Vasks, P?teris: Cosa devo fare?

(What should I do?)

for mixed choir (SATB)

For my composition Cosa devo fare, I was inspired when I read the text accompanying the picture cycle Books of Venice by the Latvian artist Ilmars Blumbergs, who died in 2016. The Books of Venice, consisting of paintings and photographs, were created by the artist during a stay in Venice and presented in an exhibition in the Oratorio de San Ludovico in Venice two years before his death. In the text, Blumbergs is quoted with an anecdote according to which a sick friend told him that, when in despair, and hoping for recovery, he had asked the Virgin Mary for help: “What should I do?” To Blumbergs’ surprise, the sick friend claimed to have received the answer: “Be as you were when you were in love.” (P?teris Vasks)