GREAT MAESTROS XXII

ESTONIAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Conductor NEEME JÄRVI

#10 Artur Kapp. Job. Blessed is the Man. Estonian National Male Choir, ERSO, Neeme Järvi, Fragment, 3 min 41 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps

#11 Peeter Vähi. Blue Collage. Triin Ruubel, Indrek Leivategija, ERSO, Neeme Järvi. Fragment, 5 min 3 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps

Tamar Nugis – baritone (#7, #10)
Triin Ruubel – violin (#11)
Indrek Leivategija – cello (#11)
Girls’ Choir Ellerhein (choral master Ingrid Kõrvits / #5–7, 9, 10)
Estonian National Male Choir (choral master Igor Nikiforov / #2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10)
State Choir Latvija (choral master Marika Austruma / #3, 4, 7, 10)
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (concert masters Triin Ruubel #1–10, 12, 13; Marge Uus #11)
Piret Aidulo – organ (#4, 7, 10)
Neeme Järvi – conductor

Artur Kapp, alongside Rudolf Tobias, is one of the first professional Estonian composers who received education in composition at St. Petersburg Conservatory and laid the foundation for national symphonic music. Born in Suure-Jaani in the family of music-loving sexton Joosep Kapp, he was introduced to classical music at an early age and played the organ as a child. At the age of 13, Artur Kapp entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory, first studying organ with Louis Homilius and later composition under the guidance of Rimsky-Korsakov. His overture Don Carlos, completed in 1899, is one of the first symphonic works in Estonian music history. A few years after graduating from the conservatory, Artur Kapp took up the position of principal of a music school in Astrakhan, Russia. The following years were dedicated to building up the city’s musical life, while maintaining ties with the homeland. During this time, Kapp composed several important works, including cantata Päikesele (To Sun) which was dedicated to the opening of the new Estonia Theatre building in 1913. After WW I, Kapp returned to Estonia, initially serving as a conductor at the Estonia Theatre and, from 1924, as a composition teacher at the Tallinn Conservatory. Pedagogical work became his main focus until 1941. Among his students were several prominent composers of the next generation, such as Mart Saar, Evald Aav, Riho Päts, Gustav Ernesaks, Eugen Kapp, Villem Reimann and others. Artur Kapp composed five symphonies, an oratorio, two organ concertos, numerous other organ works and chamber and choir music. His great source of inspiration was Bach, and he also looked up to Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky. Kapp’s music is known for its monumentality, depth of thought, dramatic character and an elaborate use of counterpoint. The lyrical side of his gift appears in his melody-rich smaller works.

Artur Kapp considered the oratorio Job to be one of his most significant works. Vardo Rumessen has referred to it as the composer’s masterpiece, as it allowed Kapp to express himself more fully than in any other composition. It is a major work not only in Artur Kapp’s output but also in Estonian music as a whole, standing alongside Rudolf Tobias’ oratorio Jonah and Cyrillus Kreek’s Requiem. The oratorio, completed between 1926–1929, is based on the Old Testament Book of Job, which focuses on the topic of human suffering and the struggle between good and evil. Job is a righteous and pious man whom God allows Satan to tempt in order to prove Job’s faithfulness to God, even when everything is taken from him. Job endures all suffering and doesn’t turn away from his Creator, ultimately being richly blessed in return. Kapp has admitted that his personal experiences and spiritual search influenced his choice of matter. At the same time, he was able to express in oratorio feelings that are universally human. The libretto was compiled by Julius Kaljuvee from the Estonian St. John’s Church in St. Petersburg. Kapp dedicated the oratorio to the mixed choir of the Music Department of the Estonia Society, which premiered it in 1931 at the Estonia Concert Hall along with the Tallinn Men’s Choral Society and an expanded Estonia Theatre orchestra under the baton of Juhan Aavik. The premiere brought a great deal of excitement and the oratorio was warmly received. It was performed three more times that same year, including in Helsinki, Finland. The pianist and music critic of the time, Theodor Lemba, wrote that the premiere of the oratorio “became a truly major event in the field of Estonian national music”.
The oratorio is divided into two parts and consists of an introduction and 31 movements. The main characters are Job (baritone), Satan (bass), God (bass, reciter) and Job’s wife (mezzo-soprano). In addition, there are several secondary characters, such as Job’s friends. Job contains many short characterising motifs and polyphonically developed themes. The most important leitmotif appears in Happy is the man who fears the Lord, upon which the entire musical development of the oratorio is built. Here, Kapp consciously used the theme of Bach’s E-flat minor fugue (WTC I). The choir plays a significant role in the oratorio, carrying much of the grandeur of the work. The polyphonic choral movements are especially masterful, particularly the majestic final chorus which also appears on the current recording. The choral sections stand out for their large distribution of vocal parts, with often eight voices prevailing in moments of climax. The orchestra also plays a remarkable role in the oratorio, contributing to the creation of impressive effects.
The oratorio was performed eight times before the Soviet occupation. After a long forced hiatus, Job was heard again in 1997, conducted by Neeme Järvi. It was also the first recording of the work. The next performance, 27 years later, is also related to Neeme Järvi – the oratorio opened the concert season under his baton in September 2024.

