“Blossomings”: a stunning display of contemporary choral music

By Timmy Fisher, 07 May 2019

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“under the glowing direction of Kaspars Putniņš”

Reviewed at St Nicholas' Church and Museum, Tallinn on 4 May 2019

Borzík, Credo

Tulve, Nächtliche Gesänge (Nocturnal Songs) (World premiere)

Simaku, La leggiadra luna

Tulev, Ek het jou lief (World premiere)

Henderickx, Blossomings: Three Prayers for a Better World

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

Kaspars Putniņš, Conductor

Indrek Vau, Trumpet

Estonian Festival Orchestra make Carnegie Hall debut with Arvo Pärt

David Wolfson, 23rd October

Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra don’t skirt all the pitfalls of a single-composer program in an all-Pärt evening at Carnegie Hall.

***11

A meditative Estonian celebration of 90 years of Arvo Pärt

David Smythe, 5th October

The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, present an Arvo Pärt portrait concert in Glasgow.

****1

Musically peerless but battering: Wozzeck in Aix

David Karlin, 7th July

Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO give an orchestral performance to remember, with a fine singing cast, but Simon McBurney's staging dials the bleakness to maximum too early.

***11

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir intrigues in Dublin concert

Andrew Larkin, 16th November

The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir shows poise and elegance in works by fellow Estonians Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis.

***11

At the Festival d'Aix: to hear Tristan... and to die

Romain Daroles, 8th July

The Festival d'Aix-en-Provence gives us a definitive performance of Wagner's opera – but for listening only.

***11

Into silence: Arvo Pärt's distinctive soundworld casts a spell

Matthew Rye, 3rd February

A portrait concert of music by Arvo Pärt, while single-mindedly contemplative in tone, proves surprisingly absorbing in the hands of his most authoritative interpreters.

****1

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Timmy Fisher

Timmy read musicology at Durham University, studying composition with Richard Rijnvos. He has written for Gramophone and The Spectator, and composes for both film and the concert hall. He has a special interest in contemporary choral music, and co-hosts The Classical Music Pod with Sam Poppleton, available on iTunes and Spotify. Follow him on twitter at @timmy_fisher.

“Blossomings”: a stunning display of contemporary choral music in Tallinn