Ülo Krigul
– Aga vaata aina üles (But Look Ever Upwards, premiere)
Arvo Pärt
– Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen
Alfred Schnittke
– Concerto for Choir
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Conductor Kaspars Putniņš
The concert “Wind. Breath. And Spirit.” combines pieces full of contrasts wandering within the borders of fragility and drama. The composers included in the programme feature the 20th century Russian classic, Alfred Schnittke, the most well-known Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt, and a representative of Estonian younger generation composers, Ülo Krigul, who resides with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir this year. The keywords of the programme – WIND, BREATH and SPIRIT – come from the lyrics of the pieces which handle the subjects of soul and spirituality, each of them in its own way – they lift us high up in heavens, force us to think about the depth of human existence or carry us together with the wind… As an Estonian poet Uku Masing has said: “Back in the days when one spoke about the wind, one spoke about the spirit. Because there was no difference between the soul and the wind, the spirit and the tempest running their own endless track…“
The EPCC will record the current programme for BIS Records as a follow-up to the album “Psalms of Repentance“ by Schnittke that won the prestigious Gramophone Award in 2018.
Concerto for Choir (1984/85) by Alfred Schnittke is one of the most powerful pieces of a cappella choir music. The texts by the 10th century Armenian poet Gregory of Narek, reflect the soul’s conversation with God, full of repentance and thirst for purity. “Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen” (1988) are seven antiphons sung in the Roman Catholic liturgy during Evening Prayer on the seven days leading up to Christmas Eve: one antiphon with a magnificat each day. Arvo Pärt has assembled these prayers into one comprehensive concert piece, composed in tintinnabuli style, and each part has its own complete form and individual character. Ülo Krigul’s new piece, based on the texts by the Estonian poet Uku Masing, was commissioned by the EPCC and Kaspars Putniņš. The work is inspired by the time in November that the Estonians call “the time of all souls“ – as the light becomes less and less, the more bright are the single rays of sun that give people the power to believe and hope.