Estonian composer Peeter Vähi stands out in the contemporary music landscape for his distinctive approach and for bringing together different worlds – Eastern and Western musical thought, archaic and contemporary, acoustic and electronic. Studying at the Tallinn Conservatory under Prof. Eino Tamberg, Vähi’s early works were in the avant-garde and later neoclassical styles. Over time, he developed a deep interest in traditional music from the Orient. Vähi’s list of compositions is diverse, comprising a wide range of genres – from orchestral works to chamber music and multimedia pieces. His expressive palette is broad, offering both meditative-philosophical moods and energetic rhythms along with motoric movement. Vähi often incorporates elements from the music of various cultures, and in vocal works, uses different languages. Additionally, traces of his background as a former pop and rock musician occasionally can be seen in his compositions. His works often feature exotic or rarely explored instruments, for example he has written pieces for bamboo flute, a bell ensemble and birbynė. According to musicologist Evi Arujärv, Vähi’s music has increasingly emphasized its conceptual side – the message within the music and its ritualistic performance, as well as the sonic and symbolic uniqueness of the material. In addition to his creative work, Vähi has served as a producer at Eesti Kontsert and taught Asian music at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. He is the artistic director of the Glasperlenspiel and Orient music festivals and runs the record label Estonian Record Productions. He is also known as a world traveller and photographer.

Blue Collage is exceptional in the composer’s oeuvre due to its long creation process. The work was commissioned in 2016 by the renowned Norwegian violin-cello duo Håkon & Mari Samuelsen, but it didn’t reach its premiere, as the cellist unexpectedly resigned from his profession. After a long pause, the composer, inspired by Maestro Järvi, completed the work. The premiere of Blue Collage took place in October 2024, performed by the soloists Triin Ruubel and Indrek Leivategija and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Neeme Järvi. Although the piece was initially commissioned as a concerto, it cannot be viewed as a traditional example of that genre. It is rather a collage-like composition that juxtaposes very different, fragmentary sections. According to the composer, it is as if multiple of his musical memories have been assembled together. The collage includes references to Vähi’s earlier works, such as Concerto of Light and Shadow, Reminiscences of Youth and the Birbynė Concerto, as well as to his favorite Estonian folk tune Meil aiaäärne tänavas, tying together the last decade of his work into a unified whole.

When considering the role of the soloists, they are equal, giving one the possibility to think of the piece as a double concerto. The solo parts are very instrument-specific, and although they may seem virtuosic at first glance, they are actually relatively easy to master. This is connected to the fact that the composer borrowed a violin and a cello for six months, using them during the composition process. In the solo parts both classical and 20th-century extended playing techniques are represented. At times, the piece carries a tragic-romantic undertones, but due to its collage nature, the mood never becomes overwhelming. The harmony is transparent and clear, and the rhythm is not difficult to grasp, making the work easy to listen to. According to Evi Arujärv, the limpidness of Blue Collage speaks to the extraordinary nature of its sound material.

Estonian viola player, composer and conductor Madis Järvi comes from the most famous family of musicians in Estonia, the Järvi dynasty. He studied violin in Estonia with Ivi Tivik and in Finland with Pertti Sutinen, and graduated from the Lahti Conservatory majoring in viola. In composition, Madis Järvi has been the student of Kari Karjalainen, Harri Ahmas, and Toivo Tulev. In 2008, Järvi founded the Lahti Nuori Kamariorkesteri. He has participated in masterclasses with Klaus Christa, Juhani Palola, Mikhail Zemtsov, Atso Almila, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi and Leonid Grin. Since 2013, he has been playing in the viola section of the Estonian National Opera Symphony Orchestra. Järvi’s works have been performed in Estonia, Finland and Germany. In 2012, he won the Lahti University of Applied Science composition competition with his symphonic work White Dwarf. In addition to symphonic music, he has written chamber works, such as six string quartets, two flute quartets, a piano quintet, a piano trio and others. He has also composed concertos for oboe, trombone, and marimba.

