Album

Beautifully recorded, beautifully sung, beautifully directed, and beautifully presented, there is really only one thing wrong with Baltic Voices Vol. 1: it's almost too beautiful for too long. Cyrillus Kreek's Psalms of David is beautiful with tonal waves of choral beauty borne aloft by the wonderfully blended voices of the Estonian Chamber Choir. Sven-David Sandström's adaptation of Purcell's Hear my prayer, O Lord is beautiful with sighing surges of sculpted sound molded by Paul Hillier's expert conducting. Einojuhani Rautavaara's Lorca Suite is beautiful, but perhaps a little harsh and possibly a little driven, but still beautiful. Veljo Tormis' Latvian Bourdon Songs is beautiful with humming and howling beauty, it's true, but still beautiful. Sandström's Es ist genug is beautiful, mournfully, miserably beautiful, but still beautiful. Arvo Pärt's ...which was the son of... is beautiful, arguably a little too austere and chaste, but still beautiful. By the time the disc gets to Peteris Vasks' Dona nobis pacem, all of this choral beauty is getting to be a bit too much of a good thing. But thankfully, Dona nobis pacem is accompanied by the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, which makes Vasks' astoundingly beautiful—gnarly, oblique, and severe, but still profoundly beautiful—Dona nobis pacem an aural relief after nearly an hour of almost too much beautiful choral music. In small doses, this is a very, very beautiful disc. But listening to it straight through may be too much beauty for any listener.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1
Cyrillus Kreek Composer Psalms of David (Taaveti laulud), for chorus Work 10:50 Mikk Üleoja Chorus/Choir Director, Paul Hillier Conductor, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Chorus/Choir
1	Psalm 104: Kiida, mu hing, Issandat! (Bless the lord, O my soul)	2:38			$0.99
2	Psalms 1-3: Õnnis on inimene (Happy is the Man)	3:08			$0.99
3	Psalm 141: Issand, ma hüüan Su poole (O Lord, I call to Thee)	2:13			$0.99
4	Psalm 121: Päeval ei pea päikene sind vaevama (The sun will not strike you by day)	2:51			$0.99
Sven-David Sandström Composer Hear my prayer, O Lord, for chorus (after Henry Purcell) Work Mikk Üleoja Chorus/Choir Director, Paul Hillier Conductor, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Chorus/Choir
5	Hear my prayer, O Lord, for chorus (after Henry Purcell)	6:30			$0.99
Einojuhani Rautavaara Composer Lorca Suite, for mixed or children's choir Work 6:31 Mikk Üleoja Chorus/Choir Director, Paul Hillier Conductor, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Chorus/Choir
6	1.Canción de jinete (The Rider)	1:10			$0.99
7	2.El Grito (The Scream)	1:49			$0.99
8	3.La luna asoma (The Moon)	2:05			$0.99
9	4.Malagueña	1:27			$0.99
Veljo Tormis Composer Latvian Bourdon Songs, for chorus Work 17:04 Mikk Üleoja Chorus/Choir Director, Paul Hillier Conductor, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Chorus/Choir
10	Garais sauciens (Song of meeting)	2:11			$0.99
11	Rotá dziesma (Spring song)	3:08			$0.99
12	Kazu spdziedasanas (Wedding song contest)	3:25			$0.99
13	Seru dziesma (Funeral song)	2:42			$0.99
14	Linu druva (The Flax field)	3:09			$0.99
15	Ligo dziesma (Midsummer song)	2:29			$0.99
Sven-David Sandström Composer Es ist genug (It is enough), for chorus Work Mikk Üleoja Chorus/Choir Director, Paul Hillier Conductor, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Chorus/Choir
16	Es ist genug (It is enough), for chorus	10:36			Album Only
Arvo Pärt Composer ... which was the son of... Work Mikk Üleoja Chorus/Choir Director, Paul Hillier Conductor, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Chorus/Choir
17	... which was the son of...	7:37			$0.99
Peteris Vasks Composer Dona nobis pacem, for mixed chorus and strings (or organ) Work Tallinn Chamber Orchestra Orchestra, Mikk Üleoja Chorus/Choir Director, Paul Hillier Conductor, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Chorus/Choir
18	Dona nobis pacem, for mixed chorus and strings (or organ)	15:06			Album Only