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Download: Invocatio, fragm, 3 min 22 sec, mp3, 3151 KB

Performed by: François Soulet – tenor (1, 5), Jelena Voznesenskaya – soprano (2, 4, 6), Sauli Tiilikainen – baritone (3, 7), René Soom – baritone (8), Anu Lamp – narrator (6), Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Risto Joost – conductor

Recorded in 2006 in Tallinn Methodist Church
Engineered by Aili Jõeleht / Estonian Radio
Mastered by Marika Scheer / Estonian Radio
Booklet compiled by Inna Kivi and Mirje Mändla
Booklet edited by Tiina Jokinen
Design by Mart Kivisild
Photos by Fred Jüssi and Estonian TV
Co-produced by Peeter Vähi

© René Eespere 2009
ERP 2009
1909

Epigram I
Lyrics by Seneca

Omnia tempus edax depascitur,
omnia carpit,
omnia sede movet,
nil sinit esse diu.
Flumina deficiunt,
profugum mare litora siccat,
subsidunt montes
et iuga celsa ruunt.
Quid tam parva loquor?
Moles pulcherrima caeli
ardebit flammis tota repente suis.
Omnia mors poscit.
Lex est, non poena, perire.
Hic aliquo mundus tempore nullus erit.

Epigram II
Lyrics from Codex Vossianus

Vince mero curas
et quidquid forte remordet,
comprime deque animo
nubila pelle tuo.
Nox curam
si prendit, alit:
male creditur illi cura,
nisi a multo marcida facta mero.

Epigram III
Lyrics from Codex Vossianus

Spes fallax, spes dulce malum,
spes summa malorum,
solamen miseris,
quos fata sua trahunt.
Credula res, quam nulla potest
fortuna fugare.
Spes stat
in extremis officiosa malis.
Spes vetat aeternis mortis
requiescere portis
et curas ferro
rumpere sollicitas.
Spes nescit vinci,
spes pendet tota futuris,
mentitur, credi vult tamen
illa sibi.

Epigram IV (De somno / About a dream)
Lyrics from Codex Salmasianus

Sponte mea veniens varias
ostendo figuras.
Fingo metus vanos
nullo discrimine veri.
Sed me nemo videt,
nisi qui sua lumina claudit.

Epigramm V (De vino / About wine)
Lyrics from Codex Bernensis

Pulchrior me nullus
versatur in poculis unquam,
ast ego primatum
in omnibus teneo solus.
Viribus atque
meis possum decipere multos.
Leges atque iura per me
virtutes amittunt.
Vario me si quis haurire
voluerit usu,
stupebit ingenti
mea percussus virtute.

Epigram VI
Lyrics by Ovidius

Utendum est aetate,
cito pede labitur aetas.
Nec bona tam sequitur,
quam bona prima fuit...
Heu me nunc miserum!
Laxantur corpora rugis
et perit,
in nitido qui fuit ore, color.

Epigram VII
Lyrics by Martialis (?)

Nec volo me summis Fortuna
neque adplicet imis,
sed medium vitae
temperet illa gradum.
Invidia excelsos,
inopes iniuria vexat.
Quam felix vivit,
quiquis utraque caret.

Invocatio
Lyrics by Anne Lill

Vae, nubes atrae! Quo iit sol?
Quinam sciat suam sortem?
Quinam sciat diem venientem?
Quinam sciat portam adiacentem?
Id dictum breve, firme sonat:
homini via data, tempus datum
et ante portam gravem prius iter noscitur.
Quis audit atque quis respondit?
Cum rogem numquam sonum certum redit
et nihil mulcet grave cordis dolium.
Quinam sciat portam gravem?
Quinam sciat viam exeuntem?
Quinam sciat cursum finientem?
Iuvat nos usque vis amoris.
Horret nos atra vis doloris.
Quis audit atque quis respondit?
Cum rogem numquam sonum certum redit
et nihil mulcet tristem meam mentem.

Lux aeterna – spes quaerenda,
una spes videnda.
Sol cadens, delabens ...

Quam pulchra hora,
dat aqua sacra tibi firmitatem,
post hoc baptisma tu habebis
vitam beatam.
Abeunt horae
et tegunt sacra firma illum puerum
et amor eum cingit, felix est,
ecce quam tutus.
Cum venit bruma,
speculum amnis in natura,
tam pulchra rursus aqua invitat.
Puncto iactatur – gelidus finis.
Fluctus amnis numquam retinetur,
fluit deducens.
Fluctus amnis numquam retinetur.
Fluit, fluit, currit, currit,
vigor nos captat fluctus, fluctus
vehit in perpetuum,
vehit tamen nimis celer.
Fluctus celer amnis alti
numquam requiescit
numquam habet firmam, certam sedem:
sine sede, sine sede tamquam fugiturus.

