23 January 2007
This is a photo I took during the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir concert last year (which wasn’t too long ago). The concert took place in Niguliste Church, originally built in the 13th century. The performance included three pieces: Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli, Peteris Vasks’ Three Poems by Czeslaw Milosz, and Morton Feldman’s Rothko Chapel. During the final piece, images of Rothko’s paintings were projected onto the screen shown in the photo. It was a beautiful performance, and the best I’ve been to since moving here.
I downloaded an EPCC album (Pärt: Da pacem) from eMusic yesterday. A full review will follow, once I’ve had a chance to give it a good listen.
9 January 2007
I chose the above image, taken during a performance of EESTI: ballaadid, for the header because that performance was the turning point in my relationship with Estonia. In August 2005, I attended the most amazing performance I have ever seen. EESTI: ballaadid premiered in August of 2004, and the final performance (which I attended) was on August 7, Veljo Tormis’s 75th birthday. It wasn’t a glitzy performance like those of Broadway (or Las Vegas, for that matter). Rather, we drove the winding roads near the northern coast of Estonia and parked outside of a large barn. The show was sold out and the seating (on temporary bleachers) was tight. I was nearing the end of my two-month stay in Estonia and utterly unprepared for what has turned out to be a life-altering event.
This cantata-ballet is considered the opus magnum of Veljo Tormis, who was also present. Many Estonians call Tormis a genius. Using folktales from several regions in Estonia dating from the first decade of the 1900s through the 1970s, Tormis created a masterpiece that successfully and beautifully links the past with the present. The folktales deal with the timeless themes of reproduction, family relationships, and death. As Mr. Tormis wrote in the program:
Not that I make use of folk song, folk song makes use of me. To me, folk music is not an instrument through which I can express myself. On the contrary, I feel it my duty to present folk music as it is: its essence, spirit, ideas and form. To my understanding, runo-song is the most outstanding and original phenomenon of Estonian culture. Today it has lost its form as it once existed, as an inseparable part of the ways of everyday life. What I am trying to do is to link it with modern art forms, and to bring out the uniqueness of runo-song and the message it conveys.
The runo-songs Tormis refers to are often short, repetitive choral pieces rooted in the Finno-Ugric tradition. Choral singing is still strong in Estonia, and the fifteen EESTI: ballaadid singers were masterful. The music conductor was Tõnu Kaljuste (founder of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and a world-famous conductor), and the director was Peeter Jalakas of Von Krahl Theater. I’ve heard that Von Krahl Theater is the avant-garde, radical theater here, though EESTI: ballaadid is the only performance I’ve attended. I’ve been to the actual theater, in Tallinn’s Old City, but for film screenings. I’ve been told that Estonians either love or hate Von Krahl, as they use “rough” language and have off-the-wall interpretations of well-known plays. I must be radical, because that sounds cool to me. Anyway, though the singing of EESTI: ballaadid was in Estonian, the Estonian language is full of vowels and does not have the harsh sounds of Russian and German. Listening without full understanding was still a pleasurable experience.
The dance performance was methodical and slow, but still quite intense thanks to the skill of the 11 dancers. The choreographer and leading dancer was Aki Suzuki, who is a Japanese Butoh specialist and the only non-Estonian to perform. The dance was essentially Butoh in style, and the dancers (and singers) were covered in white makeup and powder. I’m not sure if the women dancers were entirely nude towards the end or if they wore very thin bodysuits; the men’s costumes varied. The Butoh movements in this ballet were very subtle and controlled; sometimes it was amazing just how slow but still elegant the movements were. In spite of the modern Japanese origins of Butoh, I can see why that dance form might appeal to Estonians, who are often methodical, careful, and quiet in nature.Beyond that description, words fail me. It’s just one of those things you have to see to really understand its impact. Let’s hope Arm Music comes out with their long-promised DVD before much more time elapses.
So, how did EESTI: ballaadid change my life? Upon seeing that performance, I fell in love with Estonia. When my husband and I finished our graduate programs in the States, choosing to come to Estonia was almost a no-brainer. Actually working out the details to come here required a bit of thought.
View more photos of the performance.
Listen to sound samples from EESTI:balladid.
Read about Language and Poetic Metre in Regilaul.
Read about Quantity and Stress in Estonian Folksong Performance.
(all photos: Peeter Paasmäe)
5 January 2007
I have been in Estonia for four months, to the day. A fellow American I know who’s lived here for a number of years told me that if I can make it to six months without a major breakdown, I’ll do just fine here. Not only have I not had anything resembling a breakdown, and in spite of the atypical weather (it’s been raining… lots…) and the short days (the sun comes up around 9am and goes down between 15-16/3-4pm), I continue to love Tallinn. It is old and new, bears the scars of a recent, painful past while showing continued growth and progress. This country is in some ways cutting-edge, and in other ways it is still years behind other countries. I have no doubt that we will one day look back to this time in Estonian history and see it as a pivotal moment.
2006 was a remarkable year for me. I finished my Master’s degree, started getting paid to do what I love, and moved to Estonia from the United States. Though I hope this year doesn’t hold so many huge life changes, I am looking forward to exploring this city (and country), eating good food, meeting interesting people, and attending lots of concerts and other events in 2007. Here’s to the new year and many more good months!