The two-movement Morbid Symphony was composed between 2020 and 2021, a period that, according to the composer, was rather grim, sickly and pessimistic for everyone. The word “morbid” in the title reflects these moods. The final version of the piece was completed in 2022, and it was first performed in the June of that year at Neeme Järvi’s 85th jubilee concert, with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. The first movement of the work is titled Sick World and the second one Alarm and Pain. The vigorous theme, marked with a military tone, sets the mood for the entire first part, gradually intensifying and recurring in different instrumental groups. This theme also reappears in the second movement, tying the symphony into a cohesive whole. In contrast, there are more lyrical and gentle passages, that, nevertheless, yield to the dominant mood – despairing reality one again rears its face. The anxious main theme of the second movement is fast-paced and characterized by a dense, nervous rhythm, evoking a sense of inexorably approaching calamity. The tension is further heightened by moments of increased textural density. A choir, singing vocals and employing a glissando technique, adds a tragically painful undertone. Through memorable motifs, skilled orchestration and the masterful development of musical material and dynamics, the composer has succeeded in creating work that powerfully conveys the morbid emotions reflected in its title.

Baritone Tamar Nugis joined Estonian National Opera as a soloist in 2020. He has won the 2nd Vello Jürna National Singers Competition (2013) and has received the Tiit Kuusik Award and the Estonian National Culture Foundation Scholarship (2022). Nugis has studied classical singing in Tartu Heino Eller Music College with Vivian Kallaste and in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under the guidance of Taavi Tampuu. In addition, he has taken classes from Annika Ollinkari in the Sibelius Academy and has participated in the masterclasses of Eva Märtson, Alexander Schmalcz, Asta Krikščiūnaitė, Margarita Gruzdeva, Jenny Anvelt, Peter Konwitschny, Stephan Jöris and others. Nugis’ repertoire includes numerous opera and operetta roles both at the Estonian National Opera and other stages such as Theatre Vanemuine and Sibelius Academy. In addition to classical opera repertoire (Mozart, Donizetti, Puccini, Bizet), he has also sung in contemporary works by Estonian composers, such as Kaumann/Keller’s Naksitrallid, Lill’s Tulleminek and Aints’ Rehepapp. Nugis has participated in performances of several Beethoven’s works and also works such as Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Fauré’s Requiem, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, Purcell’s Ode to St. Cecilia, Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, Charpentier’s Te Deum, Schubert’s Missa in Es and Tobias-Duesberg’s Requiem.

Triin Ruubel is an esteemed Estonian violinist who performs throughout Europe as a soloist and a chamber musician. She has won 1st prize and two special prizes at Kloster Schöntal international competition, and has performed on world-famous stages, including the Konzerthaus in Berlin. In 2011, she was one of the founders of contemporary music ensemble Neophon and her interest in contemporary music has lead to collaborations with Wolfgang Rihm, Peter Ruzicka, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Jörg Widmann and other composers. Ruubel has been a soloist with Sinfonietta Rīga, Haydn Orchestra Bolzano, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre des Jeunes d’Île-de-France, Philharmonia of the Nations, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonisches Orchester Vorpommern and the Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with the pianists Kärt Ruubel, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Víkingur Ólafsson and Frank-Immo Zichner and with clarinetist Matthew Hunt. Since April 2015 Ruubel holds the position of concertmaster of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and also teaches at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. In 2017, she received an Annual Award of the Estonian Music Council and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia as a shining soloist and concertmaster. In 2020, her debut CD with Edward Elgar’s Violin Concerto was released. Ruubel has studied with Tiiu Peäske at the Tallinn Music High School and with Prof Petru Munteanu at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Rostock.

Indrek Leivategija is an active soloist, chamber musician, teacher and concertmaster of the cello section of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra since 2021. He has participated successfully in numerous master classes and competitions both in Estonia and abroad. Leivategija has worked at the Bavarian Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and has been a frequent guest as concertmaster of the cello section with many top German orchestras, such as Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig and Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart. He has also recorded for Estonian National Broadcasting, Bavarian Broadcasting and German Radio. Leivategija coaches cellists in the German National Youth Orchestra and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra Academy and works at Heino Eller Music College in Tartu. Indrek Leivategija has studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Henry-David Varema and has graduated from Munich University of Music and Drama in the cello class of Prof Wen-Sinn Yang. In addition, he has been a student of Natalia Gutman at the Fiesole School of Music in Italy.

