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Estonia

  • ConcertsFestivalsPremières

    Estonian Music Days 2020 (Part 1)

    by 5:4 September 25, 2020 • 14:11
    September 25, 2020 • 14:11

    The last couple of years have been unusual for the Estonian Music Days. In 2019 the festival was bloated beyond all recognition and sense due to its assimilation into the World Music Days, making for a horribly hectic and exhausting experience. In 2020, for reasons pandemical, it was the opposite, …

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  • CD/Digital releases

    Erkki-Sven Tüür – Mythos

    by 5:4 July 29, 2020 • 13:23
    July 29, 2020 • 13:23

    A couple of years ago i wrote about the world première of Erkki-Sven Tüür‘s Symphony No. 9, subtitled ‘Mythos’. It was a fantastic performance of what turned out to be a marvellous piece (i often find myself marvelling while listening to Tüür’s music), so it’s exciting to see that original …

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  • CD/Digital releases

    Cyrillus Kreek – The Suspended Harp of Babel

    by 5:4 May 29, 2020 • 11:14
    May 29, 2020 • 11:14

    i’ve been waiting for this for three years. At the 2017 Estonian Music Days, i experienced a double onslaught to the head and heart courtesy of choir Vox Clamantis performing the music of Cyrillus Kreek. For this reason more than any other, i’ve clung to the memories of that first …

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  • CD/Digital releases

    Tõnu Kõrvits – Hymns to the Northern Lights

    by 5:4 May 21, 2020 • 10:59
    May 21, 2020 • 10:59

    For those of you who prefer a little less avant in your garde, consider the latest portrait disc of music by Tõnu Kõrvits. Kõrvits occupies an interesting position within the Estonian contemporary scene. His music embodies a great deal of the conservatism that tends to typify new music from that …

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  • FestiveThematic series

    Lauri Jõeleht – Cantus angelorum

    by 5:4 December 25, 2019 • 05:00
    December 25, 2019 • 05:00

    Happy Holidays to you all! To conclude my week-long sojourn into the start of winter, i’m returning to the Estonian trio Una Corda – comprising harp, harpsichord and kannel – for a performance of a piece that i think is perfect for the festive season and especially Christmas Day itself: …

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  • PremièresThematic series

    Maria Kõrvits – Darkness and Deeper Dark (World Première)

    by 5:4 December 22, 2019 • 05:00
    December 22, 2019 • 05:00

    This morning (at 4:19am to be precise) saw the winter solstice, making this the northern hemisphere’s shortest day and the start of not only the season of winter but also a host of traditional festive periods. Being the day when we’re dominated most by night, it’s an ideal moment to …

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  • PremièresThematic series

    Age Veeroos – Külmking (World Première)

    by 5:4 December 20, 2019 • 05:00
    December 20, 2019 • 05:00

    It’s nice, sometimes, when a composition isn’t concerned with layers of complexity and subtext, but instead focuses on a single idea. So as the days grow increasingly cold (here in the UK, at least), it seems an ideal time to explore one of Age Veeroos‘ latest works, the title of …

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  • FestivePremièresThematic series

    Tõnis Kaumann – Ave maris stella (World Première)

    by 5:4 December 19, 2019 • 05:00
    December 19, 2019 • 05:00

    During my week-long journey into winter, i’ll be veering back and forth between sacred and secular music. When i first heard Tõnis Kaumann‘s setting of the Marian hymn Ave maris stella at the World Music Days earlier this year, i have to admit it didn’t make a huge impression on …

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  • AnniversariesCD/Digital releasesRetrospectives

    Four aspects of Erkki-Sven Tüür: Spectrums

    by 5:4 October 18, 2019 • 19:11
    October 18, 2019 • 19:11

    Birthdays and anniversaries provide an excellent opportunity to stop and look back, and contemplate everything that’s happened along the path of time that leads to here and now. This week – on Wednesday, in fact – marked the 60th birthday of Estonia’s most unconventional and irrepressible composer, Erkki-Sven Tüür. i’ve …

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  • ConcertsPremières

    King’s Place, London: Theatre of Voices – Baltic Voices

    by 5:4 October 4, 2019 • 11:16
    October 4, 2019 • 11:16

    Personality and connection tend to go hand in hand. This is just as true for getting to know a person as it is for getting to know a piece of music: we’re drawn towards or pushed away according to the ways in which its personality – its qualities and characteristics, …

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  • ConcertsFestivalsPremières

