Estonian Composers (combined Book and CD Review)

Extract

Ancient Song Recovered: The Life and Music of Veljo Tormis, by Mimi S. Daitz. Pendragon Press, $54.00/£36.00.

The Works of Eduard Tubin: Thematic-Bibliographical Catalogue of Works by Vardo Rumessen. International Eduard Tubin Society/Gehrmans Musikförlag, E.57.

TORMIS: ‘Vision of Estonia’ II. The Ballad of Mary's Land; Reflections with Hando Runnel; Days of Outlawry; God Protect Us from War; Journey of the War Messenger; Let the Sun Shine!; Voices from Tammsaare's Herdboy Days; Forget-me-not; Mens' Songs. Estonian National Male Choir c. Ants Soots. Alba NCD 20.

TORMIS: ‘Vision of Estonia’ III. The Singer; Songs of the Ancient Sea; Plague Memory; Bridge of Song; Going to War; Dialectical Aphorisms; Song about a Level Land; We Are Given; An Aboriginal Song; The Estonians' Political Parties Game; Song about Keeping Together; Martinmas Songs; Shrovetide Songs; Three I Had Those Words of Beauty. Estonian National Male Choir c. Ants Soots. Alba NCD 23.

TAMBERG: Cyrano de Bergerac. Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus of Estonian National Opera c. Paul Mägi. CPO 999 832-2 (2-CD set).

ROSENVALD: Violin Concerto Nos. 1¹ and 2, Quasi una fantasia²; Two Pastorales³; Sonata capricciosa⁴; Symphony No. 3⁵; Nocturne⁶. ^1,2Lemmo Erendi (vln), Tallinn CO c. Neeme Järvi, ²Estonian State SO c. Jüri Alperten; ³Estonian State SO c. Vello Pähn; ⁴Valentina Gontšarova (vln); ⁵⁶Estonian State SO c. Neeme Järvi. Antes BM-CD 31.9197.

DEAN: Winter Songs. TÜÜR: Architectonics I. VASKS: Music for a Deceased Friend. PÄRT: Quintettino. NIELSEN: Wind Quintet. Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, with Daniel Norman (tenor), c. Hermann Bäumer. BIS-CD–1332.

TULEV: Quella sera; Gare de l'Est; Adiós/Œri Ráma in memoriam; Isopo; Be Lost in the Call. NYYD Ensemble c. Olari Elts. Eesti Raadio ERCD047.

ESTONIAN COMPOSERS I: MÄGI: Vesper.¹ KANGRO: Display IX.² SUMERA: Shakespeare's Sonnets Nos. 8 & 90.³TAMBERG: Desiderium Concordiae.⁴ TULEV: String Quartet No. 1.⁵ EESPERE: Glorificatio.⁶ TORMIS: Kevade: Suite.⁷¹Estonian National SO c. Aivo Välja; ²⁴NYYD Ensemble c. Olari Elts; ³Pirjo Levadi (soprano), Mikk Mikiver (narrator), Estonian National Boys' Choir, Estonian National SO c. Paul Mägi; ⁵Tallinn String Quartet; ⁶Kaia Urb (sop), Academic Male Choir of Tallinn Technical University c. Arvo Volmer; ⁷Estonian National SO c. Paul Mägi Eesti Raadio ERCD 031.

ESTONIAN COMPOSERS II: TULVE: Traces.¹ TALLY: Swinburne.² KÕRVITS: Stream.³ STEINER: Descendants of Cain.⁴ KAUMANN: Long Play.⁵ LILL: Le Rite de Passage.⁶ SIMMER: Water of Life.^71,5,6NYYD Ensemble c. Olari Elts; ²Ardo-Ran Varres (narrator), Iris Oja (sop), Alar Pintsaar (bar), Vambola Krigul (perc), Külli Möls (accordion), Robert Jürjendal (elec guitar); ³Virgo Veldi (sax), Madis Metsamart (perc); ⁴The Bowed Piano Ensemble c. Timo Steiner; ⁷Teet Järvi (vlc), Monika Mattieson (fl). Eesti Raadio ERCD032.

ESTONIAN COMPOSERS III: GRIGORJEVA: Con misterio;¹On Leaving. SUMERA: Pantomime; The Child of Dracula and Zombie. ¹Tui Hirv (sop), ¹Iris Oja (mezzo), ¹Joosep Vahermägi (ten), ¹Jaan Arder (bar), Hortus Musicus c. Andres Mustonen. Eeesti Raadio ERCD 045

ESTONIAN COMPOSERS IV: KRIGUL: Walls.¹ JÜRGENS: Redblueyellow.² KÕRVER: Pre.³ KOTTA: Variations.⁴ SIIMER: Two Pieces.⁵ KAUMANN: Ausgewählte Salonstücke.⁶ AINTS: Trope.⁷ STEINER: In memoriam.^81,6New Tallinn Trio; ²Liis Jürgens (harp); ^3,8Voces Musicales Ensemble c. Risto Joost; ⁴Mati Mikalai (pno); ⁵Mikk Murdvee (vln), Tarmo Johannes (fl), Toomas Vavilov (cl), Mart Siimer (organ); ⁷Tarmo Johannes (fl). Eeesti Raadio ERCD 046.

BALTIC VOICES 2: SISASK: Five songs from Gloria Patri. TULEV: And then in silence there with me be only You. NØRGÅRD: Winter Hymn. GRIGORJEVA: On Leaving (1999). SCHNITTKE: Three Sacred Hymns. Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir c. Paul Hillier. Harmonia Mundi HMU 907331.

SCHNITTKE: Concerto for Chorus; Voices of Nature. PÄRT: Dopo la vittoria; Bogoróditse Djévo; I am the True Vine. Swedish Radio Choir c. Tõnu Kaljuste. BIS-CD-1157.

PÄRT: Es sang vor langen Jahren; Stabat Mater; Magnificat; Nunc Dimittis; My Heart's in the Highlands; Zwei Sonatinen; Spiegel im Spiegel. Chamber Domaine; Stephen de Pledge (pno), Stephen Wallace (counter-ten), Choir of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh c. Matthew Owens. Black Box BBM1071.