Lux aeterna – spes quaerenda,
una spes videnda.

Spero tempus id levare,
praeterfluere dolores,
et aetas donat mi pacem.
Procedunt horae
et residet spiritus, cessit maestus.
Tamen est amor blandus,
tamen volat undique.
Dulce est alatum amoris munus, alatum.
Custos exspectat ad portam,
/Nascentes/
semel fores vident homines,
/crescunt herbae et flores.
tempore aestivo/
semel intrat vir:
hic est solum transitus unus.
/Vere omnia nata
autumno quiescunt, autumno./
Exspectat custos.
/Venit nunc tempus,
fores nunc clauduntur,
fores claudendae, claudendae./
Lux aeterna – spes quaerenda,
una spes videnda.

Spero tempus id levare,
praeterfluere dolores,
et tempus donat mi pacem.

Procedunt horae et residet spiritus,
cessit maestus.
Sol cadens, delabens ... Quo?

Iter umbratum
per silvam circumvolvitur opacam,
terminus eius est ad fontem,
ad aquam claram.
Ad aquam puram
pervenit senex cum nepote,
resident fessi atque requiescunt,
tam fatigati et sitientes.
Tum bibunt gelidam liquorem,
reficit aqua perditum vigorem.
Ecce videtur
cum patet porta fontinalis
et exit nympha bella tam vitalis,
dulce ridescit, aqua fulgescit.

Est dictum summum illud,
est dictum summum illud audiendum:
finem noscit modo ille,
finem sine in occulta esse,
finem noscunt modo abeuntes.

Mater rosae
Lyrics from Codex Bernensis

Pulchra in angusto
me mater concepit alvo
et hirsuta barbis
quinque conplectitur ulnis.
Quae licet parentum
parvo sim genere sumpta,
honor quoque mihi
concessus fertur ubique.
Utero cum nascor,
matri rependo decorem
et nullum infligo
parturienti dolorem.

The 21st cent sliding-by world, soaked with materialism, makes one ask oneself the same existential questions when confronted with death that can be found already in the texts of the epigrams of Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers. The answers to the everlasting existential questions are born depending on the religion or philosophy organizing one’s world in the important development phases, or are created from the preference to search for them in art. Composer René Eespere has found that his life credo has been voiced quite accurately by a Roman epigram classic Martialis – to avoid the presence of the great and the lowly, but in middle part of life will it keep a moderate pace.
The vocal music on René Eespere’s 7th author’s CD De spe (‘Of Hope’) is based on the Latin texts by Seneca, Ovidius, Martialis, Codex Vossianus and Codex Bernensis and on the dramatic-symbolic poem Invocatio by Anne Lill inspired by Franz Kafka’s parable Before The Law. The use of Latin takes us from the relatively straightforward daily world to the symbolist reflections of philosophers. Most of the CD is filled with Epigrams which are musically expressed in a nuance-rich language of impressionistic, operatic and sacred music elements.
The original versions of Epigrams (for voice and piano) were written for the Opera in the Town Hall concert series and have been premièring within the ancient walls of the Tallinn Town Hall in summer nights since 2001. Epigrams are dedicated to François Soulet, Elena Voznessenskaya and Sauli Tiilikainen whose interpretation of them is recorded on this album.
The philosophical meditation carrying us through Epigrams and Invocatio culminates in the last piece of the CD, Mater rosae, a musical parable of a rose, where the composer has succeeded in capturing in music an utterly human feeling – love.

François Soulet graduated from the conservatories of Sète and Montpellier. After winning an international competition in 1987 he started a singing career at the opera theatres of Europe, attracting the attention of critics and receiving a positive reception from the audience for his warm romantic timbre. He has sung Faust in Berlioz’ The Damnation Of Faust (at the Krakow Philharmonic), Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata (in the Verdi opera theatre in Sassari), Faust – in Gounod’s opera Faust (at the Opéra-Grand Casino in Vichy). François Soulet has performed at the Grand Theatre of Havana, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Champs-Élysées in Paris as well as the on the concert stages of France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Russia, and Estonia.

