a groundbreaking work – possibly the world’s first solo piano composition that follows the ancient liturgy of the Stations of the Cross. This monumental piece blends deeply personal expression with a powerful narrative, creating a profound listening experience. Its structure mirrors the traditional 14 Stations, a ritual journey that reflects on the events of Good Friday, but with Dubra’s unique approach that expands the scope of the Passion. His composition explores not only the depths of Christ's suffering but also the pervasive influence of darkness and, with the inclusion of a 15th Station, the surprising resolution that traditional versions leave untold.

Dubra’s strikingly dramatic music contrasts two distinct languages: one evoking the forces of darkness, the other illuminating the characters of light. 

This dichotomy also helps explain why the performances of this work have naturally incorporated an element of narrative lighting. While the score itself contains no instructions for lighting, the idea emerged from Reinis’s creative vision. Given the work’s 90-minute duration and sweeping emotional arc, it felt natural to allow light to become an active part of the storytelling — not merely stage decoration, but a narrative voice in its own right. Since the world premiere of Visions, every new performance has featured a unique lighting design, created in collaboration with the venue’s local lighting designer. At the very least, Reinis aims to highlight the work’s central dichotomy of darkness and light — most vividly expressed in XIV. Tears of Angels and the unexpected contrast of XV. Morning. Depending on the available lighting resources, other narrative contrasts may also be brought to life, for instance, the tension between Christ’s disciples and his enemies.

The lighting is never meant to "steal the show" — rather, with thoughtful use, it can enhance the audience’s experience and illuminate narrative dimensions that might otherwise remain hidden, especially for those less familiar with the scriptural context.

In 2025, Visions of the Passion. Light earned Dubra Latvia’s Grand Music Award for the work.

Traditional fourteen Stations:

I Jesus is condemned to death

II Jesus carries his cross

III Jesus falls the first time

IV Jesus meets his mother

V Simon helps carry the cross

VI Veronica wipes Jesus’ face

VII Jesus falls the second time

VIII The women of Jerusalem

IX Jesus falls the third time

X Jesus is stripped of his clothes

XI Jesus is nailed to the cross

XII Jesus dies on the cross

XIII Jesus’ body is taken down

XIV Jesus is laid in the tomb

Dubra’s fifteen Stations:

I Gethsemane

II Procession of Evil

III Confusion

IV Blind Hatred

V Painfully Muted Patience

VI Crowd 

VII Water of Innocence

VIII Road 

IX Veronica 

X Steps 

XI Agony of Evil 

XII Mother

XIII The Ninth Hour 

XIV Tears of Angels 

XV Morning

"Rihards Dubra's monumental work for solo piano is a profoundly moving composition and at its UK premiere in Edinburgh made a huge emotional impact largely thanks to a phenomenal performance by Reinis Zariņš."

— Leslie East OBE

“A touch of divine light.”

— Māris Vītols, director of Latvian National Theatre

"To me, the first half of Dubra’s composition felt like massive, unyielding blocks of granite, bearing not only the weight of suffering but also the mysterious light of Christ’s final labor. In his performance, Reinis Zariņš created a miracle: burning through stone with sound, and transforming sonic intensity into pure, absolute light."

— Boriss Avramecs, music historian

If you are considering programming this work, please feel free to get in touch and request the full audio or video recording of one of its performances: hello@reiniszarins.com

Photos on this page by Veronika Lokotko/GORS, Aivars Ivbulis