Half a Century
Hortus Musicus

HALF A CENTURY
Recordings 1973–2020

HORTUS MUSICUS
Artistic director Andres Mustonen

Released in July 2022. First presentation on July 8th in Tartu St John’s church in the frames of Glasperlenspiel Music Festival.

Around 1976, at the moment when my tintinnabuli style was about to be born, my life was tightly bound up with the Estonian early music ensemble Hortus Musicus and its leader Andres Mustonen. At that time the world of early music opened up before us and we were all full of enthusiasm. This atmosphere had the effect of a midwife in the birth of my new music.

Arvo Pärt

It was the year 1972. With buoyant naturalness, Andres Mustonen and Hortus Musicus pierced the stale, strictly regulated Soviet milieu to reach a different, independent level. The red ideologists viewed medieval music as something distant and marginal. However, as Andres Mustonen instinctively realized, the authentic old can be understood as something really new compared to the artificial novelties of today. /…/ During the next decades Hortus Musicus became a refreshing spiritual garden. This garden cleansed us of the omnipresent Soviet scum and instilled joy, enthusiasm and primeval harmony into thousands of visitors. This was indispensable for cultural and ethical rebirth on all levels of society. The harmony is notably needed now, in the turbulent third decade of the 21st century.

Tunne Kelam

Total time 78:53

#1, Gregorian chant. Kyrie IV, Sanctus XVIII, 3 min 9 sec, mp3,  320 Kbps

#9, Peeter Vähi. In memoriam HM, fragment, 2 min 37 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps

#11, Jewish song. Ani tsame, fragment, 3 min 1 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps

#22, Carmina Burana, O varium fortune lubricum,  fragment, 1 min 55 sec, MP3,  320 Kbps

Hortus Musicus today: Andres Mustonen, Anto Õnnis, Tõnis Kaumann, Riho Ridbeck, Olev Ainomäe, Tõnis Kuurme, Valter Jürgenson, Imre Eenma, Taavo Remmel, Ivo Sillamaa
Hortus Musicus on recordings of previous decades: Helle Mustonen, Külli Linask, Marje Tralla, Toomas Volkmann, Joosep Vahermägi, Jaan Arder, Neeme Punder, Taivo Niitvägi, Peeter Klaas, Robert Staak, Imbi Tarum, Raivo Tarum, Vallo Tarum, Elar Kuiv, Tarmo Toom

Sound engineering – Enn Tomson, Jüri Tamm, Maido Maadik, Siim Mäesalu
Digitalization of analogue recordings – Priit Kuulberg
Mastering – Siim Mäesalu
Design – Mart Kivisild
Photos – Arno Saar, Kalju Suur, Kaupo Kikkas, Anna-Malle Hallik, Peeter Vähi, private collection
Producer – Peeter Vähi

Special thanks: National Archives of Estonia, Forte, Eesti Kontsert, Cultural Endowment of Estonia

ERP 12722
℗ Hortus Musicus, Melodiya, ERP
© 2022 ERP

Hortus Musicus has been musically active for almost half a hundred years and is thus the oldest ensemble in Eastern Europe in its field and also one of the few so long-lived in the world. The collective, initiated in 1972 by Andres Mustonen, the violin student at the Tallinn State Conservatory at this time, has given countless concerts with thrilling programs, performed in most European countries, the USA, South America, Israel (MustonenFest), Japan and Russia, played in the most prestigious early music festivals and recorded about 40 records. Hortus Musicus’ repertoire includes music from the 8th to the 21st century, which speaks about the extremely wide interests and competency of the collective. Borders are crossed in time, geography and genre. In addition to the so-called classical early music, the ensemble’s programs include contemporary music and traditional music from exotic countries. A special feature of Hortus Musicus is the bold and unambiguous approach to the performed music, which gives a vivid and fresh interpretation of the sounding works and creates a bridge between the distant history and the modern listener.

Distribution in Estonia by Easy-Living Music, reispuk@neti.ee

Other recordings of Hortus Musicus: canto:), Hommage à brillace de Lune, Gregorianische Choräle − Plainchants, Maypole, 1200–1600 Medieval-Renaissance, Vuestros Amores He Señora, Telemann. Quartets,  Ave, 2000 Years After the Birth of Christ,  Early Music of 3rd Millennium, Jerusalem