Album

Veljo Tormis, probably Estonia's best-known composer after Arvo Pärt, has devoted the bulk of his energies to choral music, with a catalog of over 500 choral works. He is a real maverick; his primal-sounding pieces can't be easily traced to any previous compositional school or tradition. He often takes Estonian folk song or folk-like material and transforms it into distinctive, powerfully evocative music, usually driven by rhythmic propulsiveness. He uses extended vocal techniques—shouting, whistling, chanting, whispering, glissandi, throat singing—in ways that make them sound not modern and innovative but visceral, organic expressions of feelings too primitive and raw to be conveyed through traditional singing. Raua needmine (Curse Upon Iron) is probably Tormis' most frequently performed piece outside Estonia, and it's easy to see why; it's starkly dramatic with a profound monumentality that evokes the enactment of an ancient shamanic ritual, and it has memorable rhythmic drive. Many of the texts the composer sets are in fact incantations taken from Baltic folklore and the Finnish epic, The Kalevala. The album also includes examples of Tormis' more conventional choral works, such as Kolm mul oli kaunist sõna, which uses tonal harmonies and is more strongly melodic than his more characteristic pieces.

The recording features performances by Orphei Drängar, a Swedish men's choir founded in 1853, led by Cecilia Rydinger Alin. The choir sings this daunting music with rugged assurance and the high, almost reckless energy it requires. The album makes a good introduction of Tormis' music for men's voices, and should be of strong interest to anyone who loves modern choral music. The sounds of BIS' super audio hybrid CD is clean and detailed, but doesn't have the presence and immediacy to allow music of this magnitude to make its maximum impact.

© Stephen Eddins, Rovi

CD 1
Veljo Tormis Composer Incantatio maris aestuosi (Incantation for a Stormy Sea), for chorus Work Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
1	Incantatio maris aestuosi (Incantation for a Stormy Sea), for chorus	5:48			$0.99
Veljo Tormis Composer Kord me tuleme tagasi: Meie varjud (Once We Will Reappear: Our Shadows), for male chorus Work Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
2	Kord me tuleme tagasi: Meie varjud (Once We Will Reappear: Our Shadows), for male chorus	3:17			$0.99
Veljo Tormis Composer Kolm mul oli kaunist sõna (I Had Three Beautiful Words), for male chorus & flute Work Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Andreas Alin Flute, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
3	Kolm mul oli kaunist sõna (I Had Three Beautiful Words), for male chorus & flute	5:58			$0.99
Veljo Tormis Composer Vastlalaulud (Shrovetide Songs), for male chorus Work 5:11 Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
4	1.Vistel-vastel	1:21			$0.99
5	2.Lina loitsimine (Spell upon Flax)	2:05			$0.99
6	3.Liulaskmise-laul (Sledding Song)	1:45			$0.99
Veljo Tormis Composer Litany to thunder (Pikse litaania), for tenor voice, bass voice, male chorus & bass drum Work Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Gunnar Sundberg Tenor, Magnus Einarsson Drum (Bass), Henrik Stolare Baritone, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
7	Litany to thunder (Pikse litaania), for tenor voice, bass voice, male chorus & bass drum	5:15			$0.99
Veljo Tormis Composer Viru vanne (The Viru Oath), for chorus Work Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
8	Viru vanne (The Viru Oath), for chorus	4:10			$0.99
Veljo Tormis Composer Helletused (Herding Calls), for chorus Work Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Elin Rombo Soprano, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
9	Helletused (Herding Calls), for chorus	8:10			$1.49
Veljo Tormis Composer Raua needmine, for mixed choir, tenor, bass & shaman drum Work Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Gunnar Sundberg Tenor, Henrik Stolare Baritone, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
10	Raua needmine, for mixed choir, tenor, bass & shaman drum	10:34			$1.99
Veljo Tormis Composer Muistse mere laulud (Songs of the Ancient Sea), for tenor soloist & male chorus Work Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Magnus Sjögren Tenor, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
11	Muistse mere laulud (Songs of the Ancient Sea), for tenor soloist & male chorus	9:35			$1.49
Veljo Tormis Composer Hamleti laulud (Hamlet's Songs), for double male choir Work 8:16 Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
12	1.Meri tõmbus endasse... (The sea has retreated...)	5:33			$0.99
13	2.Jah, olla, olla, tingimata olla... (Yea, to be, to be, unconditionally...)	2:43			$0.99
Veljo Tormis Composer Kaksikpühendus, diptühhon (Double Dedication, diptych), for chorus Work 3:53 Orphei Drängar Chorus/Choir, Cecilia Rydinger Alin Chorus Master
14	1. Ühte laulu tahaks laulda (I'd Like to Sing a Song)	1:35			$0.99
15	2.Tähed (Stars)	2:18			$0.99