    World Music Days 2019, Estonia (Part 4)

    by 5:4 May 20, 2019 • 15:42
    May 20, 2019 • 15:42

    Aside from the chamber concerts, by far the most dominant force at this year’s World Music Days in Estonia was choral music. i’ve written before of my admiration of Estonia’s choral tradition – both the standard of its choirs (including, in my view, two of the very best in the …

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  • ConcertsFestivalsPremières

    World Music Days 2019, Estonia (Part 3)

    by 5:4 May 17, 2019 • 13:08
    May 17, 2019 • 13:08

    This year’s World Music Days featured a substantial amount of music involving electronics. That being said, relatively few of the fixed media works made as strong an impression as those combining electronics with acoustic instruments. A notable exception was Marianna Liik‘s Mets [Forest], one of several pieces during the festival …

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  • ConcertsFestivalsPremières

    World Music Days 2019, Estonia (Part 2)

    by 5:4 May 15, 2019 • 15:11
    May 15, 2019 • 15:11

    The one opportunity to hear music for full orchestra at this year’s World Music Days took place on Friday evening at the Estonia Concert Hall, performed by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Olari Elts. The Estonian Music Days’ tradition of recent years has been to begin the Friday …

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  • ConcertsFestivalsPremières

    World Music Days 2019, Estonia (Part 1)

    by 5:4 May 13, 2019 • 18:18
    May 13, 2019 • 18:18

    At the northernmost edge of Tallinn, looking out over the Baltic Sea towards Finland, is a huge concrete edifice called the Linnahall. Built during the Soviet occupation, it was constructed as part of the USSR’s hosting of the 1980 Olympic Games, as a coastal hub for the boating events. It’s …

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  • Lent SeriesPremières

    Liisa Hirsch – Lävi (World Première)

    by 5:4 March 6, 2019 • 06:00
    March 6, 2019 • 06:00

    Being the first day of the season of Lent, today marks the start of the 5:4 Lent Series. This year, i’m going to be exploring works written for full orchestra, beginning with a piece by Estonian Liisa Hirsch. Hirsch is an intriguing composer; i’m still at a relatively early stage of …

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  • PremièresThematic series

    Estonia in focus weekend: Erkki-Sven Tüür – Prophecy (UK Première)

    by 5:4 October 28, 2018 • 05:00
    October 28, 2018 • 05:00

    Another of the works at the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Maida Vale concert of Estonian music on 4 July was Erkki-Sven Tüür‘s 2007 accordion concerto Prophecy, which received its first UK performance with Olari Elts conducting and Mika Väyrynen (for whom it was written) as soloist. Any composer who writes a …

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  • PremièresThematic series

    Estonia in focus weekend: Helena Tulve – Extinction des choses vues (UK Première)

    by 5:4 October 27, 2018 • 05:00
    October 27, 2018 • 05:00

    In the UK, while it’s not that difficult to find performances of music from many parts of the world, opportunities to hear music from Estonia – with the obvious exception of Arvo Pärt – are extremely rare. So the decision of the BBC Symphony Orchestra to include in their season …

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  • Announcements

    The Arvo Pärt Centre

    by 5:4 October 17, 2018 • 13:08
    October 17, 2018 • 13:08

    18 months ago, i was standing in a forest. It was located on the Lohusalu peninsula, near the village of Laulasmaa on the north-west Estonian coast. This is the site of Aliina, Arvo Pärt’s country retreat, as well as the enormous archive of his scores, sketches and a myriad other …

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  • CD/Digital releases

    Erkki-Sven Tüür – Illuminatio / Whistle and Whispers from Uluru / Symphony No. 8; Arvo Pärt & Alfred Schnittke – Choral Works; Arvo Pärt – The Symphonies

    by 5:4 August 24, 2018 • 16:35
    August 24, 2018 • 16:35

    Returning to one of my occasional themes, there have been some interesting releases of Estonian music in the last few months. In February, i wrote about the Ninth Symphony by one of the country’s most dynamic composers, Erkki-Sven Tüür, so it’s nice timing that the Ondine label has brought out …

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  • InterviewsThe Dialogues

    The Dialogues: Helena Tulve

    by 5:4 June 30, 2018 • 10:32
    June 30, 2018 • 10:32

    i’m thrilled to to present a new addition to my series The Dialogues, which, on this occasion, finds me in conversation with the Estonian composer Helena Tulve, whose work i’ve admired for many years. Although widely-known across Europe, Tulve’s music – like most Estonian music (with one obvious exception) – is …

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5:4
  • About
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