Eesti meets West
Post categories: Hear and Now, Radio 3
|14:43 UK Time, Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Running through the snow on a cold night in Tallinn, I fell in love with the music!
During the winter of 2001/2 I found myself in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, a few times in preparation for Radio 3's live night from the city in February 2002 which I co-presented with John Simpson. While John handled guests for political discussion I had the job of introducing lots of music. I remember starting off a chamber music concert in one venue and then running down the cobbled streets of the old city to start off a live jazz gig! Snow falling, and the obligatory jazz stilettos, I arrived at a jazz bar called Krahl to a warm Estonian welcome and great cheers once we went live on Radio 3.
My Tallinn days had brought me into contact with folk musicians, jazz, beautiful choral singing, chamber music and lovely people. This feeling has never gone away and this week will be the second Estonian project I've worked at since then.
Urmas Sisask in mid-air with the Estonian Piano Orchestra
I'm at Kings Place in London for Eesti Fest and while we can't bring it all to you on Radio 3 you'll certainly have the chance to hear (in Hear and Now) an ensemble I'm very excited about - the Estonian Piano Orchestra. Hall One at Kings Place was just made for pianos so I couldn't resist the opportunity of having four of them played by eight pianists. Lauri Väinmaa is their leader - he's a great champion of contemporary Estonian music and has put together a programme which includes Voices of the Universe by Urmas Sisask and will feature the composer himself (quite a cult figure) playing shaman drum. Ülo Krigul's Aquaspherics was written last year and promises beautiful visuals on screens behind the pianists, and Peeter Vähi'sPianists' Internet Week also includes electric guitar and percussion. There's Arvo Pärt too and a Concerto by Jaan Rääts. A real showcase for Estonian contemporary music which should both sound great and look good. A feat of communication for the performers.
Lots of people know the choir Vox Clamantis for their work in the UK with Dhafer Youssef, and, as I write, I know they're packing their bags to fly to London for Thursday's concert of Gregorian chant and Arvo Pärt, marking Estonian Independence Day. The Weekend Guitar trio are also on their way ready to perform with our own Toyah Willcox (with whom they've already recorded a project) joined for the first time by a well known name to Late Junction listeners, Jan Bang, live sampling guru from Norway who'll be taking his own Punkt Festival to Tallinn in April as part of their European Capital of Culture celebrations. If I mention bagpipes, don't run away! Estonian bagpipes are beautiful and combined with zither in Suuro Pilvo they should make a great folk night in Hall Two in their regular Friday slot. And jazz lovers are promised a great evening on Saturday with Kristjan Randalu.
There's so much vibrant culture happening in Tallinn, but at least this time I can enjoy all the music under one roof, and I've learned to be more careful about my footwear!
Fiona Talkington is a Radio 3 presenter and curator of the Eesti Festival
- Listen to the Kings Place Bite Sized Podcast with Fiona Talkington on the Eesti Fest
- You can hear the Estonian PIano Orchestra in Radio 3's Hear and Now on Saturday 23 April
Comment number 1.
At 18:45 25th Feb 2011, Tony Olsson wrote:I haven't reached Estonia yet, but since 2003 have visited Latvia once and Lithuania many times. In 2003 I visited Kaunas and the gorgeous Ciurlionis Museum where I fell in love with his music and his paintings.
10 April 2011 is the 100th anniversary of the death of Lithuania's foremost composer. I do hope the BBC will commemorate it. I have already put in my request to Fiona/Chi-chi at Radio 3 Requests, and hope to persuade Breakfast (on Sunday) and Sunday Morning to include some of Ciurlionis' music. Perhaps hoping for a Composer of the Week the following week is too much to ask for?
I've nothing against Estonian music, but Lithuanian music is unjustly neglected by the BBC in my view.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 08:35 28th Feb 2011, Lesiga wrote:Since hearing Veljo Tormis in Late Junction many years ago I have fallen completely under the spell of this beautiful country. Since then I have made many friends and enjoyed many visits into the heart of the fertile culture, bith traditional and new....and I have learned to pronounce Arvo Pärt correctly! (Say Parrot but remove the O!)....I attended the Suurõ Pilvõ concert Friday and was spellbound, this music is as good as it gets and truly deserves to be heard, so please Fiona can we have a broadcast :))))
For the curious, lovers of folk music and jazz in particular, I would strongly urge listeners to check out ensembles such as Johanson ja Vennad, an extraordinary band of brothers and sister whose recordings incorporate beautiful natural sounds as well as heart stopping singing and playing......the pure and simple gorgeous singing of Helin-Mari Arder, whose various groups bring the sunlight to the sometimes cold North....her own often bossa nove inspired writing as well as interpretations of Legrand and older Estonian church music put her in the ranks of the finest world class jazz singers!
It was a very happy moment for me when Radio 3 played that Tormis piece ten years ago - The Singer's Childhood from the ECM disc Litany to Thunder....
Check it all out.......there is something very special going on up there!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 01:51 4th Mar 2011, fengliping wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)