The Ellerhein Girls’ Choir has been active since 1951 and has achieved significant recognition both in Estonia and abroad. The choir’s founder and first principal conductor was Heino Kaljuste, who was followed by Tiia-Ester Loitme. Since 2012, the choir conductor has been Ingrid Kõrvits. The choir has successfully performed in many international competitions, including the Grand Prix at international Tallinn choral competitions (2009, 2017, 2019), 2nd Prize Gold Level at the international choral competition Ave Verum in Austria (2013), the Grand Prix and 5 special prizes at the 53rd Seghizzi international choral competition in Italy (2014), several awards at Lisbon Sings 2023 in Portugal and others. The concert tours have taken them to many European countries as well as Japan, China, the USA, Canada, and Israel.
Ellerhein has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Peeter Lilje, Eri Klas, Paavo Järvi, Tõnu Kaljuste, Andres Mustonen, Olari Elts, Mikko Frank and Timothy Fitzpatrick, also with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, the Estonian National Male Choir, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Hortus Musicus. The choir’s repertoire consists of both classical and contemporary choral music, with frequent performances of works by Estonian composers Veljo Tormis, Arvo Pärt, Gustav Ernesaks and Cyrillus Kreek. Ellerhein has a remarkable discography, including a Grammy award in 2004 for a recording of Sibelius cantatas (with the ERSO and Estonian National Male Choir, conducted by Paavo Järvi). In 2024, the album Taevased laulud, released in collaboration with Vox Clamantis, was awarded the title of Choir Album of 2023. Ellerhein has been awarded the Choir of the Year title by the Estonian Choral Society (2007).

The State Choir Latvija is the largest professional choir in the Baltic States, and it is regularly in demand on the concert programmes of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors. Since 1997, the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor has been Māris Sirmais. Latvija has collaborated with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra… The choir has sung under the baton of eminent conductors such as Mariss Jansons, Andris Nelsons, Zubin Mehta, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Vladimir Ashkenazy, David Zinman, Simone Young, Tõnu Kaljuste, Jaap van Zweden, Kent Nagano and others. Latvija’s concerts are regularly held in prestigious venues worldwide, including the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, KKL Luzern, the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the National Music Auditorium in Madrid, Lincoln Centre in New York, Shanghai Concert Hall, the Esplanade in Singapore and many others. The State Choir Latvija is internationally acclaimed both for its academic excellence as well as its innovative projects. The choir has participated in recordings produced by Naxos, Warner Music, Harmonia Mundi, Wergo, Ondine and ERP.

The Estonian National Male Choir is one of the best-known Estonian music ensembles in the world. The choir’s repertoire spans from renaissance to contemporary. Besides many Estonian composers, it has premiered compositions by such luminaries as Gavin Bryars, Giovanni Bonato, Henrik Ødegaard, Dmitri Shostakovich and others. The Estonian National Male Choir was founded in 1944 by Estonian choral conductor and composer Gustav Ernesaks. Starting from the 2011/2012 season Estonian National Male Choir is led by chief conductor and artistic director Mikk Üleoja. Estonian National Male Choir frequently records for Estonian National Broadcasting and has collaborated with such labels as Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, Finlandia, Alba Records, Virgin Classics, Ondine, Toccata Classics, CCn’C, ERP… In 2004 choir was awarded the Grammy award for the best choral performance, first for Estonia (Sibelius’ cantatas, in collaboration with Ellerhein choir, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Paavo Järvi). Other highly acclaimed CDs include In Paradisum (2014), Te lucis ante terminum (2016), REGIRAM (2019), Baltic Contrasts (2023), the album with Arvo Pärt’s De Profundis and Shostakovich’s 13th Symphony (2024) and others. Over its long history, the Estonian National Male Choir has given more than seven thousand concerts in Estonia but also in locations as far afield as North-America and Asia.

