HORTUS MUSICUS [Estonia] [UK Premiere] [75th anniversary celebration of Arvo Pärt and Giya Kancheli]

Event information

[Hortus Musicus [Estonia] [UK Premiere]
[75th anniversary celebration of Arvo Pärt and Giya Kancheli]
[part of LIFEM 2010: London International Festival of Exploratory Music]

Hortus Musicus, who gave their first concert in 1972, was formed by Andres Mustonen, a violin student of the then Tallinn State Conservatory, and is therefore the oldest constantly active early music group in Europe and one of the few of such longevity in the world.

Born in the conditions of the soviet isolation, a group of enthusiasts, uniting their youthful energies and using minimal outward assistance (for it was simply not available) found their way and face in Hortus Musicus. Andres Mustonen performed a central role as the generator of ideas. His unacceptance of the then regime, as well as of the rock-hard conceptions that had developed in music, pushed the group towards a quest into the yet unknown world of pre-Bach music.

The music making of Hortus is first and foremost (and, often, differently from their European colleagues) characterized by a creative and cliché-less attitude to music that is distant to us in time, but not necessarily in essence. Never becoming in direct controversy with the so-called 'authentic' or 'temporally informed' way of performing, Hortus have never had it for a goal in itself. Thus, the concerts and recordings of Hortus sound fresh, comprehensible and powerful - this is the living music of today's people.

For more than 30 years now, Hortus have investigated and presented in their programmes European music from the 8th-20th centuries: the Gregorian coral - organums - medieval liturgic drama - hymns and motets - the Franco-Flemish school - the Trecento-masters of Italy - the 16th-century rigid polyphony - French chansons - Italian madrigals, frotollas and villanelles - a large amount of suites from Renaissance dances from all across Europe - early sonatas and secular large works of baroque composers of the 17th-18th centuries - the music of 20th century composers (often created specially for Hortus).

The secret of the longevity of Hortus Musicus is indeed hidden in their approach of uncompromised creativity, and the title 'early music ensemble' only concerns the musical material. The music itself is reborn with every rehearsal and presentation, the 'old' music becoming 'own' and 'new'. It is natural that already in the very beginning a good understanding was established with many other musical dissenters in Estonia and Russia. For instance, the strikingly minimalist tintinnabuli-style works of Arvo Pärt were performed at the end of the 1970s exactly in cooperation with Hortus Musicus. Later on, artists like Giya Kancheli, Aleksander Knaifel, Lepo Sumera, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Galina Grigoryeva and several others have written and dedicated music for the ensemble.

The works of contemporary composers serve as interesting challenge for the ensemble - one has to overcome some inabilities of the earlier instruments involving tuning and dynamics. On the other hand, it expands the employ of the renaissance instruments and enables the new music to use especially beautiful and natural sounds, which would not be attainable with today's unified instruments. The new music performed by Hortus Musicus carries in itself the same values that are appreciated in earlier, more balanced music - the purity and clarity of form, harmony and beauty in simple things.

During their lifetime (they are commemorating their 38th anniversary this year), Hortus Musicus have given concerts in most European countries, the USA, Japan, Israel and the vast territory of the former Soviet Union, as well as performed at most major early music festivals. They have recorded about 35 programmes, a part of which is available even today in companies like Erdenklang, Musica Svecia, Forte and Finlandia Records.

Performance Details:

Music on the crossroad of times and cultures
75th anniversary celebration of Arvo Pärt and Giya Kancheli

• Fratres - Arvo Pärt (1935) - first version from 1977, dedicated to Hortus Musicus
• Pari intervallo - Arvo Pärt - first version from 1976 brushed up and performed by Hortus Musicus
• An den Wassern zu Babel - Arvo Pärt - first version from 1976 brushed up and performed by Hortus Musicus
• Икона (Icon) - Valentin Silvestrov (1937)
• Prayer to the Holy Spirit - Alexander Knaifel (1943)
• Helesa - Giya Kancheli (1935) - dedicated to charter member of Hortus Musicus Helle Mustonen (1959-2005)
• Sabâ peşrev - Girifzen Asim Bey (1852-1908)
• Reyah hadas -ala (Perfume of Myrtles) - Yemenite tune, lyrics by Shalom Shabazi, 16th c.
• Sobhillu (The Beauty of Seven Notes) - Indian raga - Sri Tyagara (?-?)
• Amen Hajr Surb (Holy Father) - 13th c. Armenian liturgical tune, arranged by Komitas

Andres Mustonen - violin, artistic leader
Olev Ainomäe - shawns, recorders, shalmey
Valter Jürgenson - trombones
Tõnis Kuurme - curtal, shawn, recorders, rauschpfeiff
Imre Eenma - violone
Ivo Sillamaa - organ
Joosep Vahermägi tenor
Jaan Arder - baritone
Riho Ridbeck - bass, percussion instruments

www.lifem.org.uk