Über Brücken Berlin Concert

There are many symbolic bridges between the countries and cultures of Northern Europe: the two states bordering the Baltic Sea, Estonia and Finland, for example, are connected by the close relationship between their languages. For the Baltic states, singing has been an inextricable part of cultural identity since their self-assertion in the 19th century – this became apparent during the Singing Revolution at the end of the Cold War in a particularly impressive way. In the contemporary vocal music of the Nordic countries as well, one can often find folk song motifs or certain traditional musical keys from the cultures that are so closely related musically.

Under principal conductor Justin Doyle, the RIAS Kammerchor is building a bridge of song – in an illustrative manner – between Finland, Estonia, Iceland and Sweden. The piece Laulusild (Bridge of Song) by Veljo Tormis serves as the starting point. The Estonian composer selected texts from the Finnish national epic Kalevala, as well as Estonian folk poems. He set the bilingual verses to music deploying traditional melodies from both countries as a musical bridge across the Baltic Sea. In Pseudo-Yoik, in contrast, Jaakko Mäntyjärvi brings to life a fantasy text that he himself has called “meaningless” as a humorous look at most Finns’ stereotypes of Lapland. With Cyrillus Kreek’s emphatic Psalm 137 of David we revert to a soft and poetic expression, which Die erste Elegie by Einojuhani Rautavaara with a text by Rainer Maria Rilke retains, despite its more atonal musical language. As well, three of the most important female contemporary composers are represented at the concert: while Anna Þorvaldsdóttir and Karin Rehnqvist enrich us with veritably ethereal, meditative compositions, Anna-Karin Klockar interrupts them on this programme with a historic protest for women’s rights, as well as, in both the figurative and literal senses, the voice of woman. You can then hear Sven-David Sandström’s masterpiece April och tystnad, before we return to Estonia: Veljo Tormis’ dramatic Curse Upon Iron concludes the multi-faceted programme. We will encounter his music again at the 5th subscription concert Tristan and Yseult.

The concert will be recorded by Deutschlandfunk Kultur.