ECM Records VELJO TORMIS : REMINISCENTIAE CD

The elemental power of ancient folk music is the lifeforce that drives the compositions of Veljo Tormis (1930-2017).  As the great Estonian composer famously said, “I do not use folk song. It is folk song that uses me.” This sentiment is echoed in definitive performances by the Estonian Philharmonic  Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Tõnu Kaljuste, for decades one of Tormis’s closest musical associates. Four orchestral cycles celebrate the changing seasons: Autumn Landscapes, Winter Patterns, Spring Sketches, Summer Motifs. And three pieces – Worry Breaks The Spirit, Hamlet’s Songs and Herding Calls – feature new arrangements by Tõnu Kaljuste, continuing and commemorating Tormis’s work.  The album opens with The Tower Bell In My Village which Kaljuste commissioned 45 years ago. It sets words by Fernando Pessoa that seem entirely pertinent in the context of this tribute.   “Oh death, it’s a bend in the road/You can’t be seen when you’ve passed by/But still your steps continue…”  Reminiscentiae was recorded at Tallinn’s Methodist Church in October and November 2020.

Featured Artists:

Veiko Tubin Reciter

Annika Lõhmus Soprano

Triin Sakermaa Soprano

Madis Metsamart Bell, Percussion

Iris Oja Mezzo Soprano

Indrek Vau Trumpet

Linda Vood Flute

Maria Valdmaa Soprano

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

Tallinn Chamber Orchestra

Tõnu Kaljuste Conductor

Recorded

October & November 2020, Methodist Church, Tallinn

Original Release Date

08.09.2023