Paavo Järvi & Estonian Festival Orchestra - Estonian Premieres - Limelight

The opening work is To the Moonlight by Tõnu Kõrvits (b.1969), a beguiling piece of post-impressionism full of Sibelian woodwind-dominated colours. Two works by Ülo Krigul (b. 1975), Chordae and The Bow, bring a more powerful voice to bear. Chordae is monumental and dramatic, while bells and brass usher in The Bow – another short but strident tone poem. With Helena Tulve (b. 1972) we return to Estonian mists in L’ombre derrière toi, where scurrying motifs gradually emerge to buzz around a central note with sighing muted strings beneath. The spectral texture grows in colour and energy. 

Tauno Aints (b. 1975), a composer notable for ballets, writes an Ouverture Estonia, which pulls no punches despite its patriotic raison d’être. Finally, Olympic Music 1 by the renowned, short-lived Lepo Sumera (1950-2000) is an occasional piece composed for the Tallinn sailing team at the 1980 Olympics.