Elena Voznesenskaya started her career as a pianist and continued her studies at the Ural State Conservatory in singing in the class of a well-known Russian baritone N Golyshev. After graduating from the Conservatory she undertook postgraduate studies and training with a distinguished French soprano Mady Mesple (1996).
Elena Voznesenskaya has won several prizes at different competitions: 1st prize in the Russian singing competition at Nizhny Novgorod (1993), a prize in the 1st Competition of Young Opera Singers in Russia. She has been a finalist in 2 competitons of Toulouse (1994, 1996) and received three special prizes in the Belvedere competition in Vienna (1997). Since 1995 Elena Voznesenskaya has been the leading soprano at the Yekaterinburg Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Her repertoire includes Violetta (Verdi’s La Traviata), Marguerite (Gounod’s Faust), Micaëla (Bizet’s Carmen), Marfa (Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride) and many others.
In 1997 she participated in the performance of Rachmaninoff’s The Bells at the Guildford Cathedral. Since the same year Elena Voznesenskaya is a soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and since 1999 a soloist of the Moscow music theatre Helikon.

Sauli Tiilikainen is a soloist of the Finnish National Opera. After graduating from the Sibelius Academy (1980) he studied at the Music Academy of Vienna.
Sauli Tiilikainen has repeatedly participated in the Savonlinna Opera Festival where he sang the title role of Sallinen’s opera The King Goes Forth To France, and Papageno in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Sauli Tiilikainen has also sung the title role in the world premier of Werle’s Lionardo at the Folk Opera in Stockholm, he participated as a soloist at the performance of Sibelius’ Kullervo Symphony and in Brahms’ Requiem at the Kennedy Centre in Washington. His repertoire includes the roles of Albert (Massenet’s Werther), Germont (Verdi’s La Traviata), Figaro (Rossini’s The Barber Of Seville), Marcello (Puccini’s La Boheme), Guglielmo (Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte), Belcore (Donizetti’s The Elixir Of Love), leading roles in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, the Count (Mozart’s The Marriage Of Figaro), Eisenstein (J Strauss’ The Bat), the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Rodrigo (Verdi’s Don Carlos), etc.

René Soom has studied singing at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music Collage and at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre supervised by Virgilijus Noreika and Nadia Kurem.
Since 2005 René Soom is a soloist at the Estonian National Opera. His roles at the Estonian National Opera include Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin), Silvio (Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci), Dandini (Rossini’s Cinderella), Ben (Menotti’s The Telephone), Morales (Bizet’s Carmen), Sacristan (Puccini’s Tosca), Captain Castel-Jaloux (Tamberg’s Cyrano de Bergerac), Tanner (Tubin’s Barbara von Tisenhusen), Ottokar (Weber’s Der Freischütz), Baron Douphal (Verdi’s La traviata), Marullo (Verdi Rigoletto), Henry Higgins (Loewe’s My Fair Lady). René Soom has also performed successfully as a chamber singer on several stages.

The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC) was founded in 1981 by Tõnu Kaljuste, who was its artistic director and chief conductor for 20 years. In the years 2001–07 the artistic director was Paul Hillier. Since 2008 the artistic director and chief conductor is Daniel Reuss.
The EPCC’s repertoire ranges from Gregorian chant to the 20th cent music. The choir has a close relationship with Estonian composers Veljo Tormis and Arvo Pärt, whose music has held a very special place in its repertoire for many years. The choir gives 60–70 concerts per season and tours regularly in Europe, the USA, Canada, and Japan.
The EPCC has worked with famous conductors and orchestras including Claudio Abbado, Helmuth Rilling, Eric Ericson, Iván Fischer, Ward Swingle, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Andrew Lawrence-King, Roland Böer, Norwegian, Australian, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Rundfunk Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, etc.
The EPCC has been invited to participate in many famous music festivals all over the world, for instance BBC Proms, Edinburgh International Festival, Salzburg Festival, etc.
Besides the concerts the recordings for companies ECM, Virgin Classics, Carus, Harmonia Mundi hold an important place in the choir’s activity. The recordings have won several prizes, from which the Grammy award for Arvo Pärt’s Da Pacem recorded by the EPCC and Paul Hillier (2007, Harmonia Mundi) is the most remarkable. Besides, the choir’s recordings with Arvo Pärt’s, Erkki-Sven Tüür’s and Baltic composers’ music have received 8 Grammy nominations.

Worldwide distribution by MusiContact / Naxos Global Logistics
Distribution in Germany by Note 1 Musikvertrieb GmbH (Carl-Benz-Straße 1, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany, phone +49 6221 720351, fax +49 6221 720381, info@note-1.de, www.note-1.de)
Distribution in France by Abeille Musique
Distribution in Estonia by Easy-Living Music

See also other recordings of René Eespere produced by ERP: Februa, In dies, Eesti portreed
See also www.eespere.ee
See also other recordings of Tallinn Chamber Orchestra with Risto Joost: A Chant Of Bamboo, Pilgrim’s Song

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