The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO) is a vivid and versatile orchestra who’s always striving towards excellence. Since the 2020/21 season, its Chief Conductor and Artistic Director is Olari Elts. Neeme Järvi, the longest-serving chief conductor of the ERSO, continues to cooperate with the orchestra as an Honorary Artistic Director for Life and the Artistic Adviser of the orchestra is Paavo Järvi. The orchestra performs with renowned conductors and soloists from around the world, including most prominent Estonian musicians. ERSO’s CDs demonstrate a quality that has been recognised by several renowned music magazines and the orchestra has won several prizes, including a Grammy Award for the recording of cantatas by Sibelius. Its home venue is the Estonia Concert Hall in Tallinn and it has dazzled the world with numerous tours and participated in reputable international music festivals. They have played in prestigious venues such as the Konzerthaus Berlin, Musikverein in Vienna, Rudolfinum in Prague, Brucknerhaus in Linz, the Avery Fisher Hall in New York, the Grand Hall of St. Petersburg Philharmonia and the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, the Kölner Philharmonie, the Helsinki Music Centre, Berwaldhallen in Stockholm, and many more. Some of the festivals ERSO has attended include the Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier with Neeme Järvi and the Eufonie International Festival of Central and Eastern Europe in Warsaw under the baton of Olari Elts. In May 2023, a successful concert tour took the orchestra to Great Britain, where 11 concerts were given with pianist Barry Douglas under the baton of Olari Elts. The orchestra has enjoyed fruitful cooperation with highly acclaimed record companies such as Chandos, BIS, and Onyx, and in the past also with Alba Records, Harmonia Mundi, Melodiya and ERP. In addition to local radio and television channels, ERSO’s concerts have been broadcasted by Mezzo, medici.tv and they have also reached many radio listeners via the EBU. In 2020, the orchestra launched its own channel – erso.tv.

The head of a musical dynasty, Neeme Järvi is one of today’s most highly respected maestros. He conducts the world’s most prominent orchestras and works alongside soloists of the highest calibre. Neeme Järvi has held the position of chief conductor (currently chief conductor emeritus) of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Royal Scottish National Orchestra (currently honorary conductor), music director of Detroit Symphony Orchestra (currently music director emeritus), music director of New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (currently honorary conductor), chief conductor of the Hague Residentie-orchestra (currently chief conductor emeritus), music director of Orchestre de la Suisse Romande etc. A prolific recording artist, he has amassed a discography of nearly 500 recordings. Among others, he has recorded all symphonies by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Strauss, Mahler, Dvořák, Glazunov, Sibelius, Nielsen and Brahms. Järvi has also championed less widely known composers such as Wilhelm Stenhammar, Hugo Alfvén, Niels Gade, Franz Berwald, Johan Svendsen and Johan Halvorsen and composers from his native Estonia including Rudolf Tobias, Artur Kapp, Eduard Tubin and Arvo Pärt. Throughout his career he has recorded with Chandos, Deutsche Grammophon, BIS and EMI amongst others.
Having served as chief conductor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra from 1963 to 1979, Järvi took a difficult decision in 1980 to emigrate to the US. In 2010, he was again appointed artistic director and chief conductor of ERSO, being the only conductor who has held this position for two different periods. From the summer of 2020 he continues as its Honorary Artistic Director for Life. In 2001, Neeme Järvi with his two sons, conductors Paavo and Kristjan, initiated the international conducting master classes in Pärnu which by now have grown into the Järvi Academy and Pärnu Music Festival. Neeme Järvi has been honoured with many international awards and accolades. He holds an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Detroit’s Wayne State University and the University of Michigan, as well as honorary doctorates from the University of Aberdeen and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. He has also received the Commander of the North Star Order from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. In 2018, Maestro Järvi received Gramophone’s Life Achievement Award, and in 2020, the Life Achievement Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Download the liner notes in Estonian language (PDF, 6 pages)

Distribution ERSO (phone +372 6 147787, erso@erso.ee), Muusikapood, Easy-Living Music (reispuk@neti.ee) and ERP online-shop (www.erpmusic.com, info@erpmusic.com)

See also other Great Maestros series, Neeme Järvi’s and ERSO’s records produced by ERP: Great Maestros: OSR Neeme Järvi, Great Maestros I−V, Great Maestros Vol VI, In the Mystical Land of Kaydara, Georg Ots. A Legend of Estonia, Great Maestros X-XIII: Mozart, Great Maestros XIV−XV: Igor Bezrodny, Great Maestros XVI−XVII: Beethoven−250, Great Maestros XVIII−XIX, Great Maestros XX: Scroll Over Beethoven, 100 Years of Estonian Symphony,  Eduard Tubin and His Time, Handbell Symphony, Nordic Legends, Somnium Boreale, The Hand of God, Toivo Nahkur. Neeme Järvi, Mari Tampere-Bezrodny, The Best of Arsis Bells, Contra aut pro?