Locus amoenus (‘The Place of Beauty’, 2009) for soprano and piano is based on a poem bearing the same name by a fourth-century Roman poet Tiberianus, which is thought to be a reference to the Garden of Eden. Locus amoenus represents the harmonious condition of the human soul.
1 | Epigram IV for soprano and piano De somno | lyrics: Codex Salmasianus | 6:07 |
2 | Epigram IX for tenor and piano De stellis / De rore | lyrics: Codex Bernensis / Codex Salmasianus | 4:54 |
3 | Epigram III for baritone and piano De spe | lyrics: Codex Vossianus | 5:14 |
4 | Epigram VIII for soprano and piano De umbra | lyrics: Codex Bernensis | 4:51 |
5 | Epigram II for tenor and piano De vino et laetitia | lyrics: Codex Vossianus | 3:44 |
6 | Epigram V for soprano and piano De vino | lyrics: Codex Bernensis | 5:53 |
7 | Epigram VI for soprano and piano De senectute | lyrics: Ovidius | 5:10 |
8 | Epigram I for tenor and piano De tempore | lyrics: Seneca | 5:49 |
9 | Epigram VII for baritone and piano De mediocritate | lyrics: Martialis (?) | 3:16 |
10 | Carmen ventosum for tenor and piano | lyrics: Anne Lill | 14:06 |
11 | Locus amoenus for soprano and piano | lyrics: Tiberianus | 5:50 |
#2, Epigram IX, About Stars / About Dew, fragm, Oliver Kuusik − tenor, 2 min 8 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps
#10, Carmen ventosum, Luc Robert − tenor, fragm, 4 min 38 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps
#11, Locus amoenus, Kaia Urb − soprano, fragm, 3 min 3 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps
Performed by: Elena Voznesenskaya − soprano (#1, 6), Heli Veskus − soprano (#4), Aurelia Eespere − soprano (#7), Kaia Urb − soprano (#11), François Soulet − tenor (#5, 8), Oliver Kuusik − tenor (#2), Luc Robert − tenor (#10), Sauli Tiilikainen − baritone (#3, 9), Tarmo Eespere − piano
Engineered by Mati Brauer (#1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9), Aili Jõeleht (#2, 4, 10), Siim Mäesalu (#7) and Maido Maadik (#11)
Mastering − Siim Mäesalu
Cover artwork − Young Woman Writting (1st century AD, Pompeii)
Design − Mart Kivsild
Produced by René Eespere
The scores published by Verlag Neue Musik Berlin (Epigrams 1−9) and Edition Eisenberg (Locus amoenus, Carmen ventosum)
℗ Estonian Public Broadcasting (#1−6, 8−11), René Eespere (#7)
© 2016 René Eespere, ERP (Tallinn)
Amnis ibat inter herbas
valle fusus frigida,
luce ridens calculorum,
flore pictus herbido.
Caerulas superne laurus
et virecta myrtea
leniter motabat aura
blandiente sibilo.
Subtus autem molle gramen
flore pulcro creverat;
et croco solum rubebat
et lucebat liliis.
Tum nemus fragrabat omne
violarum spiritu.
Inter ista dona veris
gemmeasque gratias,
omnium regin(a) odorum
vel colorum lucifer
auriflora praeminebat
flamma Diones, rosa.
Roscidum nemus rigebat
inter uda gramina:
fonte crebro murmurabant
hinc et inde rivuli,
quae fluenta labibunda
guttis ibant lucidis. /…/
Sic euntem per virecta
pulchr(a) odor(a) et musica,
ales, amnis, aura, lucus,
flos et umbra iuverat.
It is as if the motives left open in the music of René Eespere (1953) beg the question: who am I in the midst of this mortal world? And this is his way to uncompromisingly represent the ethical art of the past.
René Eespere gained recognition in his native Estonia in the 1970s and 1980s for his vocal-symphonic opuses, works for the stage and his music for children. The music composed in this period is characterised by deep research into human values. His later works, including his opera Gourmets (2005), draw attention to the more painful aspects of the human existence.The most significant among his instrumental works are seven concerti and chamber music.
The music of René Eespere has always had a clearly defined texture. Over time, its aesthetics have changed, from diatonic minimalism and baroque influences to the use of chromatic and linear voice-leading techniques, and a more conscientious treatment of timbre.
This is the ninth commercially released compact disc of René Eespere’s music, featuring chamber works written for guitar.
See also other recordings of René Eespere produced by ERP: Februa, In dies, De spe, Eesti portreed, Somnium boreale, The Best of Arsis Bells, Respectus