"When I first heard Vestard Shimkus playing I instantly understood - he is just the right interpreter. It was a close and deep understanding from the first till the last sound. The notes turned into colours, scents, started to breathe, and 'The Seasons' came into being. The world premiere of 'Gadalaiki - The Seasons' [presented on this CD!] - which (richly deserved) received the Great Latvian Music Award, the highest national distinction in the field of music, in the category 'Concert of the Year', in March 2010 - was one of the big events in my life as a composer." (Peteris Vasks)

Vasks's piano cycle "The Seasons" and his piano piece "Vasaras vakara muzika - Music for a Summer Evening" are not a kind of program music in the classical sense. They are more an expression of feeling than of painting. And - like all of Vasks's music - they come from the heart and are intended to reach the hearts of listeners.